Taylor Swift is a global superstar who has taken the world by storm. She is omnipresent, from social media to the news. One of the reasons for her immense popularity is the Eras Tour. This is Taylor’s sixth concert tour, which began on March 17, 2023, in the United States and is set to end on December 8th, 2024, in Canada. It is officially the highest-grossing music tour ever, with a revenue of over $1 billion. And the tour is not over yet!
During the tour, Taylor spent over 166 hours traveling across the United States in her private jet, as reported by JetSpy, a private jet tracking platform. In 2022, one of her two private jets emitted over 8,293 metric tons of CO2, which is nearly 1200 times the average person’s yearly emissions which doesn’t even include the emissions from the shows themselves! This seems outrageously wrong and horrible, right? But before we rush to judgment, let’s hear some more facts.
We all know that it’s important to limit our carbon footprint to help tackle climate change. However, it’s important to acknowledge that the majority of carbon emissions come from large corporations and governments, not individuals. Recent research shows that only 100 companies are responsible for 71% of global industrial carbon emissions since 1988. Taylor Swift’s emissions only account for 0.00002% of the world’s annual carbon emissions, and she has taken steps to offset her carbon emissions by purchasing carbon credits and promoting climate change action. To put this into perspective, it would take Taylor Swift flying her private jet for 14,000 years to equal the emissions from the Middle Arm, a government project.
In conclusion, it is important to note that while Taylor Swift’s carbon footprint is not ideal, she is not the largest contributor to climate change. While her actions do matter, focusing solely on her emissions is not a feasible solution to reducing CO2 emissions. It distracts us from more important climate solutions that could have a greater impact on reducing emissions and growing economies. Therefore, although Swift should work towards reducing her carbon footprint and using more environmentally friendly methods of travel, canceling her Eras Tour is not a justifiable solution. The Eras Tour has many positive impacts, including an economic impact of up to 80 billion dollars, the ability to allow individuals to open small businesses, and generating tax revenue. Overall, it’s important to take a holistic approach to addressing climate change, focusing on solutions that can have a significant impact and working toward a better future for our planet and ourselves.
