Earth day question

[jdthomas 0]

Okay so I am a day late with this, but I have been stewing on this issue for a day and want to know what others think.

I saw the new president, the one that is asking people to cut back on waste, step up to the plate and do the right thing for the enviroment went and planted atree for earth day, he also flew to iowa to a wind turbine factory to see the products and promote wind energy.
now support of the wind energy is great, but I wonder just what the carbon footprint of the presidential travel to iowa was, I mean the logistics of the trip are massive, all those helicopter rides, the president's limos, the secret service people that have to be there days ahead of time and all of thier travel, food lodging.. I would say that was a pretty wastefull trip in an envriomentally way as well another blow to taxpayers wallets..
thoughts?
Joe

www.greenboxphotography.com

[rehmwa 2]

meh -

I cut down a tree

In Minnesota, we plant 2 trees for every one cut down. So I assume my action resulted in a net gain

...
Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

[billvon 2,998]

> I mean the logistics of the trip are massive, all those helicopter rides, the
> president's limos, the secret service people that have to be there days ahead of
> time and all of thier travel, food lodging.. I would say that was a pretty wastefull
> trip in an envriomentally way as well another blow to taxpayers wallets..

Yes, it was. Pretty much everything the president does is pretty wasteful environmentally because of all the secret service, security, press corps etc activity that accompanies it.

[Amazon 7]

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Okay so I am a day late with this, but I have been stewing on this issue for a day and want to know what others think.

I saw the new president, the one that is asking people to cut back on waste, step up to the plate and do the right thing for the enviroment went and planted atree for earth day, he also flew to iowa to a wind turbine factory to see the products and promote wind energy.
now support of the wind energy is great, but I wonder just what the carbon footprint of the presidential travel to iowa was, I mean the logistics of the trip are massive, all those helicopter rides, the president's limos, the secret service people that have to be there days ahead of time and all of thier travel, food lodging.. I would say that was a pretty wastefull trip in an envriomentally way as well another blow to taxpayers wallets..
thoughts?
Joe

Got any numbers for presidential trips from Jan of 2001 to Jan of 2009?

[marks2065 0]

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Okay so I am a day late with this, but I have been stewing on this issue for a day and want to know what others think.

I saw the new president, the one that is asking people to cut back on waste, step up to the plate and do the right thing for the enviroment went and planted atree for earth day, he also flew to iowa to a wind turbine factory to see the products and promote wind energy.
now support of the wind energy is great, but I wonder just what the carbon footprint of the presidential travel to iowa was, I mean the logistics of the trip are massive, all those helicopter rides, the president's limos, the secret service people that have to be there days ahead of time and all of thier travel, food lodging.. I would say that was a pretty wastefull trip in an envriomentally way as well another blow to taxpayers wallets..
thoughts?
Joe

Got any numbers for presidential trips from Jan of 2001 to Jan of 2009?

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what difference does 01-09 make? Obama is the one preaching for change not bush. why can't we hold the peacher accountable for his own actions? lets ask Obama, Reid and Polasi why they don't cut back while preaching that everyone else should. Lets ask the tough questions of the people in charge. Bush is gone, this is Obama's game now, lets stick to the things that matter and the things we can work on. Blaming Bush for this administrations carbon footprint is assinine.

[billvon 2,998]

> Obama is the one preaching for change not bush. why can't we hold the
> peacher accountable for his own actions?

?? Bush was preaching "lower taxes" and "less government spending" while spending just as much money as Obama on security, speeches, symbolic gestures etc. Why didn't you hold him accountable for his actions?

>Blaming Bush for this administrations carbon footprint is assinine.

Just as blaming Obama for needing security is asinine. He's the president of the US - are you really advocating that he ride a bike across the country without any security?

[marks2065 0]

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> Obama is the one preaching for change not bush. why can't we hold the
> peacher accountable for his own actions?

?? Bush was preaching "lower taxes" and "less government spending" while spending just as much money as Obama on security, speeches, symbolic gestures etc. Why didn't you hold him accountable for his actions?

>Blaming Bush for this administrations carbon footprint is assinine.

Just as blaming Obama for needing security is asinine. He's the president of the US - are you really advocating that he ride a bike across the country without any security?

