Taylor Swift's record-setting Eras Tour delighted fans around the world, but climate advocates have some bad blood with the superstar because of her extensive use of a private jet.
As detailed by Fortune and Simple Flying, aircraft tracking platform JetSpy estimates that Swift — who released her 11th studio album, "The Tortured Poets Department," in April — flew 225 hours across 98 flights in her Dassault Falcon 7X in 2024.
Whereas some airplanes carry hundreds of passengers for international journeys, Swift's three-engine private jet holds only 12 to 16 people, leading some to call out the singer-songwriter for her outsized impact on the environment. On the other hand, many defend celebrities of her level of fame by saying they simply could not travel commercially without causing massive delays and security complications in the airport and plane, so the private travel can be understandable when a bus would not be possible.
All in all, the aviation sector is responsible for around 2.5% of global carbon pollution, per Our World in Data, but its warming effect on the planet is greater than that because of how carbon and other gases from exhaust interact with the atmosphere.
Simple Flying estimates the Falcon gobbled up more than 80,000 gallons of fuel, accounting for approximately 846 tons of carbon pollution over the year.
Swift is hardly the only celebrity to fly in private jets. And with the icon being one of the most famous people in the world, she and her team are surely taking safety and security into account as the 14-time Grammy Award winner tours. Overall, the Eras Tour has also proved to be a powerful and positive connective and economic force.
In February, the songwriter's publicist told BBC News that Swift uses carbon offsets to help make up for her private jet travel, though they didn't provide specifics. This concept involves supporting projects that protect forests, advance clean-energy initiatives, and invest in other types of environmentally friendly developments.
However, critics of these programs suggest more transparency is often needed and point out that reducing pollution is the most critical part of slowing down the accelerated rise of global temperatures causing a host of issues, including more intense extreme weather.
Austin Whitman, CEO of nonprofit The Climate Change Project, didn't downplay the impact of Taylor's tour on the environment but suggested to Vice that she could be a major player in the sustainability realm as she steps into her next era.
"Literally, she could send one Instagram post and change enough behaviour to well outweigh 8,000 tonnes of carbon emissions — that's the real power that she has," Whitman said.
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