Don't fly

Unless you're an environment minister:

Germany's environment minister is usually famed for his tough stance on climate change but yesterday attention switched to his allegedly extravagant flying habits.

Under the headline: "How our environment minister poisons the air," the newspaper Bild am Sonntag reported that Sigmar Gabriel often took planes to meetings. Citing a list from the defence ministry, the paper said he had taken more flights with military-run planes than any other minister in the first half of the year.

Bild am Sonntag said about 425 flights had been made using military planes and helicopters in the first six months of 2007. While most of these flights carried a large delegation, 34 had only one or two passengers. Mr Gabriel flew seven times alone or with one colleague.

The Bild am Sonntag noted that Mr Gabriel and the family minister, Ursula von der Leyen, often flew from their home town of Hanover, especially at the start or the end of the week. Spokesmen for both politicians insisted all the flights were essential, adding they would otherwise have missed important meetings.

And you understand that the minister's meetings are much more important than yours.

Via Benny Peiser.