What’s the big deal about that? This
One of Greenpeace’s most senior executives commutes 250 miles to work by plane, despite the environmental group’s campaign to curb air travel, it has emerged.
Pascal Husting, Greenpeace International’s international programme director, said he began “commuting between Luxembourg and Amsterdam” when he took the job in 2012 and currently made the round trip about twice a month. (snip)
But Mr Husting defended the arrangement, telling the Telegraph that while he would “rather not take” the journey it was necessary as it would otherwise be “a twelve hour round trip by train”.
“I spend half my life on skype and video conference calls,” he said. “But as a senior manager, the people who work in my team sometimes need to meet me in the flesh, that’s why I’ve been going to Amsterdam twice a month while my team was being restructured.”
Or, he could just move to Amsterdam. Of course, there’s an excuse for that
Kumi Naidoo, Greenpeace’s top executive director, told the Guardian that while Mr Husting “wishes there was an express train between his home and his office… it would currently be a 12-hour round trip by trainâ€.
“Pascal has a young family in Luxembourg. When he was offered the new role he couldn’t move his family to Amsterdam straight away. He’d be the first to say he hates the commute, hates having to fly, but right now he hasn’t got much of an option until he can move.”
Lord knows, we wouldn’t want him to have to take the same type of travel all the plebeians take, am I right? As mick_collins points out in the comments
He could catch a train and get there in 4.48hrs for €61 if he really wanted to. It would mean him travelling 2nd class first thing with the ordinarys though.
He could use one of those nice hybrid cars that the Greens are always banging on about. AA route finder suggests that it’s only 225 mile or so which is about 3 gallons in a VW Diesel. He could probably knock that sort of distance off in 3-4 hrs tops.
Let’s face it, he catches the plane because it makes him feel good.
And he can get away with it.
He could also purchase an all electric vehicle.
Once upon a time, when I had to travel in my job, any one hour flight cost the same as a four hour drive. Given the cost of flight vs milage, rental car or taxi at destination, and airport parking. The travel time from home front door and back was virtually the same — four hours. Of course it was not Europe so there may be significant differences but I doubt it.
Captain, you are right, he flies because he is a Very Important Executive. Driving or train is for plebes and peasants. He doesn’t care if Amsterdam floods from the North Sea rising. They have dikes for that.
“…it would currently be a 12-hour round trip by train” So, it’s okay to pollute the planet as long as it would inconvenience you personally?
If you can’t attack the message with facts attack the messenger. Ad hominem