During his trip to Europe, President Joe Biden will produce an estimated 2.2 Million pounds of carbon to address the dangers of climate change.
The enormous carbon footprint is made up of 2.16 million pounds carbon dioxide from the four large planes that make up his airborne entourage during the trip to Italy, Scotland, and where the president will speak at COP26 in Glasgow. The remainder is emitted by Biden’s cars.
His fleet consists of the modified Boeing 747, which he calls Air Force One when he is aboard, an identical decoy, and two massive C-17 Globemasters that he uses to transport his battalion, cars and helicopters.
These jets emit an average of 54 lbs of carbon per mile. A typical American would generate 0.365 lbs of carbon if they flew the same distance (just under 10,000 miles) on a regular scheduled flight.
Biden’s Cadillac “Beast”, a 20,000-pound armored limousine, was surrounded on Friday by dozens slow-moving cars as he pulled into Vatican courtyard for meeting with Pope Francis. It produces an estimated 8.75 pounds per mile, which is 10 times more than the average car. Two Beasts – the official vehicle as well as a decoy– are part of his entourage.
Due to Italian COVID-19 rules which allow only three non-cohabiting individuals (including the driver) per vehicle for 85 cars, the motorcade was 85-cars in length. It was also home to the Beast, a fleet of gas-guzzling Chevrolet Suburban SUVs and famously thirsty Alfa Romeo cars, driven by Italian police. It would have produced around 73.5 pounds of carbon per mile.
The 4.34 mile trip from Villa Taverna, Italy, to Vatican City took 4.34 miles. This means that the total carbon emissions of the Beast and its entourage was 373 lbs for the short visit to Pope Francis. Ironically, the Pope and leader of the Catholic Church spoke about climate change. Although Biden has been criticised for his extravagant use of social media, the White House insists that there is no alternative to keeping the president safe while on the road.
For his meeting with Pope Francis at Vatican, President Joe Biden used an 85-car motorcade to travel through Rome on Friday.
The motorcade was centred around The Beast, President’s armored limousine which gets up to 8 mpg. However, it was also made up of gas-guzzling Chevy Suburban SUVs, and Alfa Romeo police cars
Italy’s lockdown rules forbid three people, including the driver, from sharing a vehicle with another person. This meant that extra cars were required
Biden arrived in Rome on Thursday with his wife Jill Biden. The couple traveled 10,000 miles to generate an estimated 54,000 pounds carbon during their weekend trip.
President Biden and First Lady are captured boarding Marine One at Joint Base Andrews, Thurdday
President Biden seen leaving The Beast on Friday, arriving at the Vatican on Friday
Biden arrived in Rome aboard Air Force One on Thursday. His team arrived in Scotland Friday. Separate military jets were used for transporting The Beast and the president’s Marine One helicopter along with scores security personnel.
The Beast and Air Force One have long been criticized by some Americans of not being ‘green enough,’ with the later costing more than $200,000 an hour to operate, Business Insider reported.
The Air Force One jets, which went into service in 1990, are due to be replaced by two greener new replacements in 2024, but they’ll still represent an extremely environmentally-unfriendly means of travel.
The Beast weighs in at around 20,000 pounds and has a 5-litre diesel engine that gets 8 mpg.
The Beast, pictured, above, runs on a 5-litre diesel engine and gets about 8 mpg
Flying and operating Air Force One costs more than $200,000 per hour
During his European trip, the president used the Marine One helicopter
A Boeing C-17A Globemaster III was based at Stewart Air National Guard Base, Orange County, New York. This week, number 60005 was at Glasgow Airport. The President will call the helicopter Marine One.
Many pointed out the hypocrisy in Biden’s boasting of such a large fleet of gas-guzzling vehicles on a trip intended primarily for a climate conference.
“Climate change and worries while jetting around the globe. You are a carbon footprint, you say? Hypocrite,’ wrote Yellowstoneave, a Twitter user.
Another Twitter user with name Snowwhite wrote, ‘Joe Biden arrives at the Vatican City on Airforce One followed by gas guzzling Chevrolets & outriders. What is the climate change emergency?
A Twitter user with Hil..n as a handle also called Biden hypocrite.
“Jump on ur helicopter and then onto ur Jumbo Jet and lecture us all about climate change.”
Many were quick to criticize President Obama’s use of a motorcade, Air Force One, and Air Force One in advance of the United Nations Climate Change Conference.
Biden fled his declining approval ratings at home, partisan infighting about his $1.75trillion travel bill to Rome, where he is due to meet leaders from the G20 group wealthy nations for a summit of two days.
It will be the first G20 summit to take place face-to-face since COVID struck. Biden will hope to use it to rebuild his international reputation after his chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan, which frustrated his allies and drew unfavorable comparisons to his predecessor Donald Trump.
It also happens just two days before the start of COP26 climate summit, which will be held in Glasgow and hosted by Boris Johnson, British Prime Minister.