09 August 2023 , 14:11
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Dan Walker has broken his silence after being accused of contributing to climate change while presenting a TV segment from Spain.
The Channel 5 news presenter was in Benidorm reporting on the topic on Tuesday where he asked viewers if the environmental impact from getting on a plane is a decision Brits consider when booking their holidays abroad.
This prompted one of Dan’s followers on Twitter to ask: “Great report Dan, did you add to global warming by flying there with a crew? #responsibility.” To which the TV star replied: “Actually... we paid to offset all the carbon from our flight so there will be a few trees planted after that. Thanks for asking. Here’s the certificate.”
But Dan’s response didn’t go down well online, as one social media user pointed out he only attempted to offset his carbon footprint after the trip. They wrote: “And given the date [August 8], you only did that after the fact, in order to make a point.” Another commented: “Sorry Dan, but that is a poor response ‘as we have bought and planted some trees to offset our carbon footprint, it’s OK to fly’. That is just making travel elitist.” Dan replied: “Hi Steve, Can I ask what you would have us do because I’m pretty sure people would moan whatever we did? Have a good one.”
Dan has been criticised for presenting a climate change segment from Spain (Twitter)However, more of Dan’s followers appeared to take issue with his comments, as one asked: “Sorry to say, but do the trees actually get planted or is it like ‘Greenwash’, like the green energy tariffs are.” Another hit back: “So we can buy ourselves out of the guilt of global warming if we have enough money, never knew this, thanks Dan.”
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“Offsetting doesn’t work. Fly if you have to, but don’t pretend offsetting makes any difference,” a third chimed in. A fourth said: “Ah, the Certificate of Alleviated Guilt. Offsetting doesn’t offset. Oops... it just means you paid for a project that was already going ahead rather than in addition.”
A fifth wrote: “Oh that’s alright then, simple as that. Happy days, I’m going to book some flights then and just buy some credits. Life is good.” While a sixth added: “Pretty soon we’re going to run out of land to plant all these trees planted by the privileged to justify their travels.”
The backlash comes after the world’s oceans recorded their highest ever temperature this year of 20.96C – beating the 2016 record of 20.95C – the EU’s climate change service Copernicus found. Researchers said the record-breaking highs were part of a trend of drastic increases in global temperatures.
Oceans help to regulate the global climate by soaking up heat. They also drive weather systems, and organisms in them produce half the Earth’s oxygen. But warmer water has less ability to absorb carbon dioxide, leaving more in the atmosphere. It also speeds up the melting of glaciers, causing sea levels to rise. Hotter oceans can also disturb marine life and upset food chains. Prof Mike Burrows, who is monitoring impacts on sea shores with the Scottish Association for Marine Science, said: “It is sobering to see this change happening so quickly.”