Plane hypocrisy – Greens Slam Liberal Approach to Travel

Greens transport experts have calculated that Charles Kennedy's electioneering alone will "pollute the atmosphere by 100 tonnes of CO2 ", following Kennedy's decision to use "the most polluting form of transport known to man" - a plane - to conduct his election campaign.

Green transport experts have calculated that Kennedy's campaign aircraft - which will travel over 8,000 miles (1) in the run up to the election - will release 25 tonnes of CO2 emissions per week. Professor John Whitelegg, Green Sustainable Development Spokesperson and Professor of sustainable transport at Liverpool John Moores University comments:

"Kennedy's revealing decision to use the most polluting form of transport on earth - a plane - to conduct his election campaign, is unsurprising given that his aviation policies leave the back-door open to airport expansion."

He continues: "The Lib Dems have often presented a green face by criticising the Government's aviation programme, but their own carefully worded policy - which leaves the way open for more South East airport building "when existing capacity is fully utilised " - is not much different from the Government's predict and provide policy."

He concludes: " Climate change is a serious threat of globally catastrophic proportions, and the Big 3 parties indistinguishable environmental policies of "preach Green and practise pollution" are totally unacceptable."