Queen ploughs funds into pig dung
In a bid to offset the carbon emissions generated by her jet set lifestyle, the Queen is said to be sending £3 million worth of our taxes abroad for use in eco friendly projects - including the production of power using pig waste in Thailand. Er-hem. Much as my somewhat anarchic sensibilities mean that my head is literally filled with cheap cracks at this precise moment in time, I shall resist the urge to publish any of them.
I've got mixed feelings about the idea of carbon offsetting in general, and that's pretty much reflected in my opinion on this particular example. I suppose on one hand, I should be glad that the Queen is doing anything at all to try and help the environment - and I'm sure Prince Charles's influence is lurking somewhere in the background. Regardless of what I think of the monarchy, at least Charles is using his fame to provide him with a platform from which to make people aware of green issues, and if he's influencing his mother too then that can only be a good thing. On the other hand, the royal family does do a lot of travelling. Last year, they travelled a total of 173,000 miles in aeroplanes and used helicopters for a total of 514 hours. Maybe it's time to look at ways of reducing the amount they travel. They can still fund research into using pig poo power as well!
Related: Do carbon offset schemes work? | Are carbon offsetting schemes a sham? | Carbon offsetting: are you neutral?
Prince Philip? Um... Are you sure you don't mean Charles?
Posted by: Shadowduck | November 9, 2007 3:27 PM