Greenpeace will “most likely” help a Belgian activist who participated in their Calgary Tower stunt fly back home, despite the carbon footprint necessary for transatlantic travel.
Although he acknowledges the emissions necessary to fly between Belgium and Calgary, Greenpeace spokesperson Mike Hudema said it’s worth it.
“If our action helps to stop (tar sands emissions from tripling) and pushes Alberta and Canada to invest in green jobs and healthy communities, then the emissions of a plane ride would have been worth it,” said Hudema.
He said the carbon cost for bringing him over was justifiable, so the protest could incite change.
“I think we all have an obligation to try to reduce our carbon footprint but sometimes we need to make sacrifices to push for greater justice,” said Hudema.
“We look at each case carefully to weigh out the pluses and minuses of extra carbon emissions. In this case we have a very skilled climber who could ensure the safety of everyone involved, it was worth it.”
