Entertainment
Taylor Swift facing backlash as she’s set to fly 20,000 miles in private jet in 10 days-Danni Scott-Entertainment – Metro
Taylor is not actually a top polluter
Taylor Swift’s private jet usage has sparked concern (Picture: Netflix)
Celebrity carbon emissions can be utterly eye-watering and Taylor Swift’s private jet antics have skyrocketed her to the centre of a fierce climate debate.
The Holy Ground hitmaker is set to fly nearly 20,000 air miles over 10 days after her final Tokyo gig almost clashed with her boyfriend’s Super Bowl game.
Taylor’s plans are under extra scrutiny after a cease-and-desist letter was sent to Jack Sweeney – who runs a private jet tracker – over concerns around ‘stalking’ due to her flights being publicly broadcast.
This comes after she garnered huge criticism for being named one of the biggest celebrity polluters in 2022, alongside the likes of Jay-Z and Kim Kardashian.
Swifties were delighted that her beloved Eras Tour started up again in Japan but quickly noticed an unfortunate clash in the 34-year-old megastar’s schedule.
Taylor is believed to be planning to rush home on Saturday, February 10, so she can watch Travis Kelce in his big game the next day – flying 5,548 miles in the process.
Taylor had two private jets but recently sold off one (Picture: Netflix)
Travis Kelce will play in the NFL Super Bowl on Sunday (Picture: Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
Her homeward flight to Las Vegas comes four days after jetting out to Tokyo for the next leg of the Eras Tour, racking up 5,488 miles on her way out.
Assuming she attends the Kansas City Chiefs playoff against the San Francisco 49ers, Taylor will have to hop back onto her private jet and head to Melbourne, Australia.
This will add another 8,154 air miles to her journey, with a whopping 19,190 miles under her belt – equating to an estimated 122 tons of CO2 emissions.
In terms of planting trees, it’s estimated one oak tree takes six years to absorb one ton of CO2 so 122 trees would need to be planted with half a decade of growth to offset these three flights.
After Melbourne, she’ll make the 439-mile trip to Sydney as her tour continues, before heading to Singapore, Europe, and the UK.
Taylor is set to head back to the US after her Tokyo gigs(Picture: Metro Graphics/Emily Manley)
Tours are part and parcel of being an artist and celebrities are expected to contribute masses of CO2 emissions as they travel the world.
To offset this, celebrities will purchase carbon credits which pay for climate projects to counteract their fossil fuel usage.
Taylor’s publicist, Tree Paine, previously stated that the Dear Reader singer had paid for double the credits she needed in preparation for the Eras Tour.
The carbon emissions of the Grammy winner have been under scrutiny since she was named the top celebrity polluter in 2022, by the site Yard which used data from the now-suspended X account CelebrityJets.
Another site, ClimateJets, agreed with the estimation of around 1,125.32 metric tons of carbon dioxide emitted over that year – but named numerous celebrities as bigger polluters.
The site – which gives thanks to Jack Sweeney – includes Pitbull, Jim Carrey, Kim K, Steven Spielberg, and Elon Musk, as worse offenders.
A further climate tracker, MyClimate.org, gave an updated 2023 ranking with Taylor completely omitted from the top 30 most prolific flight takers.
While many are still naming Taylor as the biggest polluter, this seems to now be outdated, with Travis Scott topping the 2023 list instead.
Fans have been ferociously defending the Clara Bow singer on X, as Caleb Maughan wrote: ‘Taylor Swift isn’t even in the top 10 of the most jet emissions yet she’s the only one being held responsible for killing the planet.
‘This is how I know y’all don’t gaf. You just dislike her for no reason and this gives you one.’
User Adri said: ‘Wait I’m so lost, why was the entirety of the internet saying Taylor Swift is the biggest polluter? Why aren’t we calling out Travis, Celine, Beyoncé, Jay Z, and Robert Kraft who were all at the Grammys. Do y’all actually care about emissions?’
A more balanced tweet came from Lisa, who added: ‘I’m crying she’s not even in the top 30 and is treated like the only one that’s wasting fuel 😭 She deserves to be called out AND so do the rest of them. Just please come correct.’
What’s so bad about a private jet?
With so many celebrities flying in their own private jets, most assume it’s simply for the luxury. While that’s certainly true there are a few differences between private and commercial flights.
Only 0.0008% of the world’s population actually own a private jet but they contribute hugely to the climate crisis.
Currently, estimates put air travel as the cause for around 2-4% of all human-induced global warming.
Private jets are thought to be around five to 14 times more polluting than commercial planes per passenger, according to Transport Enviornment.
The often faster flights are responsible for emitting two tonnes of CO2 in an hour.
In 2020 alone, it was reported by the Environmental Protection Agency that private flights in the US pumped out as much greenhouse gas as all bus travel stateside.
Alex Goldschmidt agreed: ‘All this energy about Taylor Swift’s carbon emissions when she’s not even in the top 30 celebrity private jet users…while touring.
‘You created a world where it’s hard for her to exist in public safely and would hate the disruptions caused if she flew commercial. Be serious. 💀’
While Taylor may not be the worst offender in 2023, celebrities’ constant usage of private jets is still a huge problem for the planet.
Planes belonging to 200 celebrities, CEOs, and billionaires have spent a combined total of 11 years in the air since the start of 2022, according to the Guardian.
She also is said to lend her plane to friends (Picture: Netflix)
Taylor’s fans have defended her against the criticism (Picture: Netflix)
These 44,739 flights are contributing massively to the global carbon footprint, and are estimated to equate to the total emissions of almost 40,000 Brits.
Safety of megastars should be considered but the frivolous usage of jets – including Taylor’s 13-minute flight from Illinois to Missouri in January – is still a concern.
Even if she wasn’t a top polluter in 2023, her dating life could prove her downfall if she doesn’t heed fans’ alarm over fleeting trips home, mid-tour.
Metro.co.uk has contacted Taylor’s reps for comment.
Got a story?
If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.
MORE : Taylor Swift threatens legal action over ‘stalking’ private jet tracker
MORE : Taylor Swift isn’t the messiah of music – I don’t understand the hype
Entertainment – MetroRead More
