In the Air with Taylor Swift: Unveiling Concerns Surrounding Her Private Jet Travels
The Super Bowl attendance of Taylor Swift on February 11 sparked discussions after the Kansas City Chiefs’ victory over the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday. Given the 34-year-old singer’s consistent support for her boyfriend Travis Kelce since their initial sighting together, it is anticipated that Swift will land in Las Vegas soon after concluding her Eras Tour show in Japan. However, concerns about carbon emissions have arisen due to Swift’s frequent use of private jets amidst the growing global warming issue.
Taylor Swift under fire for use of private jets
The discussion surrounding Swift’s presence at the Super Bowl has intensified in recent days, with even the Japanese Embassy expressing hopes for her timely arrival. Throughout the 2023 leg of the Eras Tour, the Cruel Summer hitmaker extensively utilized her private jets. Recognizing the logistical demands of Swift’s global tour with multiple shows, it is apparent that the Blank Space singer opts for the fastest mode of travel.
However, Swift finds herself in the latest wave of celebrities facing scrutiny for private jet travel, as noted by the Associated Press. If she attends the Super Bowl in Vegas, her private jet travel would exceed 19,400 miles within a span of two weeks, raising significant concerns among many regarding the carbon emissions associated with such extensive journeys.
According to Gregory Keoleian, co-director of the Center for Sustainable Systems at the University of Michigan, such extensive air travel could result in the release of more than “200,000 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions,” as reported by the outlet. This amount is approximately 14 times the average American household’s emissions in a year, based on data from the US Energy Information Administration.
Julia Stein, a professor at the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law, notes that the scrutiny over the Midnights singer’s frequent use of private jets highlights the rich-poor “disparity.” Stein states, “You’re seeing this play out on kind of a microcosmic scale (with Swift), but that’s true too of industrialized countries and their carbon emissions historically.”
