Importance Score: 72 / 100 🔴
Pop icon Katy Perry faces backlash as an ‘environmentally hypocritical’ figure after her participation in a recent Blue Origin spaceflight. Critics point to the substantial greenhouse gas emissions linked to Monday’s launch, arguing it undermines her public advocacy for environmental protection and climate change awareness. The 11-minute suborbital journey has drawn scrutiny from climate experts who suggest such endeavors contribute to atmospheric alterations.
Perry’s Space Trip Sparks Hypocrisy Accusations
Following her voyage aboard the Blue Origin spacecraft, a resurfaced video clip from 2015 showing Perry lecturing on climate change has gained renewed traction online. In the UNICEF-produced video, Perry stated, “Hi, I’m Katy Perry. Let’s take a journey to see how man-made climate change is hurting children around the world,” highlighting the impact of carbon emissions on global communities.
In the video, Perry connected carbon emissions to severe weather events, including intense tropical storms in the Philippines, destructive floods in Bangladesh, and the spread of deadly malaria in Africa. The re-emergence of this video on social media platform X, coinciding with her space excursion, has ignited controversy, particularly because Perry described the mission as being “for the benefit of Earth.”
Online Criticism Mounts Against Celebrity Climate Advocacy
Social media users have voiced strong disapproval of Perry’s spaceflight, citing the contradiction between her climate advocacy and the environmental impact of space tourism. One X user commented, “Protecting the planet begins by refusing to produce hundreds of tons of CO2 for a ridiculous flight organized by one of the biggest polluters on this same planet.” This sentiment reflects a broader criticism directed at celebrities perceived as promoting environmental responsibility while engaging in activities with significant carbon footprints.
Debate over Environmental Impact of Space Tourism
While Blue Origin asserts its New Shepard rocket emits primarily water vapor, with negligible direct carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions, scientists emphasize that water vapor at high altitudes remains a potent greenhouse gas with ozone-depleting properties. Eloise Marais, a professor of Atmospheric Chemistry and Air Quality at University College London, explained to the BBC, “It alters the chemistry of the stratosphere, depleting the ozone layer, and also forms clouds that affect climate.”
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Katy Perry has been a vocal advocate for climate action for years. In 2015, she participated in a UNICEF weather report to raise awareness about the impact of human-caused climate change on children.
Following her space launch, Perry emphasized the need to protect Earth, despite the mission’s release of ozone-depleting greenhouse gases. Upon returning, she kissed the ground to express her appreciation for the planet.
Numerous users on X expressed weariness of celebrities lecturing on climate change while seemingly disregarding their own environmental impact. One user stated, “Katy Perry kissing the ground and saying, ‘We need to save Mother Earth’ after she went to space for 30 seconds to promote her album, probably opened a hole in the ozone layer & promoted one of the companies responsible for the destruction of earth… is a choice.”
Blue Origin Defends Environmental Record
Blue Origin highlights the environmentally conscious aspects of its New Shepard rocket, which transported the all-female crew to space. The company states that the rocket “is fueled by highly efficient liquid oxygen and hydrogen,” and its website claims, “the only byproduct of New Shepard’s engine combustion is water vapor with no carbon emissions.”
Despite the absence of carbon emissions, the water vapor released into the stratosphere, between six and 31 miles above the Earth, can persist for extended periods. This stratospheric water vapor traps heat more effectively than at lower atmospheric levels, thereby contributing to global warming. Furthermore, the ground operations and manufacturing processes associated with rocket launches also generate carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.
Rocket Manufacturing and Launch Emissions
While Blue Origin has not released official emissions data, a 2023 UN report estimated that constructing a small rocket such as New Shepard, capable of carrying approximately 1,100 pounds of payload, results in about 42 tons of carbon emissions per vehicle.
(L-R) Kerianne Flynn, Katy Perry, Lauren Sanchez, Aisha Bowe, Gayle King, and Amanda Nguyen in front of the Blue Origin capsule after their brief suborbital mission on Monday.
Perry’s Mission and Climate Advocacy History
Perry, alongside Jeff Bezos’s fiancée Lauren Sanchez, TV personality Gayle King, civil rights advocate Amanda Nguyen, former NASA rocket scientist Aisha Bowe, and filmmaker Kerianne Flynn, ascended to 62 miles above the Earth’s surface during Monday’s launch. During the flight, Perry performed Louis Armstrong’s “What a Wonderful World,” and explained her song choice by stating, “It’s about this wonderful world we see out there and appreciate. This is all for the benefit of Earth.”
Perry’s history of climate activism includes her role as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador since 2013, through which she has emphasized the disproportionate impacts of climate change on vulnerable populations, especially children. She has previously cautioned about the escalating effects of climate change, urging global action with the plea to “please change the forecast with me.”
Although her climate campaign received accolades five years prior, the Blue Origin launch appears to contradict her environmental messaging. During liftoff at 9:30 am ET, the rocket’s BE-3PM engine ignited, propelling the crew into space. The engine, utilizing a combination of liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen, produced around 110,000 pounds of thrust.
Flight Dynamics and Return
Within minutes of launch, the rocket achieved speeds exceeding 2,000 miles per hour—more than twice the speed of sound. Both the capsule and its occupants experienced significant gravitational forces as the rocket reached Max-Q, the point of maximum aerodynamic stress in aerospace engineering. According to Blue Origin, Perry and her fellow passengers encountered forces equivalent to three times the force of gravity during the booster’s acceleration. The capsule returned safely to the launch site shortly after 9:40 am ET, concluding a successful suborbital flight for the group. This mission marked the first all-female spaceflight since Valentina Tereshkova’s solo mission in 1963.