Every day in America, we are told of new methods we should be using to offset our carbon footprint. From purchasing reusable water bottles and metal straws to putting in solar panels and choosing public transportation over driving our own vehicles to reduce pollution, messages about protecting the environment are displayed everywhere for the average citizen to see.
Meanwhile, celebrities see the same messages and conveniently choose to ignore them - specifically when it comes to travel.
The rise of private jet usage has dominated the past decade, and as more and more celebrities dive into the private flying space, it feels like so much of the work the average American does to diminish their footprint is pointless due to the private jet’s massive CO2 emissions. According to a recent study, private jets are reported to emit at least ten times more pollutants than commercial flights per passenger [1], which is extremely worrying. Most private jets are simply unnecessary and signs of exorbitant, obnoxious wealth. Many celebrities do not own them and get on fine simply flying commercial if the correct safety measures are applied.
As of 2023, the celebrities with the highest CO2 emissions were Travis Scott, Kim Kardashian, and Elon Musk, all coming in at over at least 4 million kg [2]. Obviously, this is so incredibly frustrating, especially when a good amount of these flights were quick and unnecessary, such as Musk taking a 6-minute flight in 2022 [3].
The main issue is that these celebrities do not seem to have any problem with the immense damage they are causing to our planet. Most of them do not speak out on anything related to the climate, nor have they apologized for the damage their current habits will cause for future generations. In fact, it is not uncommon for celebrities to brag and post photos online of their jets, mention them in song lyrics, and have more than one plane! The rich get everything, while we suffer the consequences of their actions.
However, not all celebrities are blind to their impact on the environment. An example of a celebrity that has attempted to reduce her impact (allegedly) is Taylor Swift, as she has come under fire for her massive amount of carbon emissions while traveling on her world tour. After a college student published her flights on X earlier this year she sent him a cease and desist letter, which prompted immense backlash from climate activists all over about her private jet usage. While the effects Swift’s tour has had on the environment is undoubtable, her team came out and spoke to the BBC claiming she had bought double the amount of carbon credits needed to offset the flights from her tour [4]. Carbon credits, while not perfect, are at least an attempt to try to help the environment after negatively impacting it. However, whilst Swift’s action is far more than most other celebrities do, she should not be looked at as someone who has a genuine concern for the environment and their carbon footprint.
The hard truth comes down to this: We, the middle and lower classes, have unfortunately been tasked with trying to save the environment from irreversible effects many of us had no hand in creating, while the Hollywood elite and major corporations are the true perpetrators, and who continue to destroy the planet with their egregious carbon footprints and flashy private jets.
Sources
[4] https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20240213-taylor-swift-private-jet-flight-travel-carbon-footprint
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