THE latest Taylor Swift pile-on revolves around the star’s topping of the list of celebs who have made the most private jet flights, according to analysis of data from monitoring account @CelebJet.
Her 170 flights taken since January this year even beat Drake’s, whose Boeing 767 airliner, “Air Drake” left the trail of greatest emissions due to its sheer size. So, why the fuss – other than the fact that, according to Yard, who did the analysis, the emissions from Swift’s jet in just 200 days equated to 1,184.8 times more than the average person’s total emissions in an entire year?
Hang on. I heard Tay Tay didn’t even take many of those flights. Her publicist said: “Taylor’s jet is loaned out regularly to other individuals. To attribute most or all of these trips to her is blatantly incorrect.”
Emissions are emissions, even if it was a case of “just borrow the private jet, darling.”
Nor did Drake take all those flights. The 18-minute trip between Hamilton and Toronto attributed to him, was, in fact empty, and being moved for storage.
I see. An empty flight is so much better than a full one?
You know, it’s tough for these celebs. Can you imagine getting on a regular flight when you’re as famous as that?
You’re right. It’s the system that’s the problem. We can hardly blame the celebs. Of course, if it’s allowed to be affordable for them, they’re going to choose the jet over the longer land trip crushed against invasive members of the sweaty public.
Exactly. It’s like when the public transport in your area is dire and the shops are too far away and you just have to take the car – who’s to blame?
Tay Tay is just as much a victim of the system as we are. Why look at the plank in your sister’s eye and pay no attention to the speck in your own?
Yes. Besides they’re not the only ones to blame. The total emissions of the super-rich are two times lower than the total emissions of the rest of the top 10 per cent. Many of us are guilty too. And, in any case, celebs represent just a fraction of private jet users.
Indeed. Let’s not forget the 118 private jets that delivered world leaders to COP26, or the countless flights by anonymous super-rich types. But the great thing about celebrity shaming is it stands more chance of bringing about a shift in their behaviour. At least there’s a chance they might care.
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