Skip to content
Apply
Stories

The High-Carbon Lifestyles Of The Rich And Famous

The 2024 Super Bowl was the most watched television event in history with over 123 million viewers. Many eyes watching were trained on Taylor Swift as she made the journey from Tokyo to Las Vegas in a highly scrutinized flight on a private jet.

Last week, Swift threatened legal action against a Florida student who’s been tracking the jet travel of the rich and famous. But the pop star wasn’t the only one who made an exclusive airborne trip that weekend. A total of 882 private planes flew into Las Vegas during and just before Super Bowl Sunday.

The pandemic did a lot to widen the country’s wealth gap. The rich became richer and their carbon footprints became bigger. One report found the world’s richest 10 percent make up for 50 percent of the global emissions through investments, personal consumptions, and other means.

We talk about personal responsibility, climate change, the rules for the rich, and more.

Listen at NPR.

More Stories

The AI boom and demand for data centers

09.02.2026
A Flock LPR automatic license plate reader installed to monitor traffic is seen on August 13, 2026 in Arlington, Virginia. Flock has come under fire by critics who accuse the company of mass surveillance of Americans and incidents where law enforcement has abused the system for personal reasons. (Photo by Samuel Corum/Sipa USA)(Sipa via AP Images)

What’s behind the Flock camera controversy?

09.01.2026
08/14/26 - BOSTON, MA. - Ayla DiBattista, who studies international affairs with minors in economics and cultural anthropology, poses for photos on Aug. 14, 2026. DiBattista recently completed co-op with CANVAS, a Serbian organization that promotes pro-democracy activism. She helped build an AI to help activists worldwide. Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University

On co-op in Serbia, she helped build an AI to give activists worldwide a leg up

09.04.26
Student Stories