Pop star Taylor Swift had a remarkable year in 2023. She began one of the highest-grossing tours so far in history, reclaimed her albums through successful re-records, and was recorded to have surpassed the billionaire status. She even found a special somebody. Sure, Swift’s blooming romance with Travis Kelce and her record-breaking success has made her fans happy for her. But what about the planet?
Taylor Swift at the Eras Tour (Photo Source: People)
Recent studies show that in traveling by private jet to visit Kelce, Swift has produced 138 tons of CO2 emissions over the past three months alone. To put this into perspective, the average amount of CO2 emissions per person a year is four tons. It was stated by the Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator that the astounding amount of emissions caused by Swift would require planting 2,282 trees and letting them grow for over a decade to reverse the damage caused on the environment. This data has brought awareness to the ever-growing issue of global warming.
According to NASA, 2023 was recorded as the warmest year for the planet. Conditions such as extreme heat, rising sea levels, and raging wildfires only worsened. Despite these sources of evidence that the planet is in the middle of a climate crisis, there are still many who claim that global warming isn’t something that needs to be addressed or taken seriously.
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce (Photo Source: Fox News)
The new data regarding Swift’s CO2 emissions caused disputes over various social media platforms. Many were calling her out on her excessive use of the private jet, especially since she’s been here before with her carbon footprint. People were outraged, mainly those who are involved in long-distance relationships and have to wait months to see their partners. But even more were defending her, stating that she isn’t the only celebrity emitting an excessive amount of CO2 into the atmosphere. Her recent actions have even been ignored by her substantial fanbase. Swift’s fans tend to be blinded by her music and growing success, and unfortunately, because a majority of them are on the younger side, aren’t as knowledgeable on the issue of climate change, unaware that it is their future planet that Swift is harming in the present.
Many don’t realize that even the small things help, such as taking the time to recycle a soda can rather than tossing it into a trash can or going on a bike ride instead of driving somewhere nearby. As we enter 2024, we hope that it can be a year of greater awareness towards global warming and recovery for planet Earth.