At the end of January, His Royal Highness Prince Charles was invited to accept the Global Environmental Citizen award, presented each year by Harvard Medical School's Center for Health and the Global Environment.

     His Royal Highness has publicly voiced his concerns about the natural environment for decades -- in holding seminars and discussions, in advocating and encouraging corporate action, and in setting up various organizations and practical initiatives, such as converting the farm at Highgrove, his country home, to organic methods. Using Highgrove as a successful example of sustainable farming, the Prince has led the way for a transition toward sustainable practices in the UK, warning about the risks of genetically-modified food, calling for research into the health effects of chemical farming, and establishing a number of rural development projects.

     More than 10 years ago, His Royal Highness established The Prince of Wales's Business and the Environment Programme (BEP) with the objective of helping companies integrate concepts of sustainability into their thinking and practices. Each year, he hosts a meeting for the alumni of BEP, and one of its major achievements has been the creation of the Corporate Leaders Group on Climate Change, which has had a significant influence on UK government policies on energy and global warming.

     The Prince, who has described climate change as the "biggest threat to mankind", is also planning to publish details of his own carbon footprint - a measure of how his activities have impacted on the environment in terms of the amount of green house gases produced - as part of his 2007 accounts.

     With a record like that, you'd think he would be thinking through all of his activities... and yet to accept the aforementioned award, the Prince flew to New York City and back with a 20-person entourage, taking up the entire first-class compartment of a Boeing 747 jumbo jet. The total volume of carbon dioxide emissions directly attributable to the Prince's trip therefore amounted to over 24 metric tons. It is also worth noting that when factoring in the contribution to atmospheric warming from nitrogen oxides, water vapor and contrails, the actual damage figure triples.

     To put this number into perspective, a medium-sized car getting 25 miles per gallon would have to drive 61,244 miles to total 24 tons of carbon dioxide emissions - almost two and a half times the distance around the Earth! Of course, one cannot drive from London to New York City, but there can be no doubt that the environmental impact of flying suggests avoiding it where possible, especially for someone who considers himself a green activist and tries to encourage others to live in greater harmoney with the Earth.

     It is understandable in this day and age that a person of the Prince's high public profile needs a certain level of security, but it is difficult to imagine why twenty people are needed for a trip of this nature. Surely it would have been more environmentally sound to decrease the size of the entourage, or at least to allow the other spots in the first-class compartment to be filled. Better yet would have been to hold a ceremony via satellite linkup rather than taking a transatlantic round trip in the first place.

     It is worthy of note by comparison that last year's winner of the same award - former Vice President Al Gore - arrived in a vehicle specially modified to use more environmentally-friendly fuel.

      It should be noted that I do not wish to condemn the His Royal Highness' other efforts in any way. Indeed, the Prince should be commended for his obvious willingness to take action on green issues, but perhaps alternative approaches should be considered for more of his own activities. We can all hope that one look at the carbon footprint shown on his 2007 accounts will help His Royal Highness realize that there is still more he can do - or not do. 

      A Prince sets an example for the world to follow. We should all be taking such strides, while taking care to avoid the pitfalls along the way.