A splendid wedding...but one that costs the planet dearly

At the risk of putting a damper on this fairytale wedding, the London daily The Telegraph estimated that 6,765 tons of CO2 (according to the Carbone boréal calculator) were the greenhouse gas emissions produced throughout the wedding of Prince William and Katherine Middleton, this Friday in London. This represents 1,230 times the amount of greenhouse gases emitted by each British household...per year. To offset such a quantity of CO2, it would be necessary to plant 48,321 trees! An operation that would cost around 189,420 US dollars.

In addition, the 2,800 tons generated by the guests' travel and the 3,900 tons of carbon dioxide caused by the train and subway transport of the 650,000 people weigh heavily. And that doesn't include the emissions from the transport and manufacturing of all the related products.

Known for his commitment to climate change and environmental protection, Prince Charles had nevertheless taken certain measures to reduce the ceremony's impact on the planet: local produce for the feast, seasonal flowers, invitations printed on recycled paper, for example. A laudable effort, but perhaps he could have contributed more to the cause he holds dear by organizing a carbon-neutral wedding?

In short, a very beautiful wedding but not really “eco-friendly”…