President Barack Obama’s Earth Day trip to Southern Florida will emit roughly five times as much carbon dioxide as the average American does in a full year, according to government data.
Air Force One will burn 9,180 gallons of carbon-spewing jet fuel during Obama’s trip to the Florida Everglades on Wednesday, CBS White House correspondent Mark Knoller reported.
Pres Obama's Earth Day trip will cover 1,836 miles roundtrip and consume 9,180 gallons of fuel on Air Force One.
— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) April 22, 2015
According to data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, burning that much jet fuel will produce more than 88,000 kilograms of carbon dioxide. That is about five times as much as the 17,600 kg that the average American emits annually, according to United Nations data.
Jet fuel "produces, in addition to carbon dioxide, NOx, sulphates, and particulate matter, all of which amplify the impact of aviation on global warming," according to the Flying Clean Alliance, a group that advocates restrictions on aviation-related greenhouse gas emissions.
"Airplanes emit all of these pollutants directly into the atmosphere, compounding the pollutants’ warming impact," the group says.
Obama will speak in Florida about the need to reduce U.S. carbon emissions to combat global climate change.