King Charles has been accused of climate hypocrisy after burning through more carbon in an 11 minute helicopter journey to a foodbank than most people use in a week.
The monarch dropped into Alloa in his private chopper on Thursday to speak to staff and users of The Gate Foodbank which provides 75,000 meals a year to struggling families and people facing homelessness.
But the Sunday Mail can reveal that the King’s journey from his beloved Dumfries House at Cumnock in Ayrshire in his £6million helicopter expelled 0.3 tonnes of carbon emmission during the 11 minute, 50 mile, trip.
That’s more than the average 0.2 tonnes of carbon which the average person uses in a week.
And we can also reveal how flight logs show the helicopter left an RAF base in London to travel to Scotland the day before and returned following the foodbank trip – burning a total of 4.6tonnes of carbon over 684 miles.
It’s unclear if the King – known for his decades of evironmental campaigning – was on either of those associated journeys.
Scottish Greens co-leader Lorna Slater MSP said: “This is farcical. A billionaire monarch visiting a food bank in a private helicopter seems like a comedy sketch rather than reality.
“There is nothing more wasteful than a private jet or helicopter, yet these short carbon intensive and climate wrecking journeys are made by the ultra-wealthy on a whim. The vast fortunes they are hoarding could do so much to tackle both the poverty he was there to highlight and the growing environmental challenges we face.
“To create more carbon emissions in one day than most people do in one month shows a total disregard for people and planet.
“The fairer, greener Scotland I want to see is one without private helicopters and jets pumping pollution into our skies, without an unelected and unaccountable head of state and without any need for foodbanks.”
The 76-year-old King had touched down in West End Park in Alloa to a fanfare of locals in his Sikorsky S-76 G-XXED helicopter.
He was then driven in a high security police escort to the foodbank where he was greeted by refugees from Turkey and Syria and nursery children waving flags.
A carbon footprint refers to the total amount of greenhouse gases produced by a person while going about their daily life. Carbon dioxide – is a greenhouse gas – a gas that adds to global warming –and is a by-product of burning fuels like coal, oil and wood. Petrol and diesel from cars and aircrafts produce tons of carbon dioxide every trip.
When Glasgow hosted the COP26 climate summit in Scotland in 2021, he gave the opening speech, urging world leaders seated in front of him to redouble their efforts to confront global warming and warning: “Time has quite literally run out.”
King Charles is a committed environmentalist with a long history of campaigning for better conservation, organic farming and tackling climate change.
The King King Charles’s Helicopter Flight (TKHF) operates two Sikorsky S-76C++ helicopters which are used to transport members of the Royal family. The choice of the S-76C++ is subject to UK government approval.
The TKHF is part of the Royal Household’s King’s Private Secretary’s Department. The twin-engine helicopters can transport up to 13 passengers and cargo are used for a variety of missions, including corporate flights, oil and gas, and military operations.
The Gate charity, which was set up 14 years ago, helped 4,273 people last year and provided 190 food parcels per month. It continues to provide around and supports four satellite food larders in the region.
A Buckingham Palace Spokesperson said: “When planning transport for members of the Royal Family, Royal Travel seeks to find the best balance of safety, security, efficiency, and the need to minimise disruption for others.”
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