Private jets and climate hypocrisy

As multiple fires recently burned around us, and the Lee fire crept closer, I couldn’t help but feel the infuriating irony of having to listen to the constant screaming of private jets competing for runway space with firefighting aircraft, while the climate criminals were leaving the scene of their crimes and jetting off to another vacation home with clearer skies.

New reporting from multiple independent sources — The Guardian, Nature Climate Change Journal, Institute for Policy Studies, and Oxfam among others, and compiled by Patriotic Millionaires in “How Ultra-Rich Private Jet Travel Costs the Rest of Us and Burns Up the Planet” — comes to the following conclusions:

The world’s wealthiest 10% are responsible for two-thirds of global heating since 1990, driving droughts and heatwaves. The super-rich 1% were responsible for more carbon emissions than 66% of humanity.

In 2018, the average American had a carbon footprint of about 15 tons, averaged globally it’s closer to 5 tons. Meanwhile, the average billionaire’s carbon footprint is conservatively 8,200 tons.

Billionaires emit so much pollution that it cancels out the benefits of renewable energy sources such as wind, solar and hydropower. The carbon emissions of billionaires alone each year surpass the benefits of 1 million wind turbines.

The global fleet of private jets has increased 133% in the last two decades, with a record 5.3 million business jet operations.

Patriotic Millionaire Abigail Disney warns: “Through their private jet use (and other excesses), the rich are the ones driving our world’s most existential problem.”

Meanwhile, our fossil-foolish county commissioners have approved 40 new wells outside Rifle to keep the ice caps melting, the West burning, and the climate criminals flying. And they don’t even live in this county.

The Swedish use the term flygskam, or “flying shame,” to name abusers. I think we need to import that policy.

PJ Breslin, Rifle

Hershey responds to criticism

I am writing to thank David R. Williams (Post Independent, Aug. 22, 2025) for his letter confirming my view of the City of Glenwood Springs. In his diatribe — where I think he is trying to get me fired or disbarred, or both — he quotes from the City’s response to the Secretary of State regarding two election complaints.

I have read the City’s response, but others might not be aware that they and their lawyer attacked me personally, lied about me and questioned my ethics. Now they know. The City did all this not to address the actual complaints but to besmirch my ethics and character and scare me. These were not facts found by the Secretary of State; they were simply slanderous, irrelevant comments made by the City to obfuscate the issues instead of addressing the facts.

Thank you, Mr. Williams, for bringing this to light. The City does not want to be held accountable, and they certainly don’t want their actions — some of which were found by a judge to be illegal — questioned. If you file a complaint, they come after you personally to silence you. The City’s response to my complaint was not germane, in part, but instead an ad hominem and very personal attack.

That is the concern: the people have a right to a fair and open government. If people are intimidated, threatened with the loss of a job and/or money, they won’t speak up, and then our open government fails.

Tony Hershey, Glenwood Springs

Trump’s troops in D.C.

I see Donald Trump has National Guard troops performing beautification and restoration projects in the nation’s capital. Apparently there’s not enough crime fighting to be done.

Maybe Rep. Jeff Hurd can get us some similar help. It could help lower project costs for municipalities, small businesses and even HOAs throughout District 3.

Dirk French, Glenwood Springs

Speeding saves little, costs lives

Roadway deaths are up, and speed is a major contributing factor. CDOT has shared this statistic:

A common misconception is that speeding saves time. According to a study conducted by AAA Colorado, a motorist moving at 80 mph instead of 75 mph would have to travel 100 miles to save roughly five minutes.

In fact, the average driver saves just 26 seconds per day by speeding.

Take a minute, think about it, and slow down in town. Work to preserve the quality of life that led us here.

Diane Reynolds, Glenwood Springs