Clinton aide: Campaign will offset carbon emissions

Hillary Clinton’s campaign will offset all of its carbon emissions after facing criticism from Republicans for flying a private jet back from a climate change event, a campaign aide told CNN.  

{mosads}While the aide said that the entire campaign, including its travel, will become carbon neutral, the campaign plans to elaborate as it releases more specifics on its climate change plans over the next few weeks.  The campaign has not yet responded to a request from The Hill for more information on that plan. 

Clinton set out renewable energy goals during a climate change speech in Iowa, but she’s been panned by Republicans for flying a private jet back from the speech. The Republican-leaning opposition group America Rising has circulated a video of her boarding the jet, which was first reported on by the Daily Mail. That plane burns 347 gallons of fuel per hour, according to the Daily Mail.

“Despite her campaign’s best efforts to rebrand her as a down-to-earth fighter for ‘everyday Americans,’ Hillary Clinton’s jet-setting ways are just further confirmation that she’s out of touch with the American people,” Jeff Bechdel, the communications director for America Rising, said in a statement with the release of the video. 

“It’s that kind of hypocrisy that makes the majority of voters say Clinton is not honest or trustworthy.”

The group also rounded up media coverage panning Clinton for not providing enough specifics and for dodging the Keystone XL pipeline.

While the campaign can take tangible steps toward offsetting its emissions, including planting trees and relying more heavily on renewable energy, large organizations typically purchase carbon offsets in order to limit that more easily. Those offsets go toward projects to limit emissions in other places, including spending on renewable energy production, according to the National Resources Defense Council.