Boston’s Logan International Airport was forced to delete a tweet this week that sent an anti-environmental message using an ‘Earth Day’ hashtag, which was slammed by critics.
The tweet went up on Monday – three days before Earth Day – encouraging people to park their cars at the airport when flying out of Logan International.
‘For those traveling, parking at the airport brings you close to your terminal and reduces the impact on the environment. #EarthDay,’ the tweet read.
The backlash was almost instantaneous, with critics pointing out how the use of individual cars to drive to the airport actually harms the environment, rather than what the airport suggests.
Pictured: Logan Airport’s tweet, which has since been deleted
Pictured: Logan International Airport, which was the subject of the original tweet
Brian Hawkins tweeted, ‘Did a parking garage write this?’
There are bus lines that can take flyers to the airport, which would do more for the environment in terms of carbon emissions than parking at the airport.
Additionally, parking at the airport isn’t free, drawing questions about whether or not the Logan Airport was trying to drum up business and make a quick buck, which Jonathan Berk commented on.
‘Just generally curious what the thought process was that lead to their thinking that encouraging driving was somehow good for the planet,’ Berk tweeted. ‘The best answer here is they did it out of desperation for parking revenue….
The regular rate for parking at Logan Airport is $38 a day, with people having the option of parking in the Economy Lot for $29 and taking a free shuttle to their terminal.
There are reserved spots for electric, hybrid, and alternative fuel vehicles, but the same parking rates apply.
Even Jim Aliosi, former Massachusetts Secretary of Transportatio, criticized the tweet.
‘Dear @Massport @BostonLogan deleting your tweet isn’t enough – how about a public retraction & apology? This was not a minor mistake – assuming it was a mistake. #mapoli Who approved the tweet? Who thought it was a good idea?’
It’s not clear when on Monday the tweet was deleted, but Massport, which operates the airport, released a statement to The Boston Globe about the deleted tweet on Tuesday.
Pictured: The Economy Parking Garage at Logan Airport, which has rates starting at $29
‘It was clear the post lacked context,’ said spokesperson Jennifer Mehigan. ‘We decided to remove it so we could reassess our messaging going forward.
Mehigan also attempted to clarify the message by demonstrating how parking at the airport could save a couple of trips, as opposed to having someone drop off a passenger at the airport.
‘Passengers who park at the airport generate two car trips versus four for pick up/ drop off,’ Mehigan added. ‘We recommend passengers look at all their options before heading to Logan.’
The Massachusetts Sierra Club was among those criticizing the airport for the tweet on Monday.
‘@BostonLogan’s deleted #EarthDay tweet is ridiculous greenwashing. @Massport needs to do more to reduce traffic, emissions & air pollution. Single occupancy vehicles do not cut it. Electric buses, Red-Blue Connector, Regional Rail & more is needed,’ they tweeted.
Last week, the Logan Airport screened 199,236 passengers, still down massively from two years ago as the airline industry tries to recover from the coronavirus pandemic, but an increase from the previous week.
‘Last week Logan was -56% from where we were in 2019,’ Mehigan said to The Boston Globe. ‘The week before was -66%, so that was a big jump.’
No data was released as to how those passengers arrived at the airport.
On Earth Day, the United States kicked off a global cimate summit taking place virtually
Joe Biden vowed to cut greenhouse gas emissions by up to 52 percent by 2030
The Earth Day controversy comes as President Joe Biden attends a climate summit on Thursday to address climate change.
The virtual summit is being hosted by the United States over the course of two days and being attended by 40 world leaders.
During the summit, Biden pledged the United States would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 50 to 52 percent below its 2005 emissions levels by 2030, according to CNN.
Previously Barack Obama only committed to a 26 to 28 percent reduction in 2015, although the goal year for that drop was 2025.
‘That’s where we’re headed as a nation, and that’s what we can do if we take action to build an economy that’s not only more prosperous but healthier, fairer and cleaner for the entire planet,’ Biden said.
He also set a goal for the country to be at net-zero emissions by 2050.