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it just pisses me off that the ones that are forcing the global warming upon us seam to have the largest carbon foot print. Obama could have done this from the white house, Polosi could fly to washington like all the other congressmen, Gore could sell his yacht for a sail boat. all i'm saying is that they should set an example for us to follow, otherwise their words are meaningless.

[jdthomas 0]

Some great stuff guys, I have afeeling this thread will spin of really quick to bush Vs Obama though.
My thought is that the new admin is asking everyone to cut back, yet he is traveling a ton right now, making "small" trips to Iowa and stuff like that.
I am not saying cut back security, but maybe reduce the numbers of trips, perhaps ride in the c-130 or what ever else is transporting all the limos or catch a military jet instead of breaking out 3 choppers and the presidental jet.. why does there have to be so much waste and espically on Earth day? just does not seem like change to me.
this is not an obama bash either, I am sure that just about every past pres has done this and it's time for that style of over the top waste to stop.
Now how do we get the admin to stop doing that?
joe

www.greenboxphotography.com

[billvon 2,998]

>it just pisses me off that the ones that are forcing the global
>warming upon us seam to have the largest carbon foot print.

You are literally correct but I don't think you meant that!

>all i'm saying is that they should set an example for us to
>follow, otherwise their words are meaningless.

I agree that they should set a better example.

[jdthomas 0]

quick math with general guessing.

cost for the presidents plane to fly to Iowa.
jet a here in KC is 4.30 per Gall, a 737 hold 6900 gal, thats 29670.00 of tax payers dollars to tour a factory in the name of saving fossil fuels.. of course thats just one of the fleet of aircraft, who knows what it cost total.. I really don't want to know!

BTW, as an EMT here in Kansas, that one fueling of that plane is a years salary to me. I voted for Obama but am geting sick of the please don't waste, but watch me do it life style.

Joe

www.greenboxphotography.com

[NewGuy2005 53]

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.
Now how do we get the admin to stop doing that?
joe

By the public demanding substance over lip-service. I don't see that happening any time soon.

[jcd11235 0]

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[T]he ones that are forcing the global warming upon us [seem] to have the largest carbon foot print.

I suspect you don't realize just how accurate those words are.

Edit: [billvon] made the observation before I did.

Math tutoring available. Only $6! per hour! First lesson: Factorials!

[marks2065 0]

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quick math with general guessing.

cost for the presidents plane to fly to Iowa.
jet a here in KC is 4.30 per Gall, a 737 hold 6900 gal, thats 29670.00 of tax payers dollars to tour a factory in the name of saving fossil fuels.. of course thats just one of the fleet of aircraft, who knows what it cost total.. I really don't want to know!

BTW, as an EMT here in Kansas, that one fueling of that plane is a years salary to me. I voted for Obama but am geting sick of the please don't waste, but watch me do it life style.

Joe

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I don't know what local travel for potus is but I know for foriegn travel they take 2 helicopters, a couple c-130s and both jets at a minumum. sounds pretty wasteful. If it is the same for local travel it is hugely wasteful. the waste in DC is huge and needs to be drasticty cut.

[marks2065 0]

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[T]he ones that are forcing the global warming upon us [seem] to have the largest carbon foot print.

I suspect you don't realize just how accurate those words are.

Edit: [billvon] made the observation before I did.

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Yes I do. though I don't believe we created global warming or can stop it, I do believe we are accelerating it. I also feel we can do more to keep our planet healthier with green technologies, but not at the expense of bankrupting us.

The big question here is why don't the ones with the largest carbon footprint do something to set an example? why should 300 million people cut back so a few thousand can live it up? the entire world needs to shape up and reduce energy and polution. The US could cut polution and energy usage by up to20% right now by turning off half the street lights, updating apliances at home, and repairing their cars so they run good(just a couple things). but until the people in the spotlight start doing things the rest of the population will continue the monkey see monkey do.

[shropshire 0]

+1 well said

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[Channman 2]

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meh -

I cut down a tree

In Minnesota, we plant 2 trees for every one cut down. So I assume my action resulted in a net gain

I went PeePee in the Gulf of Mexico, twice. Oh and I burned some trees in my outdoor fireplace while relaxing in the spa.

