As Green Talk Increases, So Does Public Attention

Cardano founder and developer Charles Hoskinson became the subject of some interesting headlines after being singled out as the top name in "private jet pollution".

The info was provided by Climate Jets, a website that tracks the estimated emissions from private aviation users in a kind of 'name & shame' approach to curbing jet use. What should be interesting to jet owners and operators is the overall approach to singling out jet users who seem particularly "egregious" or hypocritical in the public eye - whether their actual flight hours are out of the norm or not. 

Hoskinson operates on his own wavelength, for sure, somewhat known for his kimono-clad streams talking about the fundamentals behind his project, Cardano. The cryptocurrency had come to be somewhat upheld as a "green" and eco-friendly alternative to more energy-thirsty alternatives, boasting energy use "just 0.01% of Bitcoin's". Hoskinson's intentions weren't enough to shield him from being singled out in the Climate Jets list, however. One headline in crypto-circles said Hoskinson "tops Zuckerberg and Kardashian in pollution", citing a somewhat modest 562 flight hours in his privately owned aircraft throughout 2022.

Hoskinson defended his jet use as a necessary part of asset utility, putting his to work as a charter plane for Metallica and Hollywood personnel. The overall list is pretty incomplete, too, likely a side effect of the relatively public nature of the data gleaned. A few notable names are in the running, but the list smacks of "new money", the up-and-comers who aren't privy to the tactics needed to provide ironclad privacy for their flight operations like the 'old money' already has.

So, what's the lesson? Perhaps a bit of a heads-up for bizjet operators, particularly those who make a big to-do about their eco-friendliness in a very competitive, drama-filled industry. As emissions further entrench themselves as a peak cause celebre, unwanted, targeted attention like this could cause some unwanted headaches - and those operating a private jet probably have enough of those as it is.

FMI: www.climatejets.org