Ministers flying around the world for St Patrick's Day to highlight the perils of global warming will leave a large carbon footprint of their own, reports Liam Reid, Environment Correspondent
The Government has decided this year to add a new tinge of green to the 40 shades normally allotted to the St Patrick's Day festivities. As they embark on their annual exodus around the globe, senior and junior Ministers have been given an extra task alongside the traditional ambassadorial role of promoting economic, business and social ties. The 29 Government members, who will between them clock up just under 300,000 kilometres in the air for St Patrick's Day, have been asked to highlight global warming.
"The Taoiseach and Ministers this year will highlight the global threat of climate change and the urgency of acting together to meet this challenge," a statement announcing the St Patrick's Day destinations of the senior and junior Ministers said last Thursday. The Government is keen to portray itself as green, and the statement is reflective of an unprecedented level of Government attention in relation to environmental and energy issues, prompted in no small part by the looming general election.
However, what the statement did not say was the impact this latter-day flight of the Ministers would have on climate change. The Ministerial air travel this week will contribute more than 180 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere, The Irish Times has calculated. To put this into context, a standard average family car produces just over 1.65 tonnes of greenhouse gases for every 10,000 kilometres it travels. So the combined Ministerial trips are the equivalent of driving a car for more than one million kilometres.
So how did we come up with the figures? Calculating greenhouse gas emission levels from flights can be a tricky business. Fuel burn rates, occupancy levels, plane size and seat class all have to be taken into account when doing so. In general, kilometre for kilometre, the emissions from flying are comparable with each passenger driving a car the same distance.
Air travel, however, has a more negative impact on the environment from a climate change point of view compared with emissions from land transport. Various scientists have estimated that, because of the vapour trails emitted into the troposphere alongside the CO2 emissions, the impact is about 2.7 times as great. This also has to be included in calculations for the Government's travel this week.
Add to this the fact that they will be travelling business class, which also has a premium, as the additional space means fewer people can be fitted onto the plane.
In calculating the carbon footprint of the Government's St Patrick's Day travel, The Irish Times used one of a number of online carbon counters which are free to use. The calculator used for this exercise was www.chooseclimate.org, a website operated by scientist Dr Ben Matthews. This is one of the most accurate and sophisticated carbon counters available online and takes into account the multiplier effect of aviation emissions and whether a person flies business class. Because these elements are taken into account, it means the emissions are much higher than other calculations.
In addition, separate calculations were made for the Government jet, which will be used by the Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and also the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dermot Ahern, who are travelling to Washington, DC, meaning their emission levels are the highest.
Only last Wednesday, the Taoiseach was talking of the need for the public sector to "lead the way" and said his own department was trying to cut down on travel. "I am promoting and pressing all of these policies," he informed the Dáil. "I was on the Dart twice recently and . . . I came to realise how much better it is and how much more sociable and efficient than being stuck in traffic."
Unfortunately for the Taoiseach, however, the Dart doesn't go to Washington.
And the slightly less dirty 17 . . .
Michael McDowell - Savannah
6.5
Pat the Cope Gallagher - Atlanta and Philadelphia
6.3
Brian Cowen - Chicago
5.8
Mary Coughlan - New York
5.3
Dick Roche - Toronto
4.6
Mary Hanafin - Boston
4.3
Noel Ahern - Romania
3.2
Seán Haughey - Russia
3.2
Tom Kitt - Poland
2.4
Seamus Brennan - Italy and the Holy See
2.2
Mary Wallace - Austria
2.1
Mary Harney - Norway, Sweden and Denmark
1.7
Brian Lenihan - France
1.5
John O'Donoghue - London
0.5
Seán Power - Birmingham
0.4
Conor Lenihan - Edinburgh
0.3
Brendan Smith - Manchester
0.3
TOTAL 182.17(tonnes (including the "Dirty Dozen") equivalent) CO2