This past April, I attended Taylor Swift’s famous Eras Tour. The experience was surreal, and I am beyond grateful for being able to attend (my bank account disagrees with me, but that is a different story). I have been a huge fan of Taylor Swift for years, and her ability to put on a captivating show for over three hours is astounding. I was planning to write a detailed review of the tour – describing the feeling I got as she started performing, how excited I was when screaming the lyrics to the songs that I loved with an artist that has influenced me greatly, and ranting about the visuals and intricate details that made me love the whole experience. However, a more pressing part of The Eras Tour has been on my mind: the environmental impact.
Swift’s first leg of her tour has now wrapped up and consisted of 52 shows in 20 cities. Between the cities, the whole tour had to be packed up and transported to the next location through several trips by multiple moving trucks, producing excessive amounts of carbon emissions. Although Swift has never been known as one to pay much attention to her carbon footprint, commonly taking private planes and jets when she travels. It has been reported across several news outlets that Swift has one of the largest carbon footprints among celebrities. As the tour goes international, it can only be predicted that these behaviors will be repeated despite the negatives for the environment.
The carbon emissions from this tour alone are alarming, but I am not saying that Taylor Swift alone is killing the environment. However, the lack of care for the environment that she and many other celebrities display is undoubtedly going to have an impact. So, why is there no accountability? We all seem to turn a blind eye to the wrongdoings of the celebrities we love. Is supporting a singer we love more important than standing up for the planet’s health? After all, continuing to ignore the climate crisis will only create a world that is in such bad condition that concerts are a thing of the past.
