Before the advent of private jets, the wealthy, celebrities, and ordinary people flew together. Just look at Marlon Brando's appearance when he stepped off an Air France flight in 1959 – a tired, disheveled appearance. In the first-class cabin, there was only a thin curtain of privacy between him and the others. And now, so many celebrities and billionaires are flying on private jets.
According to a recent survey by The Guardian, the total amount of time spent in the air by private jets of 200 celebrities, CEOs and billionaires since 2022 has combined is 11 years. All of these flights – an eye-popping 44,739 – emit more than 415,500 tonnes of carbon dioxide, roughly equivalent to the carbon emissions of nearly 40,000 Britons combined. These excursions include going to the Cannes Film Festival, going to Paris Fashion Week, going to the Reno Burning Man Festival in the United States, and going to Capri Island in Naples, among others.
Last year, the use of private jets by celebrities has sparked some public resentment. One report lists the worst private jet usage: over the report's selected seven-month study period, American pop singer Taylor Swift topped the list with 170 private jet flights, with total flight emissions estimated at 8,293.54 tons, more than 1,000 times the average person's annual emissions. One of her spokespeople later defended that "Swift's private jets are often lent to others for use." It is patently incorrect to blame her for most or all of these trips. ”
This year, Akash, a 17-year-old high school student, set up an interactive platform to track the private jet footprints of elites, some of whom such as Bill Gates once claimed to be part of "climate solutions." Still others have posted directly on celebrities' social media accounts, asking them to stop behaving like climate-destroying monsters. This type of action has caused some celebrities to stop posting content related to luxury private jets. Of course, a caustic post about the use of private jets may not bring the private jet industry to an abrupt halt. But with the climate "collapse" looming, a photograph of a luxury handbag on a leather seat on a private jet does illustrate how financial and environmental inequality can go hand in hand. (Written by Zing Tsjeng)
