Celebrities such as Taylor Swift, Kylie Jenner and Jay-Z have received a lot of criticism regarding their negative impact on the environment. This is particularly due to the usage of private jets. These jets create more CO2 emissions than regular planes meaning that their carbon footprints are about thousand times worse than a regular person’s.
Why are private jets an issue?
Private jets could emit up to 40 per cent more CO2 than regular planes. They are fueled by fossil fuels and are therefore seriously harmful to the environment. While everything is beginning to turn more to green energy, these planes are still causing detrimental damage which will take years to reverse.
Societal pressures to be as environmentally conscious as possible is higher than ever. However, any effort we put in often feels pointless when we see celebrities damaging the environment without repercussions, while regular people are expected to change many aspects of their lives to contribute to a better environment.
Of course it’s a positive thing to be environmentally conscious. Regulating how your actions impact the environment is good but it’s not always that easy: Some people struggle to make these changes financially and others do not have the resources to help. Depending on which country or city you’re in, some local governments don’t even offer recycling collection services. Little things like this make a big impact on how accessible it is for regular people to make a difference.
Additionally, if us regular individuals fly a few times a year, we are made to feel guilty about the impact traveling by plane has on the environment. But this can’t even compare to the emissions that private jets produce in just one trip.
Celebrities can easily afford to live a more green lifestyle, yet many of them don’t make any conscious effort to do so. Taking private jets can be replaced by regular flights or even driving, yet they only consider what will make things easier for them.
Should we feel guilty?
There is nothing wrong with being a fan of these types of celebrities. But, if we do support them we should also hold them accountable. They are massively influential on their large fanbases who look up to them. Therefore, it can be disheartening to think that any effort you put in to positively impact the environment might be immediately undone.
The richest population have the resources and money to protect themselves from certain impacts of climate change. They can afford to come and go wherever they please compared to those in poverty. Especially those living in countries that are facing extreme natural disaster issues due to global warming. Those most affected by the changing environment are also the ones who have the least power to fix it. The richest of the population can do so much more to save our planet, yet we are still the ones constantly bombarded with messages that we need to do more.
There needs to be a shift in attitudes from influential people. More celebrities need to follow in the footsteps of people like David Attenborough and fight for a better environment. He is constantly advocating for taking action against climate change, using his fame to educate the public on the effects of climate change on wild life and our planet.
We, as regular people, need to realize that we shouldn’t feel guilty about how green our lives are. Although our personal contributions can feel worthless, they still do have a positive impact on the environment around us. We shouldn’t stop pushing for change but we must remember it’s not our sole responsibility. We can only do what we can, it may not feel like enough but it still has a positive impact.
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