High-Profile Climate Activist Rankles with Conspicuous Consumption

In another high-profile example of private jet usage coming back to bite its owners, House speaker Nancy Pelosi has been revealed to have spent over $500,000 on private jet travel since 2020.

Those who use their considerable voices to advocate for cracking down on emissions or personal vehicle usage are never too popular among those they seek to regulate, especially when they find out that they're the only ones expected to sacrifice their living. 

The Pelosi campaign paid a total of $437,000 between October 2020 and December 2021 to a Virginia area private aviation outfit, Advanced Aviation Team. In addition, they paid another $65,000 to Clay Lacy Aviation, another private jet provider. The revelation is nothing new to the privately jet-set, as they turn their nose up at scheduled passenger service (a more ecological alternative) due to the possibility of forced interaction with constituents and ideological rabble. It's a common occurrence in the industry, likely one which serves as the impetus for additional carbon credit programs and industry emission goals. 

Her stance on climate contribution has made her a persona of note in the debate, after she told the United Nations Climate Change Conference: "for me, is a religious thing."

Some note that her stance has changed a bit, leaning into tacking emissions output from China as their industry continues its outsize contributions. Advanced Aviation seems to be a DNC darling , as their pre-election campaign saw hundreds of thousands of dollars paid to them for aviation services. In all, the Biden team paid over $15 million on private air travel throughout 2020. It seems unlikely any of the conspicuous consumption will cease any time soon, however. John Kerry, well-known for taking a private jet to Iceland to accept an award for his work in fighting climate change, referred to his upscale travel accommodations as "the only choice for somebody like me who is traveling the world to win this battle". In the end, the climate crowd will continue on, provided they have the wherewithal to brush off online criticism. 

FMI: www.FEC.gov, www.senate.gov, www.epa.gov