Are Private Jets REALLY Bad for the Environment?

Would taxing private jets help the fight against climate change? Myles explores the data on private jet emissions and how much they contribute to climate change.

*What causes climate change?*
Since the Industrial Revolution– we’ve been burning more and more fossil fuels like gas for cars, or natural gas and coal for electricity. And all this releases tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere, which is a problem because CO2 is a “greenhouse gas.” Greenhouse gases are molecules that trap heat in the atmosphere, which leads to an overall warming effect on the planet. CO2 isn’t the ONLY greenhouse gas, there’s methane, nitrous oxide, and some others in the mix. AND burning fossil fuels isn’t the only way greenhouse gasses are released into the atmosphere. BUT CO2 currently accounts for the greatest warming. And since the late 1800s when global average temperatures have increased by about 1-degree celsius and this overall warming has had a huge impact on the climate causing things like more severe droughts, water scarcity, wildfires, floods, melting of polar ice, and sea level rise. And if we want to keep climate change from getting WAY worse, we need to reduce our CO2 emissions.

*How much carbon dioxide do private jets emit?*
A private jet can emit 2 metric tons of CO2 in just one hour. For comparison, the average car emits about 4.6 metric tons in an ENTIRE year! And private jet use is gaining in popularity. In 2021, there were over 3.3 million private flights. One report estimates that in 2016, private jets emitted about 33.7 million tons of CO2. For comparison, Denmark, a country with 5.5 million people emitted 27 million tons of CO2 in 2020. And private jets are five to 14 times MORE POLLUTING than commercial airlines on a per-passenger basis. When it comes to private jets there’s a disproportionate amount of CO2 coming from a very small group of people who can afford this luxury.

*What to do about private jet pollution?*
Some people are calling for a straight-up ban on private jets, which is getting some traction in places in Europe. Since trains have a much lower carbon footprint, France has already banned commercial short-distance flights when there are train routes available. Others think we should heavily tax private aviation and use those taxes to invest in greener private jet technologies– which could help reduce the environmental impact of private jets.

SELECTED SOURCES

Climate Change And Flying

Celebs with the Worst Private Jet Emissions (Yard)

Climate Change in US Will Hurt Poor People The Most (CNBC)

CHAPTERS
0:00 Intro
0:50 Popularity of private jets
1:36 How much CO2 do private jets emit?
2:14 Private Jets and climate change
4:23 Policy ideas for private jets
5:18 Conclusion

[AboveTheNoise]

What do YOU think - should private jets be banned, or taxed for green investments, or just let them be? Let us know in the comments below! And please SUBSCRIBE if you haven't -- this is our year to get to 100K subs!

[SCREENDOORONSUBMARIN]

We need to make private luxury blimps a thing. They're waaaay more fuel efficient. The rich get their sweet rides and we get better climate outcomes

[brentthebloodhound]

They just banned wood stoves. So yes. Before they come after us poor people maybe stop flying private.

[angelawerner]

Thank you for this imperative video. They need to be banned or at the very least tax them hard for green initiatives... we just are running out of time - if only a fraction of humans are putting out that much, and the effects effect majority of other humans, something no has to be done. Period. Also, they could fly first class or whatever (many fancy first classes out there on the bigger planes!!).

[KrokodilYT]

Private jet releases same amount CO2 as normal plane private jet is just luxurious

[Bcklm]

Could we just tax their use to the point where we could fund healthcare/green new deal/tuition free college or something?

[runekongstadlarsen]

i think there might be a error when it comes to the dansih CO2 footprint of 27 mil tons in your vid, since i looked it up and it seems that in 2022 it was more like 44 mil tons of C02.
just correct me if i am wrong :D.

[CMacUF]

Really appreciate how you tackled this.

[dhindaravrel]

The first step you can make to do something about climate change is to say no to things that might seem fun and convenient on the outside but which are truly horrible for the environment. Don't be like "I'd do it if I could" but instead say "This is bad, so I won't do it". The second step is to work towards structural changes through politics. Never discount personal responsibility. An individual's contribution to climate change might be small, but there are many individuals who can make a big difference together.

