Travel emissions story timed to have no impact

While the media would like to boast about how their reporting changes things for the better, one would be suspicious of an environmental story that was timed to have no impact at all.

The article “By car or by plane, holidays not a gift for planet” appeared in The Sacramento Bee, explaining how you might weigh the different carbon emission impacts of flying and different vehicles in making your holiday travel plans, and even suggesting “Or we can simply stay home.”

Since the article appeared in the December 22 edition, what was the point? People have already made their choices and made their trips and will likely forget the story by the time the next holiday season rolls around. Such a story appearing in early November or even earlier might have prompted some people to change their plans.

But we know the real agenda: Don’t antagonize any travel-based advertisers while still pretending to be environmentally responsible.