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Updated November 18th, 2021 at 23:37 IST

Jeff Bezos on space travel and tackling climate change: 'We need to do both'

Responding to the criticisms over space travel of billionaires and their negligence towards climate change, Jeff Bezos said that both are equally important.

Reported by: Harsh Vardhan
Jeff Bezos
Image: Twitter/@JeffBezos | Image:self
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Responding to criticism over space travel of billionaires and their negligence towards climate change, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos said that commitment to both space exploration and addressing the climate crisis is equally important. In his interview last week at the Ignatius Forum event in Washington, D.C., Bezos went to say that currently, he is spending his wealth on the Bezos Earth Fund more than he is doing on his space adventures. The world's second-richest man was quoted saying as per CNBC,

They’re missing the duality that we need to do both and that the two things are deeply connected. I’m actually spending even more money on the Bezos Earth Fund than I’m spending on space. 

He asserted that there is a tremendous amount of work to be done in order to save this planet but humans need to be multi-planetary in order to “keep growing as a civilization". Bezos had started the Bezos Earth Fund in 2020 where he had announced to spend $1 billion for ten years to achieve sustainable goals and tackle climate change. He started the fund following criticism that his e-commerce and shipping business contributes to climate change and the founder is not doing anything about it. His idea was to create a pool of capital to prepare the scientists, activists and other organizations to amplify the fight against climate change.

Earlier last year on September 21, Jeff Bezos had announced a grant of $1 billion to support food system transportation efforts along with landscape restoration. The Bezos Earth Fund had stated that this installment of the fund will primarily be used in areas housing local communities and indigenous people. 

Bezos has faced criticism in the past for his ambitions with regards to the space sector, the latest one being it for his recent flight to space with Star Trek actor William Shatner and earlier, for announcing the development of a commercial space station.

Bezos' ambitions in the space sector

Earlier in late October, Bezos' space company Blue Origin announced that it is planning to develop a commercial space station named Orbital Reef, in collaboration with Sierra Space, Redwire, Boeing and Genesis Engineering. The science-focused module which will be built by Boeing may house up to ten people, can also provide exotic hospitality to space visitors. 

Image: Twitter/@JeffBezos

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Published November 18th, 2021 at 23:37 IST

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