posted March 30, 2007 11:38 AM            

Travolta could also give John Edwards a run for his money. Edwards, who says he's "green" recently built a 20,000 square foot mansion...that's twenty thousand square feet, about 18 times the size of the average US home. Oh and we wouldn't want to forget all that jet fuel Edwards uses flying all over the country in private jets..campaigning.

I wonder if any of these people...including Ariana Huffington...realize just how absurd they appear to most people when they attempt to lecture us on energy use. Huffington's home is estimated to be about 50,000 square feet in size.

With five private jets, Travolta still lectures on global warming
Last updated at 10:37am on 30th March 2007


Happy landings: John Travolta's plane collection parked at his home in Florida

His serious aviation habit means he is hardly the best person to lecture others on the environment. But John Travolta went ahead and did it anyway.

The 53-year-old actor, a passionate pilot, encouraged his fans to "do their bit" to tackle global warming.

But although he readily admitted: "I fly jets", he failed to mention he actually owns five, along with his own private runway.

Clocking up at least 30,000 flying miles in the past 12 months means he has produced an estimated 800 tons of carbon emissions – nearly 100 times the average Briton's tally.

Travolta made his comments this week at the British premiere of his movie, Wild Hogs.

He spoke of the importance of helping the environment by using "alternative methods of fuel" – after driving down the red carpet on a Harley Davidson.

This is your captain: Travolta on tour for Qantas

Travolta, a Scientologist, claimed the solution to global warming could be found in outer space and blamed his hefty flying mileage on the nature of the movie business.

But his appointment as a "serving ambassador" for the Australian airline Qantas doesn't seem to have much to do with the movies. Nor does a recent, two-month round-the-world flying trip.

"It [global warming] is a very valid issue," Travolta declared. "I'm wondering if we need to think about other planets and dome cities.

"Everyone can do their bit. But I don't know if it's not too late already. We have to think about alternative methods of fuel.

"I'm probably not the best candidate to ask about global warming because I fly jets.

"I use them as a business tool though, as others do. I think it's part of this industry – otherwise I couldn't be here doing this and I wouldn't be here now."

Travolta's five private planes – a customised £2million Boeing 707, three Gulfstream jets and a Lear jet – are kept at the bottom of his garden in the US next to a private runway.

Indeed, such is his enthusiasm for flying, he persuaded his wife, actress Kelly Preston, to name their son Jett when he was born 14 years ago.

Five years ago he piloted his own Boeing 707 on a 13- city "Spirit of Friendship Tour" for Qantas, taking in Los Angeles, Auckland, Sydney, Singapore, Tokyo, London, Paris and New York and amassing over 35,000 flying miles.

More recently, a gruelling promotional schedule for his two latest projects, Hairspray and Wild Hogs, has seen him fly extensively over the past year.

This includes a country-wide tour of the US and a visit to Canada as well as this week's appearance in Leicester Square.

Such prolific mileage means that, over the past 12 months, he has accumulated around 800 tonnes of carbon emissions.

According to a recent study by the government-funded Carbon Trust, this means he boasts a carbon "footprint" nearly 100 times that of the average Briton, who is responsible for 10.92 tons of Co2, from his flights alone.

One of the world's leading climate change businesses, the Carbon Neutral Company, has written to Travolta, suggesting ways he could reduce these alarming levels.

He has yet to respond to their advice. Environmental groups were quick to criticise Travolta for "discrediting the cause".

John Buckley, managing director-of CarbonFootprint.com, said: "John Travolta has such a high-profile celebrity status, so what he says carries an extraordinary amount of weight.

"So it is such a shame when someone of his standing is so outspoken about green issues, yet fails to practise what he preaches.

"Unfortunately someone of his standing ends up discrediting the cause itself, because he is saying people should protect the environment on one hand, yet travelling on a private plane on the other.

"Green issues are serious and should be treated as such.

posted March 30, 2007 08:16 PM            

I am all up for celeb input on worldly affairs but it seems like the hype of it all ends up overshadowing the real problem.

Case and point: Forigen Adoption.

posted March 31, 2007 12:10 AM            

Charles 'the hypocrite' takes private plane for 500-mile trip to Scotland

For one who prides himself on his green credentials, it seems an unnecessarily environmentally unfriendly way to go on holiday.

But if it's good enough to collect his wife's stilettos, a private jet is perfect for a 500-mile trip to the Highlands.

Carbon footprint: Prince Charles took a 500-mile trip on the royal plane with Camilla

Royal sources confirmed last night that Prince Charles boarded a Royal Flight HS125 at RAF Lyneham near his Highgrove home to take him, wife Camilla and a small entourage of aides to Aberdeen.

The couple are spending Easter at Birkhall, the Queen Mother's former country house near Balmoral which she bequeathed to Charles.

But his flight put him on a collision course with environmentalists who estimated the flight would have a carbon footprint of 15,000kg per passenger. Analysts Best Foot Forward said a scheduled flight would have resulted in a far less damaging carbon emission of 435kg per person as it would have had more passengers.

Travelling by car would more than half that figure to 180kg and going by train via London would be the greenest option with a estimated carbon emission of 60kg.

Joss Garman, a campaigner for green pressure group, Plane Stupid said: "This is the third time in as many months that he has taken a private jet when he could have taken a more environmentally sustainable means of transport.

"It is frustrating and disappointing that someone who styles himself as a green leader and should be leading an example, behaves in such a manner when everyone else is doing their best to cut emissions.

"This is exactly the type of unnecessary flight that we should be cutting down on."

Senior palace sources revealed that Charles had his wife's comfort in mind when he ordered the jet.

The Duchess of Cornwall is still recovering from a hysterectomy and flew with a nurse on board.

Charles vowed last December to "substantially" curb his reliance on gas-guzzling transport in favour of scheduled flights and train travel.

And a month later he turned down a private jet and took 20 members of his staff business class on a British Airways jet to New York to collect an award marking his environmental awareness.

In his speech, Charles said climate change "was a war we simply have to win". And he was applauded when he added: "It is surely the duty of each and every one of us to find out what we can do to make the situation better."

Nonetheless green campaigners and Environment Minister David Miliband said he could have accepted the award by video link.

In February, though, he reverted to a 140-seater private plane to fly to the Gulf with a 20-strong party.

During the trip, Camilla came under fire for flying a pair of stilettos from Highgrove to the Gulf after she realised she had landed in Kuwait without them. In the end, she didn't even wear the shoes.

The Prince went first class on a scheduled train from London Waterloo to Woking in Surrey to attend a series of engagements highlighting climate change.

But his chauffeur- driven biodiesel Jaguar XJ and a police Range Rover full of bodyguards made the same 31-mile journey to meet him afterwards and take him to other engagements and finally home to Highgrove.

A spokesman for Clarence House said: "We have always said that a number of factors need to be taken into account on each journey and in this case a key consideration was the Duchess's recuperation from her recent operation."