by Sebastian Hughes
The family jet of climate czar John Kerry has emitted 30 times more carbon so far in 2021 than the average vehicle in a year, Fox News reported.
The private jet emitted 138 metric tons of carbon between Jan. 10 and Aug. 6. It took off 20 times, according to flight data Fox News obtained, updating a previous count of 16 flights.
The plane spent more than 26 hours in the air, Fox News reported. A standard passenger vehicle releases approximately 4.6 metric tons of carbon in a given year, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, which means the carbon Kerry’s family jet has emitted this year is 30 times greater.
Kerry spoke about the dangers of climate change as recently as Monday, in light of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s new report. “The science has been certain for decades, but the latest report makes it abundantly clear — the climate crisis is not only here, it is growing increasingly severe,” he tweeted.
President Joe Biden wants to “make half of all new vehicles sold in 2030 zero-emissions vehicles, including battery electric, plug-in hybrid electric, or fuel cell electric vehicles.”
Today's report from the @IPCC_CH shows that we cannot afford further delay. The science has been certain for decades, but the latest report makes it abundantly clear – the climate crisis is not only here, it is growing increasingly severe.
— Climate @ State (@ClimateAtState) August 9, 2021
Kerry’s “hypocrisy” is substantial, Steve Milloy, a former member of President Donald Trump’s transition team and founder of JunkScience.com, told Fox News in a statement. “(I)f climate is such an immediate and existential crisis, how does (Kerry) dare own a home on the island of Martha’s Vineyard? The only question about all this is the flavor of Kerry’s hypocrisy — elitist, cynical or both?”
Allegations of hypocrisy have followed Kerry since at least 2019 when he took a private jet to Iceland to receive an environmental award, Fox News reported. At the time, Kerry said it was “the only choice for somebody like me who is traveling the world to win this battle.”
Former conservative talk show host Meghan McCain echoed criticism of Kerry’s use of private jets while simultaneously voicing concerns about the harm of climate change. “How important can climate change be to the climate change czar John Kerry if he can’t even give up his carbon footprint for a day to fly a private plane to Martha’s Vineyard for Obama’s 60th birthday party?” she tweeted Monday.
“Secretary Kerry travels commercially or via military air in his role as Special Presidential Envoy for Climate,” the State Department said in a statement to Fox News, noting Kerry was not on any of the family jet’s reported flights this year.
Kerry has said he offsets the carbon emissions of any jet travel in other ways but has not elaborated how, Fox News reported.
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Sebastian Hughes is a reporter at Daily Caller News Foundation.
