As environmental concerns take center stage with the consistent rise in greenhouse gas pollution, a certain pop icon’s impact on the planet is receiving a closer examination. That pop star is Taylor Swift.

Swift has been gaining more news traction with her world tour and her relationship with Kansas City Chief NFL player Travis Kelce.

Her private jet, a Dassault Falcon 900LX, produces over 10,000 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions for every thousand miles traveled. Swift’s flight to the Super Bowl produced fourteen times the amount of carbon emissions the average American produces in one year.

Despite the excessive carbon emission rates for any individual, Taylor Swift doesn’t even rank among the top thirty individuals in terms of carbon dioxide produced by a jet, according to the My Climate carbon tracker.

This begs the question: why are other celebrities not being held to the same standards for their carbon emissions?

Travis Scott was the top celebrity polluter using his private jet. He took 137 flights in 2023 and emitted over six million kilograms of carbon dioxide.

Although Scott scored first place in the emissions competition, when one searches “Travis Scott carbon emissions,” the majority of articles on this topic were written in the summer of 2022.

Clearly, the same standards are not being held between Swift and her male counterparts.

“It’s striking that Ms. Swift gets so much of the outrage when private jet customers are overwhelmingly men over 50,” said Jeff Colgan, a professor of political science at Brown University. “The focus really should be on a broader class of people.”

Twenty-seven out of thirty individuals on My Climate’s private jet carbon emissions tracker are men, yet Swift is taking the ecological responsibility.

Swift is currently one of the most successful individuals in the country. I believe some men accustomed to being at the top of the social hierarchy dislike seeing her wield more power. This could explain why certain male-dominated news networks are criticizing her for carbon emissions, even if those specific networks don’t endorse the concept of climate change.

Additionally, a representative for Swift said “Taylor’s jet is loaned out regularly to other individuals. To attribute most or all of these trips to her is blatantly incorrect,”

Her publicist said Swift also purchased more than double the carbon credits to offset her tour. Carbon credits are where an individual or company can pay for another company to take action to reduce its greenhouse gasses.

These credits are not always a beneficial purchase as they may not always result in a net reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. The effectiveness and legitimacy of offset projects can vary.

While Swift’s carbon emissions are harmful regardless of the angle you take it from, I believe it is crucial to hold all celebrities accountable for their carbon footprint.

No individual should be allowed to produce the amount of carbon emissions equivalent to the footprint of fourteen humans living on Earth for a year in one flight.

A tangible commitment to these celebrities’ sustainability could involve reconsidering their luxurious modes of transportation.

Perhaps it’s time for celebrities to reconsider their Dassault Falcon 900LXs and try flying coach for a change.

Cecilia Wallace can be reached at wall1238@stthomas.edu.