{"id":69761,"date":"2025-04-18T07:05:19","date_gmt":"2025-04-17T19:05:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/?p=69761"},"modified":"2025-04-18T07:05:26","modified_gmt":"2025-04-17T19:05:26","slug":"billionaire-joyrides-to-space-are-the-ultimate-symbol-of-privilege-and-pollution","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/story\/billionaire-joyrides-to-space-are-the-ultimate-symbol-of-privilege-and-pollution\/","title":{"rendered":"Billionaire joyrides to space are the ultimate symbol of privilege and pollution"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

While millions of people around the world\u00a0are struggling to afford basic necessities like food, healthcare, and shelter, and nature destruction skyrockets,\u00a0the Blue Origin company, founded by billionaire Jeff Bezos, has been launching super-rich people and their friends into space on joyrides that cost tens of millions of dollars.<\/p>\n\n

\"An \u00a9 Greenpeace<\/div> \u00a9 Greenpeace”\/>
Super-rich can spend these vast amounts of money for a few minutes in space just to realise \u201cwe need to protect Mother Earth\u201d feels incredibly out of touch.
\u00a9 Greenpeace<\/div><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

At a time when the world is facing growing economic inequality and extreme impacts of the climate crisis, the idea that the super-rich can spend these vast amounts of money for a few minutes in space just to realise \u201cwe need to protect Mother Earth\u201d feels incredibly out of touch. The inequality and climate impact gap between the super-rich and the rest of us is widening, and space joyrides are the epitome of it.<\/p>\n\n

Much like their private jets<\/a>, these space joyrides are a blatant display of excess and a polluting lifestyle for luxury and convenience. These vanity space rides are marketed as advancements for humanity, but they in reality highlight the disconnection between those who can afford to literally reach for the stars, and those who are directly impacted by extreme weather events and inequality.<\/a><\/p>\n\n

\"A
Greenpeace International activists from across Europe symbolically \u201cconfiscated\u201d private planes at the Engadin airport in Samedan, Switzerland, which is used by participants of the World Economic Forum (WEF). The peaceful protest marks the last of a series of creative interventions calling policy-makers to tax the super-rich, representing 1% of the world\u2019s population, and redirect tax revenues towards affordable green housing, public transport, and climate and environmental action, to support communities and protect the planet.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

A distraction from the needs of people and planet<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n

The latest Blue Origin space ride was the first all-female space team in 60 years and was aiming to inspire women with a \u201cyou can achieve anything\u201d message. But why would we be inspired by a vanity ride to space? Nothing significant has been achieved for regular people. Women are still being hit the hardest by the impacts of the climate and nature crisis<\/a>. Entire communities are being torn apart by increasingly frequent and devastating climate disasters. Natural resources are depleting, and our planet is facing irreversible damage.<\/p>\n\n

We must hold the super-rich accountable and redistribute the resources to build a fair, sustainable future for all. We need global tax rules that work for regular people, not multinational corporations and the super-rich.<\/a> No more joy rides into space. No more hoarding extreme wealth while communities burn and people struggle to make ends meet.<\/a><\/p>\n\n

\"A
A man wades through a flooded street in Milaor in Naga City. Several towns are still submerged in water brought by Severe Tropical storm Kristine (international name: Trami) in Camarines Sur.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

If the super-rich can afford to take a ride to space, surely they can afford to pay their fair share of taxes<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n

We\u2019re constantly told there\u2019s \u201cnot enough money\u201d to solve these global crises. The truth is that the money is there, it\u2019s just in the wrong pockets. There\u2019s more than enough wealth to fix these problems but it\u2019s hoarded by a small percentage of people who profit off exploitation, pollution, and systemic inequality. It\u2019s time we demand that those who pollute the most and have benefited from this broken system step up and contribute their fair share<\/strong><\/a>, <\/strong>like all of us.<\/p>\n\n

If governments taxed the super-rich, we could build a more just and green future for everyone: where families aren\u2019t forced to choose between putting food on the table and keeping their homes warm, where people could have access to quality public services, affordable healthcare, green homes and sustainable public transportation<\/p>\n\n

\"COP21:
Demonstrators in Mexico City, Mexico, call for climate action and energy from 100% renewable sources ahead of the climate talks in Paris. The Global Climate March consists of 60 other major marches, plus more than 2,300 events, in over 150 countries on the eve of the 21st Conference of Parties (COP21) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

Take action now to #TaxTheSuperRich!<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n