Dismay as climate science bosses travel in private jet 19 October 06

A correspondent writes:

“The National Oceanography Centre in Southampton is home to a £20 million research program on the dangers of rapid climate change. It also houses the southern office of the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research. But while its staff are investigating the impact of carbon emissions on our climate, their bosses enjoyed a trip to America with their wives last weekend on a private jet.

Ed Hill (Director of the Centre), Andrew Roberts (Head of the University of Southampton School of Ocean and Earth Sciences) and Bill Wakeham (Vice-Chancellor of the University) flew from Southampton to North Carolina with various other hangers-on. [Correction: I have since heard from a different informant that the jet did fly, but neither Ed Hill nor his wife were on it. Apologies for the error.] Their private jet was provided by an American businessman that they were courting (and presumably they did not want to offend this would-be philanthropist by insisting on taking scheduled flights). As a result, their journey put several times more carbon per passenger into the upper atmosphere than using a regular airline.

Several staff that I have spoken to from the Centre who are working on the dangers of climate change feel betrayed by this affair. The “do as I say, not do as I do” example of the their bosses undermines their credibility when highlighting the need to reduce carbon emissions. It also hands ammunition to those denying climate change and suggests that the principles of those involved are for sale to anyone who offers to write a cheque.

If challenged, the culprits will no doubt offer to offset the emissions from their trip through a carbon-credit scheme. But while these schemes are better than doing nothing, they ignore an important fact. The carbon from their private jet was added to the atmosphere in a matter of hours. Planting trees or investing in alternative technology in developing countries will eventually offset this, but at a much slower rate over many years. So it is simply wrong to think that we can carry on “business as usual” and just buy our way out of the problem of carbon emissions.

Tackling carbon emissions requires taking personal responsibility for our actions. It is therefore shocking to see a lack of leadership from those representing an institution where a good deal of public money is invested in climate change research. So what can we do? Letters to those involved expressing your dismay at their actions would be welcome, but may be shrugged off. The Oceanography Centre, however, is run by the UK Natural Environment Research Council and the University of Southampton. So if you have time, please write to the Chief Executive of the Research Coucil and the Chancellor of the University. Please urge them to apologize for this outrageous incident and make it policy that staff do not use private jets when scheduled flights are available. Marking your letters “Personal”, as always, should bypass screening by secretaries.

Addresses for letters:

Professor Alan Thorpe, Chief Executive, Natural Environment Research Council, Polaris House, North Star Avenue, Swindon SN2 1EU (a.j.thorpe@reading.ac.uk)

Sir John Parker, Chancellor, University of Southampton, Highfield, Southampton SO17 1BJ

The culprits named and shamed:

Ed Hill, National Oceanography Centre, Southampton SO14 3ZH (ehill@noc.soton.ac.uk)

Andrew Roberts, National Oceanography Centre, SOuthampton, SO14 3ZH (arob@noc.soton.ac.uk)

Bill Wakeham, University of Southampton, Highfield, Southampton, SO17 1BJ (W.A.Wakeham@soton.ac.uk)”

The University does not deny that the flight took place, by the way. To quote from its press release:

“Academics from the University of Southampton travelled to the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW) in the United States earlier this month to set up a long-term research collaboration between the institutions which are both leaders in the field of marine sciences.

As a result of the visit, a student exchange programme is being set up to train the next generation of marine scientists and the institutions will collaborate later this year in research into the weathering of volcanic material affecting sea water.

The University is in the top ten for research in the UK. As an international institution with a world-wide reputation for teaching and research, academics at Southampton are in regular contact with colleagues around the world. On this occasion, the University was grateful to a benefactor who loaned a private jet for the trip to enable a face-to-face meeting to take place.”

As one academic researcher at the Oceanography Centre told me privately: “Not any mention/apologies about the climate impact… As far as I’m concerned it doesn’t do the university’s ‘world wide reputation’ any good at all.”