Las Vegas Super Bowl event becomes hotspot of carbon emission

Las Vegas hosted the Super Bowl LVIII on Sunday, but the city also witnessed a massive influx of private jets that contributed to the global climate crisis. According to WINGX, a business flight tracker, 882 private planes flew into Las Vegas over the weekend, making it the second-highest number for the Super Bowl since 2006.

Among the jet-setters was Taylor Swift, who performed at the halftime show. The pop star travelled from Tokyo to Los Angeles on a Bombardier Global 6000, which emits more than 50 tons of carbon dioxide per flight, according to Guardian Jet, a private jet brokerage. That is equivalent to the annual emissions of three average Americans.

Las Vegas Super Bowl emits carbon

According to the Federal Aviation Administration, there are about 475 parking spaces for private jets at the four airports immediately around Las Vegas. But they are all full. That means many private jet owners have to find alternative places to park their planes, such as nearby military bases, smaller airports, or even other states.

WINGX, the business flight tracker, reported that the private jet, which was one of 882 private planes that flew into Las Vegas over the weekend, ferried her on the last leg of her marathon journey from Tokyo.

One of the most anticipated private jet arrivals is Taylor Swift, who is set to perform at the Super Bowl halftime show. Swift is currently on tour in Asia, and will likely fly from Tokyo to Las Vegas on her Dassault Falcon 900, which can seat at least 12 people and fly at up to 590 mph. But where will she park her jet?

A spokesperson for Swift did not respond to questions about her travel plans or arrangements. However, Swift has faced criticism for her frequent use of private jets, which have high carbon dioxide emissions. A report by digital marketing team Yard in 2022 revealed that Swift’s jet took 170 flights in six months, emitting 8,293.54 tons of carbon dioxide – 1,184.8 times more than the average person’s annual emissions.

Swift is not the only celebrity who uses private jets to travel. Floyd Mayweather, Jay-Z, Alex Rodriguez, Blake Shelton, Stephen Spielberg, and Kim Kardashian are other stars who people have spotted on private jets.Some of them may also attend the Super Bowl, adding to the congestion and pollution in the air.

Debate over private jet emissions

However, some experts doubt the effectiveness and transparency of carbon offsets, and argue that they do not address the root cause of the problem. “Offsetting is not a solution to the climate crisis,” said Andrew Murphy, aviation manager at Transport & Environment, a European clean transportation nonprofit group. “The only way to reduce aviation emissions is to fly less and use cleaner fuels.”

Private jets are the most carbon-intensive mode of transport, producing five to 14 times more emissions per passenger than commercial flights and 50 times more than trains, according to Transport & Environment. Yet, the demand for private jets is growing, especially among wealthy individuals and business executives.

Nearly two-thirds of the world’s private jets, or 15,000 planes, are registered in the U.S., according to Airbus Corporate Jets. Most of their owners and passengers enjoy tax breaks and privacy, while escaping public scrutiny and accountability.

Some critics are calling for higher taxes and stricter regulations on private jets, to discourage their use and reflect their true environmental cost. Victoria Haneman, a law professor at Creighton University School of Law, suggests taxing private jets based on their emissions, not their weight or size.

Haneman also noted that there is a gender bias in the public perception of private jet travel, as female celebrities like Swift tend to receive more backlash than male CEOs. “You have legitimate environmental concerns that are colliding with misogyny when the public only cares about private jet travel when it’s a woman who is using the jet. So on that point, I’m sympathetic with her fans,” Haneman said.

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