Anyone who hasn’t been living under a rock knows that global superstar Taylor Swift is dating NFL hotshot Travis Kelce. Swift has been spotted in attendance at a couple Kansas City Chiefs games, most recently at the AFC Championship. With the Chiefs advancing to this year’s Super Bowl in Las Vegas, Nevada, there is only one question on everybody’s mind: is Taylor Swift going to be there?
Unfortunately for the dads, Brads, and Chads of the NFL, there is a high probability that Swift can and will make it to the Super Bowl. Also, unfortunately for the planet, there is a high probability that Swift will use her private jet to get there.
How can Swift get from Tokyo to the Super Bowl?
With Swift’s Eras Tour back on schedule, she is set to perform in Tokyo, Japan on Saturday February 10, one day before the Super Bowl. The Eras Tour, for those of you who don’t know, is a three hour concert that features a few songs from each of Swift’s albums. Knowing this, it might seem like a feat for Swift to get back in time. But really, it’s not — and here’s why:
Tokyo is 17 hours ahead of Las Vegas, which means that Swift’s show on Saturday is set to start at 1 a.m PST and will end at 4 a.m. PST. The Super Bowl is set to start at 3:30 p.m. PST on Sunday, giving Swift 31 hours and 30 minutes to get back to Las Vegas. The standard flight from Tokyo to Las Vegas is around 13 hours — and if we’re being honest, Swift will be using her private jet to get back, which will probably make the flight shorter. Assuming she leaves an hour after the end of her show, Swift could be in Las Vegas by 4 p.m. PST on Saturday. Thus, giving Swift ample time to rest and still be able to attend Kelce’s big game.
Why is this unfortunate for the dads, Brads, and Chads?
It seems that some NFL fans aren’t too thrilled about Swift attending the Super Bowl because they’re worried about the amount of screen time she might get during the game. Of the12 games Swift has attended, she has averaged 25 seconds of screen time on the broadcast of a three hour long game.
Why is this unfortunate for the planet?
The thing most impacted by Swift attending the Super Bowl and most football games in general is, without a doubt, the planet. The reason for this is simple: she is using her private jet every single time. In the middle of an ongoing climate crisis, this is simply devastating for the planet because private planes produce some of the top carbon emissions each year.
Swift’s jet has been reported to release 8,293.54 tonnes of carbon emissions in the first half of 2022 due to her frequent traveling. That is 1,184.8 times more than the carbon emissions of an average person per year.
What is Swift doing about her carbon footprint?
Swift’s carbon emissions first came to light, her spokesperson, Tree Paine, released that Swift pays enough carbon credits to make up for the amount of times she’s flying her jet. As much as I may love Swift, that is simply bullsh*t. I’m sure she does pay the offset credits, but the reality is that she is emitting so much carbon dioxide that it really doesn’t cancel out how much her flights are harming the environment.
Truthfully, I get why Swift sometimes needs to travel private and her international trips can be justified because of her level of stardom. There are numerous security concerns that would send her team into a frenzy if she tried traveling though commercial airlines and that’s understandable. The issue stems from how frequently she is using her jet, especially when there are other modes of transportation available.
Recently, Jack Sweeney, the owner of an X (formally Twitter) account that tracks the flights of private planes released data that showed Swift making a 13 minute flight to travel a mere 28 miles. Personally, I feel this is so f*cking unnecessary when the car ride to travel that distance is less than an hour. To make matters worse, instead of acknowledging that she made a mistake and showing some remorse, Swift and her team sent a cease and desist to Sweeney under the pretense that his account is stalking and risking her safety. Seeing as other celebrities, like Elon Musk, have tried suing Sweeney for the same thing, it’s not likely that Swift will be successful in taking down Sweeney’s account.
The discourse about Swift’s carbon footprint has been ongoing over the past six months and recently spiked again with talk about her going to the Super Bowl and the Sweeney case. Instead of releasing any statement about how she plans to reduce her carbon emissions, it seems that Swift is trying to end the conversation around this topic — and that is just disappointing.
As a Swiftie, why should you care?
Swift has been under a lot of heat lately and for some, it’s starting to feel like 2016 again. While some of the hate Swift has been getting is not justified — like her reaction to Celine Dion announcing her Grammy — it’s justifiable to hold her accountable for her carbon emissions.
The conversation around celebrities and their private jet emissions is one that definitely needs to be had because the consequences are proving to be devastating for the planet. Do I think Swift should be the only one getting criticized for her frequent flying? Absolutely not. There are plenty of other celebrities that should be a part of this conversation. It seems that Swift is getting the bulk of it because she is so prominent in the media right now and they are always looking for a reason to “cancel” her. Is that right? NO! It is, however, valid for the public, her fans included, to be upset that she is emitting obscene amounts of carbon into the air.
Listen, I’m a big fan of Swift and Kelce’s relationship and selfishly, I do want her to go to the Super Bowl. As a lifelong fan, I understand it’s hard to criticize our faves, but in situations like this it is necessary. The solution isn’t clear and obviously Swift isn’t going to change the way she travels overnight, but she could start by acknowledging her carbon emissions publicly.