Leo Gillick
While we all carefully clean out our food cans and separate our cartons from our cardboard, there are celebrities out there who have the carbon footprint of small countries.
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So, as we all try our best to rid the world of carbon and reduce our plastic waste, the people we idolize willfully choke the planet and fill our lungs with fumes. But who are the worst offenders?
Blame The Billionaires – 10s of Millions of Tons
As if you needed another reason to hate the bliteringly wealthy, it turns out that just 12 billionaires are responsible for the same carbon footprint as 2.1 million homes. The study made by Oxfam, and published by The Guardian, uncovered just how bad it is.
The Mexican businessman Carlos Slim emits 7 million tons of CO2, more than any other billionaire. Gates follows closely behind with just over 6 million. This is due to their homes, jets, estates, and, of course, super yachts.
- “The emissions of the superyachts are way above anything else,” Wilks, the analyst, said. “They have to have a crew, and they have to be constantly maintained even when they are docked. Then you have the helicopters onboard, the jet skis, the high energy-using luxury items like pools, hot tubs, private submarines and tenders, all of these require power, the air conditioning, the sophisticated electronic items. It is like having a hotel running on the water all the time.”
Donald Trump – 20,000+ Tons
During his 2017 campaign, there is data collected by The Washington Post suggests he created 22,763 metric tons of CO2. This was only during his first campaign. Since then, whipping around in the three aircraft he uses, he has had a second campaign and two terms.
Nobody comes close to celebrity Trump for turning the earth into an unbreathable, toxic wasteland with his carbon footprint.
Taylor Swift – 8,000+
Of course, the queen of carbon is none other than Taylor Swift. With her 1.6 billion dollars in net worth, she has plenty to spare for flying her private jet. Boy, does she use it too. She became the subject of scrutiny when her relentless flights became common knowledge.
According to Yard, in 2022, Taylor Swift created 8,293.54 tons of CO2. That comes to around 1,800 times the average human’s annual emissions. Not only is she a dreadful musician, but she’s also killing us. One hour of jet time is the equivalent carbon output as 700-1000 miles in a car.
Floyd Mayweather – 7,000+
The super-rich, big-punching man, Floyd Mayweather, comes in at a close second to Taylor Swift as the celebrity with the largest carbon footprint. His total CO2 output from his private jet trips alone dumped a total of 7,076.8 tonnes of CO2.
The celebrity carbon footprint Mayweather leaves behind is due to his multiple yearly flights. In 2022, he racked up an average of 25 flights per month.
Less Is Possible
Coldplay promised in 2019 that they wouldn’t tour again until they cut their carbon footprint, and they managed. During their Music of the Spheres tour, they cut their carbon emissions by 59%. They used many ingenious and careful methods to achieve it. Dance floors that turned crowds into generators, solar panels, and train travel all contributed to their care.
Don’t support a celebrity with a carbon footprint larger than you’ll produce in a lifetime.
