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Michael Palin is facing moves to oust him as president of a leading environmental group because of his passion for long-distance air travel.

The Times has learnt that senior members of Transport 2000, which campaigns for sustainable travel and against growth in flights, believe that Palin sets a poor example.

He has flown more than a quarter of a million miles in the past 17 years while making his six TV series, which began in 1988 with his attempt to retrace the fictional footsteps of Phileas Fogg in Around the World in 80 Days. He has travelled across every continent, visited both poles and, most recently, climbed the Himalayas.

On screen he is seen riding dog sleds, camels, elephants and hot-air balloons. But few viewers will have realised how many air miles he clocked up making the programmes. For the Himalayas series alone, Palin made seven return trips between London and Asia. His share of the carbon dioxide emissions of those flights was 24 tonnes, 12 times more than the average car emits in a year.

I need a bit of help figuring out how to tie a GATSO onto a dozen helium-filled balloons.

:gatso2: From what I've read on the T***sport 2000, site they've denied this story.

It is estimated that Palin's journeys have, between them, created more than 44 tons of carbon dioxide

Yes, I obviously am generating a lot of carbon emissions, but with the programmes I make I am bringing the world closer to a lot of people.

And don't forget jet aeroplanes in flight actually neutralise some methane gas which is ten times more effective as a so-called 'greenhouse gas'.