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Will do, Cheers, Anna

I hope this is true, but in the interview with The Guardian (a top newspaper in England) the following came up. He spoke about his new album - there’s “an intense, angry track encouraging people to make the right decisions about how they live their lives and how they treat the planet.” A few paragraphs later, he revealed that he was about to fly by private jet to Palm Springs, 35 minutes from Las Vegas. The band can now afford to fly wherever possible, and the increased privacy and speed mean that Apple will be able to join her father on tour more often. “I certainly don’t want her to stay at home all the time,” Martin says. “As she gets older, hopefully she’ll come out as and when she wants. I always thought it’d be cool to be in school and say, ‘I’m not coming in today - I’m off to Costa Rica to see my dad play.’ I do think that wins you a few points.” None of the accounts I have read give the make of his jet, but I will assume it’s that standard celebrity vehicle, the Learjet 45. The reports suggest that even if he is not the sole passenger, he is the sole beneficiary of the journey: those who travel with him - minders, servants or crew - go only for his convenience. So I will place the plane’s carbon emissions on his account. The Learjet 45 has a normal cruising speed of 846 kmph. Its fuel consumption at this speed is 579 litres/hour, which means it burns 0.68 litres of kerosene per kilometre. The Airbus A321, a standard medium-haul commercial plane, travels at 853kmph and uses 3000 litres per hour, or 3.52 litres per kilometre. It seats around 189 people. Assuming that average occupancy is 70%, or 132, then every passenger is responsible for burning 0.027 litres per kilometre, or one 25th of Chris Martin’s consumption. But, as Heat shows, even one return trip across the Atlantic on a commercial airliner equates to a person’s entire sustainable carbon ration for a year. It’s probably fair to assume that he flies at least 100,000 miles (or ten return journeys averaging 10,000 miles each) in his private jet each year. If so - and even before taking the rest of his activities into account - he would be exceeding his fair share of carbon by 250 times. If we were to take the other climate changing effects of air travel into account, we would multiply this by 2.7 times. As if to prove that making the right decisions about how to treat the planet really is for lesser mortals, in December 2005 Chris Martin pranged his car, whereupon we learnt that the model he drives is a BMW X5. This is one of the thirstiest 4×4s on the road. The US Environmental Protection Agency reveals that in cities (he rammed someone’s hatchback in Belsize Park in London) they manage just 16 miles to the gallon. Maybe he has changed since December 2005 - lets hope so. By the way - I am actually researching into alternative clean fuels myself at the moment at Cambridge Univeristy. But I also believe raising awareness is this area is very important.

Yes, everyone has to work on it - that is definately true. I am not saying Chris is the only one, but he is emitting a whole lot more than necessary - around 250 times more than the average person. He should set a good example so other stars will follow him if he really cares about the environment like he says he does. I think he would listen to his fans if they let him know their thoughts on this matter. Does ANYONE agree with me there?

References: 1. Interview with Craig McLean, 28th May 2005. The Importance of Being Earnest. The Guardian. 2. http://www.contactmusic.com/new/xmlfeed.nsf/mndwebpages /goldfrapp%20chris%20martin%20is%20mad_06_05_2006

Sorry - but hydrogen power is not feasible for aircrafts at present. There is a lot of reserach going into alternative aviation fuel (my PhD is in this area), but it is not technologically sound yet. So, if we want to keep our planet alive - WE ALL MUST REDUCE OR AIRCRAFT USAGE. I am glad that Chris Martin is doing something for the planet by planting trees etc - but if he doesn't reduce his air travel, this counteracts all the good things he has done. He should only take essential flights - not fly home between gigs. And when he does fly - he should use a commercial jet to reduce the impact. We all have to face the facts about climate change - and sacrifices need to be made. Just because you are in a band, it doesn't mean you have the right to pollute 250 times more than everyone else!

I am saying that Chris Martin in a hypocrit - you can't pretent to care about these issues if you use a private jet 3 times a week! If he has to travel so frequently, using a commercial aircraft would save on tonnes of carbon emissions. The threat from climate change is extremely serious and will affect everyone. If nothing is done in 30 year, it will be too late. Drought, wars, hurricanes will be normal. People need to think about this and try to curb their air travel - or at least use a commercial jet if you're Chris Martin. If Chris Martin is aware that his fans know of his plights, maybe he will think of changing. Anna

Hi, I don't know if you are aware, but Chris Martin flies at least 100 000 miles in his private jet each year - this corresponds to emitting over 250 times the quantities of carbon dioxide which each of us should emit in order to prevent devastating climate change this century! Chris Martin claims to care for the poorest people of the planet; however, climate change will affect the poorest people first. This is very hypocrytical and I am very disappointed in how unethical he is! Anna:(