greenhouse emissions reduction and travel industry
When Obama talks "green," travel industry leaders see red
![When Obama talks "green," travel industry leaders see red](http://www.eturbonews.com/files/imagecache/fullpage/0a15_36.jpg "When Obama talks "green," travel industry leaders see red")
President Obama's call for government workers to cut back on driving and travel to reduce air pollution has angered business travel leaders who say he is once again hurting the travel industry.
Obama issued a directive last week ordering government workers to commute and travel less to reduce greenhouse emissions 13% by 2020. The move, he said, would eliminate 101 million metric tons of carbon dioxide.
But the National Business Travel Assn., a trade group for business travel managers, called the plan a "misguided swing at the travel industry" that could "undermine the slight recovery the travel industry is just now starting to experience."
The association and other travel industry leaders bashed Obama in February 2009 when he spoke out against corporate executives who spent on lavish travel after accepting government bailout money.
"You can't get corporate jets, you can't go take a trip to Las Vegas or go down to the Super Bowl on the taxpayers' dime," Obama said during a town hall meeting in Indiana last year.
The industry leaders said the comment hurt business travel at a time when the sluggish economy was already taking a devastating toll.
An Obama spokeswoman defended his plan, saying it would reduce pollution and improve efficiency by increasing the use of public transit and video teleconferencing, among other things.
"It's not a travel mandate," said Christine Glunz, a spokeswoman for the White House Council on Environmental Quality.
Comments
Had everybody used common sense we wouldn't have this dilemma. Unfortunately, some officials abused their privileges and the entire industry has to suffer. This happened with the pharmaceutical folks as well.
But look on the "green side" of this: If some groups don't go to Vegas, they'll go elsewhere. They still have to meet. Maybe second tier destinations will benefit. And Vegas will be accessible to groups which previously were not even responded to by many in Vegas. They'll get their share.
As for putting some "green" into our industry: We should all embrace this. Any destination can be "green" if they so choose to be. It will take some rethinking but it can be done. Make this a new avenue of attracting government and other groups.
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