Department for Transport: frequent flyers

If you've looked at the Department for Transport's website, you'll know that it's very worried about the environment. It launched an eco-driving programme, asking drivers ever so nicely if they'd mind not speeding everywhere. It is terribly concerned about water pollution, with the Highways Agency tripping over itself to tackle chemical run-off from its motorways. And it obsesses over newts, splashing cash re-housing the endangered amphibians whenever it wants to build a motorway through their habitat.

But climate change? Not a chance. For all its fine words about how it's the 'greatest threat since sliced bread', behind closed doors it's business as usual. Take domestic flights: how many do you think the Department took last financial year? How many pampered civil servants thought themselves above the rigours of train or video-conferencing, and jumped on an easyJet special last year?

The answer is a bit staggering: 2,766 flights in financial year 2007-8. Every day of the year (including Christmas) 7 DfT nutkins are hoping on planes to fly somewhere within mainland UK. But it gets worse: the DVLA took 1,832 flights - despite basically being charged with sorting out driver's licenses. The remaining agencies have no idea how often they flew, because they don't even bother to keep track. Setting a great example there guys. Trebles all round.

Disclaimer: Plane Stupid has nothing against newts - in fact we like them so much that we'd rather people didn't build motorways through their homes. Or build motorways at all...