[Rookie120 0]

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a 737 hold 6900 gal

Thats nice, too bad he flies on a 747. Big differnce!

If you find yourself in a fair fight, your tactics suck!

[billvon 2,998]

>Thats nice, too bad he flies on a 747.

I always thought a 757 would have been a better choice. Can fly into smaller airfields, better fuel economy, smaller radar target etc.

[Rookie120 0]

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I always thought a 757 would have been a better choice.

For Domestic trips I would think so. It is a great plane with a mighty payload capacity.

If you find yourself in a fair fight, your tactics suck!

[Rookie120 0]

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I saw the new president, the one that is asking people to cut back on waste, step up to the plate and do the right thing for the enviroment went and planted atree for earth day

Funny thing we just mentioned this and this was the newxt news acticle that came into my view.


http://www.cbsnews.com/track/rss/blogs/2009/04/22/politics/politicalhotsheet/entry4962384.shtml?CMP=OTC-RSSFeed&source=RSS&attr=PoliticalHotsheet_4962384

If you find yourself in a fair fight, your tactics suck!

[jdthomas 0]

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I saw the new president, the one that is asking people to cut back on waste, step up to the plate and do the right thing for the enviroment went and planted atree for earth day

Funny thing we just mentioned this and this was the newxt news acticle that came into my view.


http://www.cbsnews.com/track/rss/blogs/2009/04/22/politics/politicalhotsheet/entry4962384.shtml?CMP=OTC-RSSFeed&source=RSS&attr=PoliticalHotsheet_4962384

Thanks for the find, I knew that i would not be the only one to have looked at this.. i knew there where watch dog groups that would have far better facts then i could comeup with and i wonder what a rebuttle from the oval office would be like if they where ever so inclined to give one.
Joe

www.greenboxphotography.com

[Amazon 7]

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Some great stuff guys, I have afeeling this thread will spin of really quick to bush Vs Obama though.
My thought is that the new admin is asking everyone to cut back, yet he is traveling a ton right now, making "small" trips to Iowa and stuff like that.
I am not saying cut back security, but maybe reduce the numbers of trips, perhaps ride in the c-130 or what ever else is transporting all the limos or catch a military jet instead of breaking out 3 choppers and the presidental jet.. why does there have to be so much waste and espically on Earth day? just does not seem like change to me.
this is not an obama bash either, I am sure that just about every past pres has done this and it's time for that style of over the top waste to stop.
Now how do we get the admin to stop doing that?
joe

Pssst.. he is the head of a country.... its his job to see and be seen

Even I did not begrudge the moron from Texas his trips to Texas.. and all over the world.

[jcd11235 0]

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>Thats nice, too bad he flies on a 747.

I always thought a 757 would have been a better choice. Can fly into smaller airfields, better fuel economy, smaller radar target etc.

The 747 commonly used as Air Force One has been modified in some fashion in order to land on shorter runways than a typical 747. When Clinton was President, I remember it landing at the airport where I worked, something generally not possible to do safely (i.e. without running out of runway) in a 747.

Math tutoring available. Only $6! per hour! First lesson: Factorials!

[sundevil777 102]

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>Thats nice, too bad he flies on a 747.

I always thought a 757 would have been a better choice. Can fly into smaller airfields, better fuel economy, smaller radar target etc.

Besides the two 747s that are specifically designed for presidential use, there are also two gulfstreams intended for his use.

Environmental considerations aside, I would think the president would be a lot safer going to middle east war zones in the gulfstream than the 747s. Bad guys looking to kill the pres would be looking for the big one to shoot down, with a small jet going by almost without notice.

People are sick and tired of being told that ordinary and decent people are fed up in this country with being sick and tired. I’m certainly not, and I’m sick and tired of being told that I am

[Rookie120 0]

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The 747 commonly used as Air Force One has been modified in some fashion in order to land on shorter runways than a typical 747

What is done or been modified for shortfields? I don't think anything special can be done that is not obvious. If they need a short field takeoff, I think they would just go with a light fuel load is about all they could do.

If you find yourself in a fair fight, your tactics suck!