Meanwhile billionaires are flying private jets every 15 business minutes.
There are a few things in life that irritate me more than a paper straw.
I take one sip of my milkshake and suddenly the straw starts disintegrating like it’s been emotionally overwhelmed by the milkshake. Three minutes later it’s bending, collapsing and tasting like wet cardboard.
And while I’m sitting there fighting for my life trying to finish my drink, I remember something important.
Apparently, I am the problem.
Because somewhere in the climate conversation, society decided the planet’s survival depends on whether or not I use a plastic straw.
Don’t get me wrong. I care about the turtles, and the environment. I recycle. I bring reusable bags. I even feel guilty when I forget my tote bag and have to buy another one for 20 cents. Hell, I once ended a first date only 20 minutes in after he littered and downplayed it after I called him out.
But sometimes the whole thing feels…a little ridiculous.
Because while I’m heroically sipping through my dissolving paper straw like a reasonable citizen, somewhere in the world a billionaire is boarding a private jet for a 15-minute flight.
A fifteen.
Minute.
Flight.
Private jets produce significantly more emissions per passenger than commercial flights, yet they’re used casually for trips that could easily be a train ride, a normal flight, or honestly just a zoom call. Flying in a private jet for a single hour can release more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere than the average person produces in a year. Fewer than one in 10,000 people make use of private jets, but their carbon footprint is substantially larger than those who fly commercial.
“If somebody’s flight emits in one hour as much as an average human being emits in a year – just to watch a soccer game – then perhaps it shows those people think they are outside the standards that we have as a global community.”
But sure. Let’s focus on my milkshake straw.
Individual actions matter. Of course they do. Small habits add up and collectively change starts with everyday behaviour. But the way climate responsibility is framed sometimes feels to me like the world’s biggest group project where the ordinary people are doing all the work while the richest participants are simply vibing.
“As wealth inequality explodes globally, policymakers have begun asking why private jet taxes are so low,” notes Dan Rutherford, ICCT’s Senior Director of Research. “Given the slow pace of technological progress, it’s reasonable to charge ultrawealthy travelers more for their pollution.”
So yes, I will continue using my paper straw. But if saving the turtles really comes down to my rapidly dissolving straw, then the climate strategy might need a tiny bit more work.
