The upcoming Super Bowl has been overshadowed by speculation among thousands of Taylor Swift fans about whether the superstar will make it to Las Vegas, where the grand event is set to take place. Spiritus, a climate tech company, has committed to neutralize the environmental impact of Swift's 5,500-mile flight.
Spiritus specializes in Direct-Air-Capture technology aimed at reducing carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere. According to the company's technology page, its unique approach involves what they term as "carbon orchards." These orchards utilize a sorbent material known as "Fruit" which absorbs carbon dioxide through passive contacting. The "Fruit" is then circulated to restart the process.
Charles Cadieu, co-founder and chief executive officer of Spiritus, stated in a news release on February 10th that "[Carbon] removal gives us all a chance to reverse the impact on the environment. Spiritus is committed to providing innovative carbon removal solutions to ensure a sustainable future and stewardship of our environment for the fans of today and the fans of tomorrow yet to be born. Taylor Swift’s flight to the big game provides a platform where the power of music and the urgency of climate action converge. By removing the carbon emissions of her flight from Japan to Las Vegas, we at Spiritus are supporting an icon and leveraging the team camaraderie of American football to highlight we’re all in this together."
The news release also clarified that carbon offsets are distinct from carbon removal - Spiritus' area of expertise. It costs $28,000 using current technologies to offset 40 metric tons of carbon emissions from a one-way flight like Swift's, which equates to $700 per ton of carbon dioxide removed from the atmosphere. However, Spiritus' technology mimics human lungs and can reduce this cost drastically - less than $100 per ton.
Cadieu further explained in his statement that "'When Taylor’s jet flies, it is putting CO2 in the air. With offsets, someone else is asked to not emit CO2 somewhere else. But with carbon removal, we actually take out what Taylor’s jet puts in, meaning no extra CO2 at all. It’s a cleaner approach to fight climate change."