58 Billionaires in Space

GrowthBusters

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 Impacthttps://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 Footprinthttps://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 Offhttps://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, Answeredhttps://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 Yachthttps://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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