Over 2,100 Deaths from Realized 'Climate Disaster' Heatwave in Europe
Planes Have High 'Carbon Emissions'... Celebrities Criticized for Short-Distance Travel by Private Jet...
[Asia Economy Reporter Yoon Seul-gi] Kylie Jenner (24), a famous American influencer and billionaire businesswoman, has recently come under fire for repeatedly taking flights of less than 15 minutes on her private jet. Despite the worsening climate crisis, including deaths caused by heatwaves, critics argue that this behavior shows a lack of awareness about the issue.
Recently, Jenner posted a photo on her Instagram standing in front of her private jet alongside her husband, rapper Travis Scott. Along with the photo, Jenner wrote, "Should I take mine or yours?"
American influencer Kylie Jenner (24) has recently faced criticism after it was revealed that she took multiple flights lasting less than 15 minutes using her private jet. /Photo by Kylie Jenner Instagram capture.
Subsequently, a Twitter account that tracks celebrity private jet flight paths revealed Jenner's flight route. Jenner flew approximately 64 km from Camarillo, California, to Van Nuys on her private jet, with a flight time of about 3 minutes.
The fact that she flew a distance that takes 40 minutes by car sparked controversy. Jenner's post received over 48,000 comments, with netizens criticizing, saying things like "A 3-minute flight is too much" and "There should be taxes on environmental pollution."
Later, Jenner's total flight time was corrected to 17 minutes, but criticism from netizens continued. It was revealed that Jenner had repeatedly taken flights of less than 15 minutes recently.
On the 18th (local time), firefighters are watching the flames at a wildfire site in the village of Tabara near Zamora in northwestern Spain. Spain has recently experienced concentrated wildfires due to a heatwave with daytime highs reaching 43°C. [Image source=AFP Yonhap News]
The growing criticism toward Jenner is related to the accelerating climate crisis in the US, Europe, and other regions. Using planes that emit large amounts of carbon dioxide amid climate disasters such as heatwave-related deaths is seen as showing a lack of awareness.
Earlier in 2021, the European Federation for Transport and Environment, an NGO, pointed out that the top 1% of super emitters like Jenner account for 50% of global aviation emissions. In particular, private jets emit more than 2 tons of carbon dioxide in just one hour, which is 5 to 14 times more pollutants per passenger than commercial airplanes and 50 times more than trains.
Greta Thunberg is inspecting the yacht she will take across the Atlantic in Plymouth, UK. [Image source=AP Yonhap News]
As a result, pollution caused by flying has been recognized as a serious problem. In Europe, the "flight shame" movement has emerged, encouraging people to feel shame or guilt about flying. As this movement spread, Sweden saw a change in travel patterns in 2019, with fewer passengers traveling domestically by plane. Subsequently, the UK launched the FlightFree2020 campaign, pledging not to fly, which spread across Belgium, France, and throughout Europe.
Greta Thunberg, an environmental activist from Sweden, crossed the Atlantic Ocean by yacht over 15 days. In 2019, to deliver a speech at the UN Climate Action Summit in New York, she traveled from the UK to New York on a yacht equipped with solar panels and underwater turbines. This was also part of the flight shame movement.
Meanwhile, Europe and the US are suffering from record-breaking heatwaves. According to The Guardian in the UK and CNN in the US on the 21st (local time), Spain and Portugal have seen a surge in heatwave-related casualties, with the cumulative death toll rising to 2,110. In the US, 100 million people from Phoenix in the West to Boston in the East are enduring scorching heat reaching 43 degrees Celsius.
Even relatively cooler Britain has experienced heatwaves with temperatures rising up to 40.3 degrees Celsius, prompting the UK government to declare a national emergency. On the 19th (local time), Steven Belcher, Chief Scientist at the UK Met Office, emphasized that "the only way to stabilize the climate is carbon neutrality," stressing the need to reduce carbon emissions to address the climate crisis.
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