Aug 22, 2021
Are Jeff Bezos, Richard Branson and Elon Musk doing civilization a favor and advancing science? Are they preparing to colonize space like the Borg in Star Trek: The Next Generation? Or are they seeking status and boosting their egos – AND their carbon footprints – with expensive toys?
July was a big month for space travel, with two billionaires blasting into space. Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin and Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic sold seats and launched space tourists into near space and promised many repeat performances. Elon Musk’s SpaceX plans manned Earth orbits before the year ends.
Most of us tend to believe in science and support government funding of scientific advancement. But if we’re in a climate emergency, should we put non-essential, carbon-intensive research projects on hold in order to implement every possible CO2 emissions cut?
In this episode, environmentalist Stephanie Gardner joins host Dave Gardner to explore the questions these flights raise. They also examine the carbon footprints of lifestyles of the rich and famous.
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
How to Have a Green Wedding – Episode 25 of
the GrowthBusters podcast
https://www.growthbusters.org/green-wedding-episode-25/
Sarah’s Wildlife-Friendly Wedding – Episode
47 of the GrowthBusters podcast
http://www.growthbusters.org/wildlife-friendly-wedding/
Population Decline is Part of the Solution
(2008 YouTube video featuring Stephanie Gardner)
https://youtu.be/XXyyCY5IM6Q
RELEVANT LINKS:
Billionaire Space Race – by Tim Jackson
https://medium.com/ending-overshoot/billionaire-space-race-7e0738703554
As Bezos Completes Blue Origin Mission, Many Ask What’s the Climate-Change Impact?https://www.marketwatch.com/story/as-bezos-completes-blue-origin-mission-many-ask-whats-the-climate-change-impact-11626795950
Space Flight for Fun: Billionaire Egotism Trumps
Sustainability – by Steve Banker
https://www.forbes.com/sites/stevebanker/2021/07/12/space-flight-for-fun-billionaire-egotism-trumps-sustainability/
The Surprising Carbon Footprint of Space
Travel – by John Armstrong
https://energycentral.com/c/ec/surprising-carbon-footprint-space-travel
Where is Starman? Track Elon Musk's Tesla
Roadster in Space!
https://www.whereisroadster.com/
The Environmental Impact of Emissions from Space
Launches: A Comprehensive Review (May, 2020 in Journal of
Cleaner Production, by Australian Centre for Space Engineering
Research)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0959652620302560
An Increase in Rocket Launches Could Have a
Significant Environmental Impact
https://startupsavant.com/news/increase-rocket-launches
How Much CO2 Did Bezos’ Rocket Ride Release?
Close to Zero (Politifacts factcheck by The Poynter
Institute)
https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2021/jul/20/tweets/how-much-co2-did-bezos-rocket-ride-release-close-z/
Where the Space Industry is Grounded – by
Andrew Beattie (published by the Millennium Alliance for Humanity
and the Biosphere)
https://mahb.stanford.edu/library-item/where-the-space-industry-is-grounded/
Private Planes, Mansions and Superyachts: What
Gives Billionaires Like Musk and Abramovich Such a Massive
Carbon Footprint
https://theconversation.com/private-planes-mansions-and-superyachts-what-gives-billionaires-like-musk-and-abramovich-such-a-massive-carbon-footprint-152514
Environmental Concerns Grow Among Scientists as
Space Tourism Lifts Off
https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202107/1228942.shtml
Why Space Flights’ Green Credentials Don’t
Fly (opinion column in Financial Times)
https://www.afr.com/technology/why-space-flights-green-credentials-don-t-fly-20210711-p588oy
How Bad is Space Tourism for The Environment? And
Other Space Travel Questions, Answered
https://www.vox.com/recode/22589197/space-travel-tourism-bezos-branson-rockets-blue-origin-virgin-galactic-spacex
Forbes Billionaires List
https://www.forbes.com/billionaires/
Forbes Real-Time Billionaires List
https://www.forbes.com/real-time-billionaires/#3384987c3d78
Jeff Bezos' $400 Million Flying Fox
Yacht
https://youtu.be/MRYEcushHjc
Carbon Emissions of Richest 1 Percent More Than Double the
Emissions of the Poorest Half of Humanity
https://www.oxfam.org/en/press-releases/carbon-emissions-richest-1-percent-more-double-emissions-poorest-half-humanity
On the GrowthBusters podcast, we come to terms with the limits to growth, explore the joy of sustainable living, and provide a recovery program from our society’s growth addiction (economic/consumption and population). This podcast is part of the GrowthBusters project to raise awareness of overshoot and end our culture’s obsession with, and pursuit of, growth.
Dave Gardner directed the documentary GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth, which Stanford Biologist Paul Ehrlich declared “could be the most important film ever made.”
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