The Coast Guard, through the Department of Homeland Security, has purchased two private jets for Secretary Kristi Noem and other high-ranking department officials.
The New York Times reports that the acting commandant of the Coast Guard, Kevin Lunday, said the purchase was vital and a matter of safety, but the jets' price of $172 million has drawn criticism from the general public.
In a Reddit post on the subreddit r/uscg, users discussed the jets' procurement, mainly focusing on optics.
"Even if the funds were pre-approved and already allocated. ....signing during the shutdown is definitely not a good look," one user said.
"Incredibly selfish," another commenter added.
Questionable uses of funding by governments and high-profile people are not unheard of. Just this year, FBI director Kash Patel received heat for using his FBI private jet to attend various sports games and other travels not related to his job, all using taxpayer money to fly.
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Not only does flying private cost much more than flying commercial — with one plane trip often transporting just a few people, or even just one person — but the environmental impact of private jet travel is immense.
A recent study revealed that toxic pollution from private jet travel has increased by 46% in five years. As these jets run on dirty fuels, these are released into the air, causing pollution and raising global temperatures.
An article by ConciAir explains that as private air travel increases, shorter flights accompany it. "Shorter flights consume disproportionately more fuel during takeoff and landing … Coupled with the fact that private jets are often less fuel-efficient than their larger commercial counterparts, means that private aviation is responsible for a growing portion of the aviation sector's overall emissions," the article states.
Moves such as the purchase of these private planes highlight the importance of voting for pro-climate candidates. Furthermore, to decrease your personal use of dirty fuels, you can seek out low-impact travel options, like taking a bus or train instead of short flights.
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