[rangoon626]

> Or perhaps it's necessary to get things done.

Since when did commercial flight or rail stop being a way to transport people? Oh, right, it's not an option for the elite class because... reasons. They could do all of this without having several dozen private jets flying to the same places.

> It's a blame shifting mechanism

It's NOT a blame shifting mechanism, or at least that's not how I'm using it. What I'm saying is that your privileges are being revoked for transportation, theirs are not. You are being shamed for taking a commercial flight, but they are not, even when using private jets.

Finally, consider the rhetoric they are pushing. They are saying that this is an "emergency," meanwhile they are observably NOT acting like it's an emergency. This is a classic case of "they've got theirs," and it's clear that they don't plan on making any sacrifices that result in a lower standard of living for themselves.

[dane-pgp]

> Since when did commercial flight or rail stop being a way to transport people?

I'm not sure why you are lumping those two modes of transport together. According to one estimate, "a passenger traveling in a private aircraft emits ... between 75 and 250 times the CO2 of a comparable high-speed rail journey."[0]

You're right, though, that private jets are an easy target for a carbon tax, and I don't know of any climate activists arguing that private jets should be exempt from one.

Perhaps the reason it is not high on people's lists of things to fix, though, is that "the aviation industry only contributes around 2% of global CO2 emissions, with private air travel representing an even smaller fraction." (according to the European Business Aviation Association).[0]

[0] https://www.dw.com/en/should-private-jets-be-banned-to-spare...

[rangoon626]

> I'm not sure why you are lumping those two modes of transport together.

I think you misunderstand - "commercial flight" is referring to flying on one of the large carriers instead of privately. Both of those modes of transportation move large groups of people, together. Many people, one trip. Rail is available in Europe, but not in the US.

> Perhaps the reason it is not high on people's lists of things to fix, though, is that "the aviation industry only contributes around 2% of global CO2 emissions, with private air travel representing an even smaller fraction."

They are saying this is an "emergency" though. Is it a good idea to fly any plane during a climate emergency that will purportedly starve all of us? Why aren't these people concerned about starving themselves? This is an emergency and they aren't taking their own precautions seriously.

[mygoodaccount]

> I don't know of any climate activists arguing that private jets should be exempt from one.

While not activists, the EU, for one: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27775620