The World Inequality Report found that one space flight emits more carbon dioxide than most of the world's population will create in their lifetime.
While other parts of the report focus on labor, income and economic inequality, the researchers also included a statistic that sums up the relationship between those who create greenhouse gases versus those who suffer most from them.
The report states that the development of space travel is one example of extreme pollution associated with wealth inequality. An 11-minute flight emits 75 tonnes of carbon per passenger. The group of one billion individuals does not emit more than 75 tonnes of carbon per person over their lifetime.
The team didn't call anyone out by name if you were wondering which space flight the World Inequality Report is addressing. The space flight by Jeff Bezos in July was about an hour long. Bezos puts out more carbon than most humans could create in their lifetime when he sends up a rocket.
Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa is currently on a twelve day space vacation aboard the International Space Station. The flight was planned in the US. The founder of Virgin Group took himself to the edge of space.
You might be thinking of a fourth billionaire involved in space exploration, but Musk hasn't personally traveled to space with his company. The carbon footprint of Bezos is higher than that of the tourists sent by the company. Maezawa is scheduled to launch on another trip, this time around the Moon, a few years from now.
To hold the biggest greenhouse gas emitters responsible, we need to better track global emission numbers according to the World Inequality Report.
The authors say that climate policies should target wealthy polluters more. Climate policies such as carbon taxes have disproportionately impacted low and middle income groups.
It is like being told to recycle your cardboard and pay for municipal recycling pickup, but no matter how hard you try, you will never offset a Bezos space journey.
Climate change in the US is expected to affect poor people the most, and the UN has warned that it could cause terrorism in countries where people are poor.
If we want to have a planet that is a good place to live in the near future, we will have to hold billionaires accountable for their excessive emissions.
Scientists say that the Amazon Rainforest is on the verge of becoming a dry savanna.
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