We’re doing our best, but are they?
When it comes to reducing our carbon footprints, everyone seems to be getting involved. Plastic straws are practically useless with the rise in metal and silicone straw purchases, and everyone seems to have a recycling bin somewhere in their home or apartment now. Those of us that can afford to change our lifestyles seem to be doing so. But—there’s a rather large group of people who don’t seem to be putting in as much effort as the rest of us, and that needs to change.
Corporate empires and Fortune 500 companies are some of the worst offenders when it comes to global emissions. In fact, according to The Guardian, only 100 companies cause 71% of the world’s global emissions. While some of these companies have taken a step to better their global emission percentages—Apple was rated number 8 in the U.S. top 10 green ranking list published by Newsweek—other companies seem not to be doing much of anything. According to Business Insider, energy companies are some of the worst offenders when it comes to environmental impact and because consumers can’t do much to avoid these companies, they aren’t facing the same backlash to change their environmental policies like other companies. These companies are betting on their consumers to look past their low rankings because we can’t get by without the services they provide.
Fortune 500 companies and the corporate empire aren’t the only group of people that seem to be taking advantage of their audience. Some of the most well-known celebrities can be seen using their money in a way that hurts the planet, and because these celebrities are painted as idols, barely anything is said about it. In early-mid September, a video went viral in which Kanye West was seen gifting DJ Khaled the newest Yeezy’s. While a friendly gift is always appropriate, the way the gift was delivered was not. West flew his own private jet to go meet with Khaled and deliver the shoes. Right after handing the shoes off, West is seen walking back to his private jet for the trip back home. While it’s unsure what kind of private jet West own, VRef, an aircraft value reference website, medium-sized jets use 233-336 gallons of fuel per hour. This is, apparently, the amount of fossil fuel that must go to waste for a pair of sneakers and a brief meeting. This is in no way demeaning West as a person, as he cannot be solely defined by his lack of action.
So, while we should still do everything we can, within our financial abilities, to better the health of our planet keep in mind that some are using their status and position in order to bypass their responsibility to do their part. Admittedly, some celebrities and idols may be blissfully ignorant to the environmental decay our planet is going through, but they should not be allowed to continue this ignorance. Play your part and preserve our planet.