As Taylor Swift gears up for a presumed Super Bowl appearance, the focus has shifted from her relationship with Travis Kelce to the controversy surrounding her mode of travel. Swifties, her devoted fans, ardently defend her excessive private jet usage, but in doing so, they often miss the core concerns driving the backlash, perpetuating inaccurate information along the way.
Swift’s environmental impact has been under scrutiny, particularly after a 2022 report labeled her the “biggest celebrity CO2 polluter” for emitting 8,293.54 tons of CO2 from 103 flights in the first eight months of 2023. Recently, she faced criticism for threatening legal action against Jack Sweeney, a college student tracking public figures’ private jet usage. Sweeney, running SwiftJetNextDay, posts publicly available data, leading to a cease-and-desist letter from Swift’s team, citing “stalking and harassing behavior.”
Swifties are doubling down on defending her, claiming she’s not the worst climate offender. Comparisons to other celebrities, such as Travis Scott, Kim Kardashian, and Beyoncé, are being used to justify her carbon footprint. However, these claims stem from questionable sources, including a viral tweet by Pop Factions referencing an informal carbon tracker by myclimate, a Switzerland-based climate nonprofit.
The myclimate tracker relies on information celebrities post themselves, excluding routes shorter than 300 kilometers. Critics argue this methodology lacks accuracy, and myclimate acknowledges that not every trip is posted online, potentially underestimating the actual number of flights taken.
While some Swifties acknowledge her faults, her most vocal defenders often fail to recognize the disproportionate impact of her carbon footprint. Critics argue that the issue isn’t Swift having a private jet but the excessive use, especially for short flights. Concerns surfaced during her Eras tour, where jets frequently flew from her home base to a show and back, rather than to the next tour stop.
Even with Elon Musk defending her on Twitter, the controversy remains, questioning the necessity of Swift’s 13-minute flights. Swift’s legal threats and the justifications provided by her most ardent fans draw attention to the broader conversation about celebrities’ environmental responsibilities and their contribution to climate change.