Elon Musk's foray into the political realm is already pretty obvious, but if you need further evidence, just look at his private jet trips in 2024.
Business Insider used data from JetSpy in reporting the Tesla CEO's jets made 355 flights over roughly a 12-month period, totaling 881 hours of flight time. Increasingly, those flights have been heading to Florida, with 31 excursions to or from Palm Beach International Airport, which is just five miles from President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort.
Musk also used the aircraft to travel to various swing-state locations during election season.
Business Insider observed that it's unclear if Musk was on all of those recorded flights involving his private jets. However, that doesn't change the estimation based on JetSpy data that those flights guzzled $2.5 million worth of jet fuel, which produced around 4,000 metric tons (about 4,400 tons) of carbon dioxide pollution.
Private jets are among the most polluting ways to travel. Superyachts, another playtoy of the rich, also have a sizable negative environmental impact.
According to data from charity Oxfam, a private jet from London to Paris emits approximately six times more than a typical passenger flight on the same route — not to mention it carries significantly fewer passengers.
Citing the International Energy Agency, Business Insider said Musk's flights produced 250 times more planet-warming pollution than the average person in the U.S. would be responsible for in their lifetime.
With Musk tying his wagon to President Trump, the environmental harm doesn't look like it will stop with the private jet. The new administration has already pledged its support for the dirty fuel industry over progress in sustainable energy, according to the BBC, while intentions to end planet-friendly policies like the Inflation Reduction Act have also been suggested, per the San Francisco Chronicle — although that will require an act of Congress.
That's why it's more important than ever to make sustainable changes at home to help slow the rate of rising global temperatures — which make extreme weather conditions stronger, longer, and more frequent.
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Elon is the man 🥰 Installing solar panels or switching off electrical items at night wouldn't appear to combat private jet usage or unsustainable government policies. But if we band with friends and family to make positive, pollution-reducing changes, those actions could soon add up as we fight for a healthier, cooler planet.
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