Prince Charles Flies “Green”

Well, we don’t expect to sit beside him while we’re putting our shoes back on after security at the airport, but Britain’s Prince Charles says he’s going to skip the convenience of private transport as his sacrifice to help save the planet. Starting in February (no point in rushing these things), Charles reportedly intends to make more use of commercial airlines, trains and biodiesel-powered cars to commute between his various castles and his princely appointments, rather than hop on a private helicopter or bizjet. A spokesman for the prince says he’s determined to “reduce our carbon footprint” and will be taking a variety of measures to lighten his considerable environmental load. “Wherever possible, we will be making less use of helicopters and chartered planes and rely more on car journeys, scheduled flights and trains,” the unidentified spokesman told reporters. The prince is having wood-chip fired boilers installed at his three homes, is looking for environmentally sustainable power sources for the castles and will be monitoring greenhouse gas emissions from his food-processing company, Duchy Originals. He’s also converting his Jaguar and Land Rover to run on biodiesel. It’s a family affair, too. His mom, Queen Elizabeth II, recently rode a public train for the first time (she’s in her 80s) and has given up Brittania, the royal yacht.