Selective Sacrifice

It was not that long ago that President-elect Obama gave an important speech on the necessity of reducing greenhouse gases.

In his first speech on global warming since winning the election, President-elect Barack Obama promised Tuesday to set stringent limits on greenhouse gases, saying the need is too urgent for delay.

One would think that the candidate of "Hope and Change" would start immediately on Day 1. However, that is apparently not the case.

Everyone knows the new administration will be the greenest in modern times. But you might not know how un-green the Inauguration is going to be. The Institute For Liberty scratched together some rough figures for illustrative purposes, and our new analysis Carbon Bigfoot finds:

• Celebrities, politicians, and bigwigs using 600 private jets will produce 25,320,000 POUNDS of CO2
• Personal vehicles could account for 262,483,200 POUNDS of CO2
• In the parade, horses alone will produce more than 400 POUNDS of CO2
• The total carbon footprint for the Inauguration will likely exceed 575 million POUNDS of CO2
• It would take the average U.S. household 57,598 years to produce a carbon footprint equal to that of the new president’s housewarming party

The IFL is quick to note that it’s not criticizing the travel or commerce involved — those can be good things that keep America moving and prosperous. But some people want to tax and regulate carbon emissions, and they happen to be the same people pumping out carbon dioxide like it’s going out of style.

One needs to wonder just how important reducing greenhouse gases really is to this new administration. It also makes one wonder just who will be forced to reduce their greenhouse gases - will it be everyone in the country or only those who aren't rich enough to matter?