There are some celebrities who live lavish lifestyles, and their lives can be perceived as anything but ordinary. They either have their own private jets or frequently fly privately. Though owning a jet can be seen as a status symbol and something to aspire to, it can also be seen as detrimental. A study conducted by the European Federation of Transport & Environment shows that the ratio of pollution per commercial airline passenger to private jet passenger is 5 to 14.
A sign of great wealth is flying privately, which many different celebrities do. Whether they act, model, or sing, they very often will fly privately. According to Aero Corner, an aviation blog, some such celebrities include Taylor Swift, Jackie Chan, and Elon Musk. Many celebrities choose private flights because it is easier and more convenient than flying commercial and because they prefer smaller, private airports. They can also align their private flights with their schedules better than if they were flying commercial flights. Several celebrities’ travel habits however can cause them to contribute more carbon dioxide to the environment than the average person.
Experts argue that climate change affects everyone, there’s no escaping it no matter where you are, whether you are aware of it or not. NASA has stated that though Earth’s climate has “changed throughout its history, the current warming is happening at a rate not seen in the past 10,000 years.” According to the National Energy Technology Laboratory, some common human activities that emit CO2 are “power generation, transportation, industrial sources, chemical production, petroleum production, and agricultural practices.” On average people contribute about “four tons of carbon dioxide each year. In the United States, each person produces about 16 tons of carbon dioxide each year” according to the Center for Science Education.
Celebrities’ usage of private jets has caught the attention of those who are interested in climate change and CO2 emissions. An Instagram user @celebrityjets, tracks celebrities’ private jet flights using ADS-B, which is an aviation surveillance technology that can determine an aircraft’s position and allow it to be tracked. Some common names mentioned include Floyd Mayweather, Drake, Mark Wahlberg, and Taylor Swift.
On the Instagram account, they stated that Floyd Mayweather’s flight from the King Hussein Air Base to the Van Nuys Airport released 25 tons of CO2 emissions. This is nine more tons than the average American is responsible for per year, and this is just one of his many private flights.
Another celebrity that can be seen on similar accounts is Taylor Swift. One of her flights from the Hollywood Burbank Airport to the Charles B. Wheeler Downtown Airport emitted 10 tons of CO2 emissions, which took about two hours and thirty minutes. The average person emits about 16 tons of carbon dioxide every year, Taylor’s flight was 62.5% of what the average person will emit per year, all in a few hours.
Seniors Mariajose Hemmings Larin and Natalie Castano, from Hampton Bays High School, believe that celebrities should make a greater effort to fly commercially rather than privately, especially if their trips are short and can be done some other way. According to the United Nations, “The possibilities for action are many – and add up fast.” Some actions recommended are cleaning up one’s environment, making trips with public transportation or walking on foot, and considering one’s travel, among many others.
