Sparks won't be the only thing flying this weekend because Taylor Swift has places to be.
A Swift getaway
Recently, the singer-songwriter extraordinaire has come under scrutiny for her use of private jets — two, to be exact — and despite the other criticism she gets for simply existing, this time, the critics may have a good reason.
It all began when the public first took note of Swift's busy travel schedule in 2022. That year, she spent 15.9 days in the air, and the next year — during the first leg of the Eras Tour — took another 86 trips via private plane and spent 166 hours in the air.
Environmentalists and 'Swifties' alike both took to the internet to call out this behavior, highlighting the potential damage her traveling habits may cause to the environment.
In response to the backlash, Swift's representatives told Rolling Stone: "Taylor's jet is loaned out regularly to other individuals. To attribute most or all of these trips to her is blatantly incorrect."
This, while true, does not abate the negative impacts of private jet usage. However, following this statement, the criticism died down and Swift continued to use her private planes frequently.
Then, Jack Sweeney came into the picture.
Sweeney, a college student, created a Twitter account (@SwiftJetNextDay) in November 2023 to track the popstar's flight paths. The account updates every 24 hours with the flight information of Swift's two private jets.
As of Feb. 8, Sweeney's account has 75.2K followers.
However, Swift is not Fearless about her flights being tracked for the world to see. The singer's legal team sent a cease-and-desist letter to Sweeney on Dec. 22, 2023, insisting that he stop publishing the information. Also, within the last week, Swift seems to have sold one of her private jets.
This situation is known all too well by Elon Musk, owner of X, formerly known as Twitter, who also attempted to stop Sweeney when a Twitter account was created to track his travel last year. Musk also pursued legal action with Sweeney and has publicly sided with Swift on the situation.
Although Sweeney didn't seem too worried about the letter from Swift's representatives, his tracking account now delays the posts by 24 hours in an effort to provide Swift some sense of privacy.
This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things
Carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions, a gas created by the burning of fossil fuels, are the leading cause of climate change. The creation of CO₂ drives the warming of our atmosphere due to its ability to absorb and radiate heat.
CO₂ emissions have created a myriad of problems for the Earth, including hotter temperatures and Cruel Summers, extreme weather events, drought, rising sea levels and famine, to name a few.
One last thing: The high level of CO₂ in our atmosphere is a result of human activity.
For most people, our day-to-day activities aren't going to release a world-changing amount of CO₂ (though you should still try to limit your emissions!). For reference, the average American produces 16 tons of carbon dioxide a year.
For others, like the rich and famous, that may not be the case.
By Feb. 16, Taylor Swift will have traveled nearly 20,000 miles by private jet this month alone. These trips will release over 200,000 pounds (100 tons) of CO₂.
As if that wasn't bad enough, it's thought that releasing CO₂ directly into the atmosphere creates a worse warming effect than if released at sea level. Also, traveling via private jet generates nine times the amount of emissions of a commercial flight.
If Swift continues to travel like this, the Earth cannot Tolerate It.
This is me trying
Dear Reader, while Taylor Swift may not be the only celebrity constantly traveling by private jet, she is the one who has fallen under scrutiny recently for doing so. There are many arguments to be made why she's the one in the spotlight and views vary drastically, but it's still an important conversation.
Many other artists have successfully toured while remaining environmentally conscious.
After vowing to remain environmentally beneficial, Coldplay's "Music Of The Spheres Tour" produced 47% less CO₂ emissions compared to previous concerts.
On top of that, the band has planted five million trees, provided free water refills at 95% of its shows, and donated 3,770 meals to the unhoused and unsheltered. To see all of the band's achievements, check out its emissions update from June 2023.
Coldplay even created an app for fans that shares low-carbon travel options, including transportation and lodging, and offers discount codes to fans who are committed to low-carbon travel.
It is possible to be both a pop star and an environmentally conscious individual. It does take extra effort, but our planet is End Game.
Private jet usage adds to the already extreme warming of our climate. Putting Taylor Swift's usage under the microscope is only to bring awareness to the fact that we cannot keep heating our planet, and the same goes for the rich and famous.
