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American multimillionaire Stephen Prince is the Vice President of the group “Patriotic Millionaires”. A group of very wealthy Americans who advocate for taxes on the wealthy. But Prince wants to do more for the community – and get rid of his polluting private jet.
“My infatuation with private aviation made me ignore what I was doing to the environment and future generations,” he told CNN. “I have to change myself. I just can’t go on like this.”
His Cessna 650 Citation III, a nine-passenger long-haul airliner. According to Greenpeace, private jet flights are five to fourteen times more polluting per passenger than regular jets.
Until recently, Stephen Prince owned half a dozen private jets, the Cessna Citation III being the largest and most expensive aircraft he owned. The machine costs about $1 million and operating costs are about $300,000 a year.
“I give up”
The millionaire says he has been addicted to flying around the world in a private jet. “It’s just the best way to fly. But I give up. I’ll only take scheduled flights,” he promises.
He hates everything that involves flying in normal traffic. “Lost luggage, long lines, security checks – I just don’t like it.”
He now wants to borrow Jet from colleagues
But as much as Prince sells himself as a benefactor, he doesn’t want to give up flying a private jet completely: “I have a friend who lets me lease his little plane. It emits about a quarter of my Cessna’s emissions and I have it two to three times a year.”
But he won’t convert his fellow millionaires, Prince says in a CNN interview. Although he does not keep his opinions to himself, he has not chosen this as his mission.
More than 35,000 private jets departed from Switzerland last year, an increase of 62.8 percent from the previous year. They caused 166,000 tons of CO2. This corresponds to the average CO2 emissions of all inhabitants of the city of Freiburg per year. (new)
Source: Blick
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
