By Sadie York
Taylor Swift is one of the most infamous pop stars of our generation. She also happens to hold the title of the world’s most carbon emitting celebrity. In just one year, the singer had emitted over 8,250 tonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere via private jet– which are the most polluting forms of transportation, and very difficult to decarbonize. To put that into perspective, the average car emits 4.6 metric tons of carbon dioxide per year. In order for Swift to offset her environmental damages, she’d need to plant over 2,200 trees/year and allow them to fully grow, taking up to a decade.
Now, of course, it’s completely reasonable for celebrities with a status such as Taylor’s to fly privately for reasons such as safety, privacy, efficiency, etc. However, when taking 12 separate flights to see your boyfriend play football begins to pollute the planet on a critical scale, then it might start to become an issue (maybe just watch a few games on television?). Both Kelce and Swift are very busy people, with Taylor recently wrapping up her Eras Tour and Travis playing for the Kansas City Chiefs in the current NFL season. So, naturally, when the two are caught spending time together it’s received well by the media. Although it’s important for all relationships to have quality time, simply being famous doesn’t account for the 138 tons emitted for Taylor and Travis to see each other. Regardless of their status, the planet is affected the same by all humans. If regular people can handle long-distance relationships, surely these two can as well.
Despite the coverage of this topic on social media platforms, the pop star has received barely any backlash. Part of this has to do with Taylor’s idolization from her massive fanbase. Not raising any awareness of the problem won’t make it go away, it’ll simply get worse as the planet becomes more expendable at the hands of those pedestaled in our society. Prior to the Eras Tour, Swift had purchased double the carbon credits (which doesn’t really reduce the amount of emissions entering the atmosphere) required for her travels across the nation. Her statement had justified her personal emissions, but also inferred that the excess credits were planned to cover romantic trips in the middle of her tour.
Situations like these only emphasize the divide between the super-rich and common folk, who travel through public airlines, and general emissions. Why are we supporting those who have no regard for the general public? While celebrities such as Taylor Swift are polluting the planet in their private jets, the rest of us have to watch as they take advantage of their conveniences in life.