In a new post at the College Conservative, Chelsea Gruenwald takes a look at the hypocrisy of environmental activists.

People’s Climate March: Do As I Say, Not As I Do

Around 400,000 concerned citizen and celebrity activists gathered in New York City this past weekend to express their concern about the climate and health of the earth. But are they really as “green” as they want you to believe?

The short answer: No.

The People’s Climate March, a protest event that took place in cities around the world, sought to draw the attention of world leaders to address climate problems by enforcing fossil fuel cutting policies. However, throughout the march and following it, people pointed out that the protesters themselves engaged in many not-so-earth-friendly activities, including littering and traveling in diesel buses across the country. In fact, two of the movement’s front-runners, Leonardo DiCaprio and Al Gore, use expensive fossil-fuel guzzling toys like private jets and yachts. So are these climate activists ready to lead by example, or are they going to continue their hypocritical practices?

For the moment, hypocrisy wins.

In the wake of a UN meeting to discuss climate, climate activists met in New York City to demonstrate their concern about the state of the planet. In fact, various climate groups from all over the country bused many protesters to the People’s Climate March in New York City. While public transportation like busing is seen as “greener,” research conducted by the Reason Foundation found that, with a few exceptions, “there is considerable question if [public] transit has any energy and emissions advantages over automobiles.”

Another problem created by the bused-in protesters is diesel emissions. Diesel fuel is used in large engines such as those found in buses, trucks, and construction equipment. The American Cancer Society claims that diesel emissions make up much of our outdoor air pollution, and that it is linked to many health problems including cancer, lung disease, and heart disease. The Union of Concerned Scientists found that diesel-run vehicles account for half of all nitrogen oxides and two-thirds of all particulate matter emissions from American transportation.