[kornellas]

Ok. This is great. Question. There is a lot of noise about how good hybrid cars actually are for the environment. So is a hybrid car better for the environment or is the way they are made still an environmental problem?

[mamafricatalkshow]

Oh no didn't know that, how unfortunate.thanks for knowledge

[ginnyjollykidd]

Emissions testing! Require it for private planes. It worked for cars. Don't know if you young'ns remember in 1979 the implementation of emissions testing.

TL;DR
It was the beginning of the end of muscle cars like Impala and Caprice Classic and the advent of energy-efficient, small cars like Toyota Tercel and Nissan Centra.

Los Angeles was the smog capital of the world, then, but I think they were one of the first cities to implement it before it became a US nationwide policy.

Little pop-up booths dotted the nation where you could get a test for a fee that drove the program, kind of like a toll for a toll bridge. And it was necessary to get your new license tag or sticker for the coming year.

In coming years, new cars were exempt from testing, and in a decade, USA had reduced its CO2 emissions to a breathable level.

Los Angeles had created a coup for themselves. Smog gave way to clear skies in one of the most polluted places.

I find it amazing that we could agree to create a healthier society. Then again, we were taxed on a part of our lives we expect to be taxed on.

Still, it was a time when we as grass roots people were realizing our pollution could kill us, and when the "No Nukes" Campaign was in full swing.

[TrKmW]

Great video! Every video you make is great and you add the touch, thanks for making them and the effort put into them! Great information and sources too. 🔥😁

[rsaunders]

It's not fixing the problem to prevent private flights between SF and LA. It's not fixing the problem to fly commercial from SF to LA. What you need is a timely, reliable, electric, train between those points. Nobody should be flying, trains are that much more energy efficient.

Private flights are a solution to that remote oil field in Texas or ranch in Montana. When you have money and want to go someplace nobody else wants to go, you need a private plane. When you want to go between places where lots of people want to go, get yourself a private rail car and hitch it up to a passenger train. That's been a solution for 150 years, an it needs to make a comeback. Planes should just be for flying over oceans.

[theysisossenthime]

Tax those private jets enough to pay for better infrastructure. Like high speed trains. One of the great problems the U.S. faces is that our commuter infrastructure was not designed to scale. It cannot handle the volume of cars/people we have let alone will have, and it costs more money to maintain than it generates. Essentially, our commuter transportation network is a massive money sink (or toilet?). I love that Myles calls out taxing private planes here. This is a big opportunity. This is a chance for us to turn things around with how we fund infrastructure investments. Rather than taxing everyone, including people that don't even drive cars or ride in planes, we tax those using the most polluting travel methods more to use those funds to create more efficient, net zero transportation.

P.S. Have you seen luxury cars on high speed trains? Those things are fire. Bonus idea, California is struggling to make its high speed rail network a reality. With those short haul trips of private jets in the state, could that be enough tax revenue to turn things around?

[baileybowman]

Many people on here saying that they should be highly taxed and the revenue should be put towards green technologies. The problem with that is these billionaires, politicians and celebrities own the actual companies or stocks in these green companies. They also make sure their companies get millions in grants and tax breaks from the government.

[alarcon]

In one way I can understand, not excuse, the rich and famous having private jets. Their narcissism may know no bounds. But ministers? Like wtf? Whatever happened to blessed are the poor?

[eufosz]

The voiceover pre recorded clips annoyed me so much

[markmyjak]

Private jets should not be taxed. I was looking at the method as how the carbon emmision is calculated. The math formula didn't make sense. The carbon coefficient doesn't seem right. The formula they use has you calculating more carbon coming out than what's in the fuel.

[thomasr.jackson]

Good stuff, as usual. I have a note: the “Private jets are the new blood diamonds” throwaway line was, … unfortunate. You sort of recognized this with your willingness to fly on a private jet if offered, but I suspect (hope) you would have more qualms about diamonds used to fund warlords and large criminal enterprises engaged in death and violence.
But just a minor lapse of judgement in another good video.