easyJet flights greener than a Prius? So they claim

easyJet claims that its flights are a greener way to travel than motoring solo in a Toyota Prius. Really.

Specifically, it says its flights emit less carbon dioxide per person than that bestselling hybrid car. Can it be true? It's a jaw-dropping statement given the prevailing wisdom about air travel – that it's one of worst things you personally can do in terms of global warming, and air travel by 2050 may become one of the largest contributors to heating the planet. One vacation splurge by plane can produce one and half times the global warming pollution created by a WHOLE YEAR of weekday commuting, says the Union of Concerned Scientists, which urges vacations by motor coach or train.