This weekend in Las Vegas for the final part Super Bowlthe last match of the American football championship which will be played on Monday evening, Over a thousand private jets are expected. There were just over 900 a few months ago for the Formula 1 Grand Prix, I’d say we’re on track. I’ll save you from counting the carbon footprint of over a thousand private jets in one day. After all, it’s not the cubic tons of CO2 that shock our consciences, it’s normal, these are quantities that we don’t even know how to visualize. But we all know that the impact of a thousand private jets in one day is enormous, that there is something profoundly and collectively wrong with it all.
Meanwhile in Italy a bizarre controversy has broken out because Trenitalia has set up a special train to bring hundreds of Rai employees to Sanremo. The Minister of Transport was offended and I really struggle to understand why. It seems to me to be the only thing that makes sense in terms of sustainability made by Rai on the occasion of the Festival. What should they have done? Buy hundreds of plane tickets to Genoa and organize cars to Sanremo? There is no doubt that in terms of environmental sustainability a single train – among other things as energy efficient as a latest generation Frecciarossa – was the best choice. Not to mention that by doing so there is also a net saving in terms of costs, a sign that the ecological transition does not necessarily cost more but, if you plan the changes in time, it often leads to savings. That said for the rest, the Sanremo Festival missed yet another opportunity to talk to the country about what is happening with climate change. It could have been done from the stage, with a credible guest: and it could have been done even better by changing something in the Festival’s production, with different management of water, waste, food and energy. Reducing emissions. A very strong message could have been sent to ten million Italians. Changing the country. But no. Just look at the list of sponsors to realize that once again the money has won. There was the train though, the special train to Sanremo that will take everyone home at the end of the Festival. One good thing, the only thing.