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ClimateQuiet 3d · day 3

Study accuses elite athletes, musicians and actors of climate exceptionalism

A Nature Communications analysis argues cultural fame should raise, not lower, the bar for cutting emissions.

newest coverage 2d agosummary written 3d ago4 pieces452 likes & upvotes9 comments MastodonBluesky

What to know

  • A Nature Communications analysis names elite sport, music and film as sectors that treat cultural importance as grounds for exemption from emissions cuts.
  • The study cites specific examples: a football official defending a 33-minute flight for player recovery, and celebrities including Floyd Mayweather, Jay-Z, Blake Shelton, Steven Spielberg and Kim Kardashian each generating over 4,000 tonnes of CO₂ from private jets in six months.
  • The authors argue the sectors' climate impact matters less for absolute emissions than for their outsized cultural influence on public norms and behavior.
  • The paper distinguishes climate adaptation responses (e.g., artificial snow, rescheduling for heat) already used by sports from genuine mitigation, which it says remains largely absent.

Manuel Suter Lead author of the analysisKatharine HayhoeKatharine Hayhoe Climate scientist

How it unfolded 1 development · click the chart to see its coverage posts

Peak 2 pieces in one hour at Sep 20, 5 PM; 4 pieces over 3 days (4 posts) Sep 20, 5 PM — 2 pieces · 2 posts — Bluesky 1, Mastodon 1Sep 20, 6 PM — quietSep 20, 7 PM — quietSep 20, 8 PM — quietSep 20, 9 PM — quietSep 20, 10 PM — quietSep 20, 11 PM — quietSep 21, 12 AM — quietSep 21, 1 AM — quietSep 21, 2 AM — 1 piece · 1 post — Bluesky 1Sep 21, 3 AM — quietSep 21, 4 AM — 1 piece · 1 post — Mastodon 1Sep 21, 5 AM — quietSep 21, 6 AM — quietSep 21, 7 AM — quietSep 21, 8 AM — quietSep 21, 9 AM — quietSep 21, 10 AM — quietSep 21, 11 AM — quietSep 21, 12 PM — quietSep 21, 1 PM — quietSep 21, 2 PM — quietSep 21, 3 PM — quietSep 21, 4 PM — quietSep 21, 5 PM — quietSep 21, 6 PM — quietSep 21, 7 PM — quietSep 21, 8 PM — quietSep 21, 9 PM — quietSep 21, 10 PM — quietSep 21, 11 PM — quietSep 22, 12 AM — quietSep 22, 1 AM — quietSep 22, 2 AM — quietSep 22, 3 AM — quietSep 22, 4 AM — quietSep 22, 5 AM — quietSep 22, 6 AM — quietSep 22, 7 AM — quietSep 22, 8 AM — quietSep 22, 9 AM — quietSep 22, 10 AM — quietSep 22, 11 AM — quietSep 22, 12 PM — quietSep 22, 1 PM — quietSep 22, 2 PM — quietSep 22, 3 PM — quietSep 22, 4 PM — quietSep 22, 5 PM — quietSep 22, 6 PM — quietSep 22, 7 PM — quietSep 22, 8 PM — quietSep 22, 9 PM — quietSep 22, 10 PM — quietSep 22, 11 PM — quietYesterday, 12 AM — quietYesterday, 1 AM — quietYesterday, 2 AM — quietYesterday, 3 AM — quietYesterday, 4 AM — quietYesterday, 5 AM — quietYesterday, 6 AM — quietYesterday, 7 AM — quietYesterday, 8 AM — quietYesterday, 9 AM — quietYesterday, 10 AM — quietYesterday, 11 AM — quietYesterday, 12 PM — quietYesterday, 1 PM — quietYesterday, 2 PM — quietYesterday, 3 PM — quietYesterday, 4 PM — quietYesterday, 5 PM — quietYesterday, 6 PM — quietYesterday, 7 PM — quietYesterday, 8 PM — quietYesterday, 9 PM — quietYesterday, 10 PM — quietYesterday, 11 PM — quiet 1
Sep 21Sep 22yesterdaynow · 12:58 AM ET
  1. 1

    Katharine Hayhoe amplifies the study on social media

    Climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe shared the analysis on Bluesky and Mastodon, framing it as a rebuttal to celebrities and athletes who treat cultural importance as an exemption from cutting emissions.

    “Elite athletes, musicians, actors & more often use cultural importance as an excuse for why they're exempt from cutting their emissions.”
    — Katharine Hayhoe
    • katharinehayhoe.com

      Elite athletes, musicians, actors & more often use cultural importance as an excuse for why they're exempt from cutting their emissions. In this new analysis led by @manuelsuter.bsky.social, we argue the opposite: visibility and influence should raise the bar, not lower it! Read more:

      katharinehayhoe.comBluesky3d ago394▲view on Bluesky ↗
    2 more of the top 3 · 4 posts in this stretch
    • sonicwalker@mastodon.social

      The climate responsibility of cultural influencers In socially influential fields such as elite sport, music, and film, cultural relevance is often invoked as a special moral status that exempts them from genuine emissions reduction. The authors argue that visibility and influence should raise, not lower, the bar for climate responsibility, and…

      sonicwalker@mastodon.socialMastodon2d ago1▲view on Mastodon ↗
    • manuelsuter.bsky.social

      People with cultural influence have a special responsibility to act on climate change. This is the central argument of a new Comment we published, together with Pascal Stegmann and @katharinehayhoe.com.

      manuelsuter.bsky.socialBluesky2d ago57▲view on Bluesky ↗
    all of them →
  2. background

    Nature Communications publishes 'cultural exceptionalism' analysis — An analysis led by Manuel Suter argues that elite sport, music and film sectors use their cultural relevance as a special moral status exempting them from genuine emissions reduction, citing examples like a football official defending a 33-minute flight and celebrities logging over 4,000 tonnes of CO₂ in private jet travel within six months.

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