Whilst boiling in a BA jet whilst the boffins at Heathrow rebuilt it I thunbed through Highlife, the engaging free magazine. Believe it or not, whilst imprisoned on the super-polluter I chanced upon what BA describes as The Green Pages. Beneath a banner that screeched How Green Are Your Holidays? I was drawn to an interview with a self important creature calling himself Dominic Lowe.
If, like me, you had never heard of Dominic, I can reveal that he is the managing director of Green and Black’s chocolates. This was his moment to promote his chocolate company AND promote himself as an ambassador of all things green. I set out below the short question and answer session, along with a translation of the big guy’s twisted replies.
How Many flights did you take last year?
DL-Five long haul, all work-related, and ten short haul that were a mix of business and pleasure.
TRANSLATION-I’m a seriously powerful and important man. I am an ambassador of chocolate, a statesman like Gordon Brown or Tony Blair before him. I make chocolates for the world and nothing can prevent me from flying about, going to mega meetings and on exotic holidays.
Do you use a carbon off-setting scheme?
DL-Whenever I can, I do…
Translation-A carbon what?
Do you think cutting back on flying is a sensible response to carbon change?
DL-Meeting people face to face is important for building relationships, so avoiding flying is not an option. It’s imperative though that we do our bit for the environment in other areas.
Translation-I am a very important man and I like flying in big aircraft at least 15 times each year. I much prefer international travel to using a telephone or video link. It affirms my importance and gets me out of the office. Someone else can save the environment through non-specific sacrifices as long as they do not interfere with my right to enjoy myself on big boozy planes.
How do you reduce your carbon footprint on a daily basis?
DL-I’ve changed all our light bulbs to energy saving ones, installed an energy meter and I drive a fuel efficient car.
TRANSLATION-What is it with you and carbon? Yes, the world is frying but I’ve got posh light bulbs and a non-specific car that I enjoy driving to meetings and weekend breaks whenever I’m not on a plane, so back off already!
What does your company do to ensure it leaves the planet as it found it?
DL-We buy out cocoa from a co-operative in Belize and turn the waste…into charcoal…
Translation-Haven’t you been listening? My company keeps me in an aircraft for half the year. I love going on expensive long haul holidays and Belize is a really exclusive holiday destination. I am but one man and my gift to the world is chocolate based oral satisfaction.
I suspect that Dominic doesn’t fully represent Green and Black’s ecological position. Nevertheless, he seems to be one of those people who wants to save the world as long as he can delegate the sacrifice and change to somebody else. However, Dominic may not be entirely to blame for this selfish attitude. The British Government called for substantial reductions in climate changing emissions by 2050. In 1990 (the year used for calculating reductions under the Kyoto Protocol) CO2 emissions from aircraft using UK airports was 17 million tonnes per annum. Ironically, by 2003 this had more than doubled to 35 million tonnes and the Government has forecast that this will rise further to an astonishing 70-80 million tonnes by 2030. At least, in a sense, Dominic is doing his bit to prove the Government right. Gordon Brown and Tony Blair would be proud, as must Mr Green and Mrs Black.
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Where are you going Christian Yorke?
BA don’t fly to Morfa Nefyn. So it’s not North Wales.
Went to Madrid after we successfully bid for a meal (at Lur Maitea) at a charity auction. All in a good cause as they say-I will be reporting on the weekend at a later date as it was one disaster after another!