The wet blankets at CNN have come to find problems with the successful efforts by Richard Branson and others to go into space: It’s selfish in light of the “climate crisis.”
Rather than celebrate the latest wonder of technology, Alisyn Camerota on Monday complained, “Billionaire Richard Branson beat billionaire Jeff Bezos in the race to space. What does that mean for the rest of us? And for planet Earth? If space is now open for business, how does that affect the climate crisis we're all experiencing?”
New Day co-host Victor Blackwell huffed that going to space when we’re destroying the planet is reckless: “With all the troubles on Earth right now from a pandemic to the wildfires, all we're seeing the results of impact of climate change what's the value of spending so much money and fossil fuel to put rich people into space?” He even congratulated himself, deeming this a “good question.”
Camerota lectured, “So, it is fun to watch billionaires try to beat each other into space, but at what cost to the rest of us?” The CNN journalist then showcased her ignorance with a verbal speculation on whether Branson really cares about charity and helping others.
ALISYN CAMEROTA: I mean, I’m sure Richard Branson has done philanthropic things. I mean, I hope.
VICTOR BLACKWELL: Yes.
CAMEROTA: I mean, I haven’t actually done a deep dive into all the philanthropic things he’s done. So I’m sure that he does try and help human kind. But I don’t want us all to have to go into space to realize the delicacy of Earth.
So, spoiler alert, Branson does do charity.
This would have been easy for the CNN host to figure out, but it’s apparently more fun to just speculate.
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A partial transcript is below:
CNN Newsroom
7/12/2021
2:45 PM ETALYSIN CAMEROTA: Meanwhile, billionaire Richard Branson beat billionaire Jeff Bezos in the race to space. What does that mean for the rest of us? And for planet Earth? If space is now open for business, how does that affect the climate crisis we're all experiencing?
2:50
CAMEROTA: So, it is fun to watch billionaires try to beat each other into space, but at what cost to the rest of us? On Sunday, Richard Branson of Virgin galactic traveled to the edge of space. He seemed to enjoy it a lot. Fellow billionaire Jeff Bezos will launch his own space flight next week.
VICTOR BLACKWELL: But this billionaire race to space suggests that we should ask this important question. With all the troubles on Earth right now from a pandemic to the wildfires, all we're seeing the results of impact of climate change what's the value of spending so much money and fossil fuel to put rich people into space? Good question. Let’s now go to science and nature writer Shannon Stirone. Am I pronouncing that correctly?
SHANNON STIRONE (Science and nature writer): Stirone but you are close.
BLACKWELL: I wanted to get it right. Thanks for being here. Her article “Space Billionaires Please Read the Room,” Thanks for being here. Her article space billionaires, please read the room. Recently appears in The Atlantic. First, I love the title. Second, you're not excited about this space race. Why not?
STIRONE I’m excited for the implications it could have for sub-orbital science but it's really just an ego race between two rich guys. It's being marketed through the veil it it’s going to help humanity when it's really not.
CAMEROTA: Is it having a big environmental cost to the rest of us? Aren't they promising carbon offsets and promising to do the right thing for the environment? Or are they just kidding us?
...
BLACKWELL: So the impact on the climate is, of course, an important element here. Jeff Bezos has pledged $10 billion on climate efforts. You write that it’s not really clear what that money is going to go to. I also want you to listen to what Richard Branson said after returning this weekend.
RICHARD BRANSON: I will now spend — I’m an optimist — I will now spend the next 30 years of my life doing everything I can to protect the species on this beautiful Earth, to work on climate change issues, to work on trying to stop the degradation of our rain forests, just all the things that are going the wrong way just to do everything we can to make them go the right way.
BLACKWELL: Now, we have to forgive him. He’s a bit jittery. He just came back from the edge of space. But what’s that worth to you? What do you think about what you heard there?
...
CAMEROTA: Because he had what is called the overview effect, which is when, apparently, astronauts have had it also, when you get that new perspective on the Earth, sometimes you see that we are all in it together and some have reported that we do see our delicate our planet is from space and they do come back changed. And so I want to believe Richard Branson too because he has the money to be able to help in all sorts of ways. But 2021 feels a little late to be, sort of awakened to this.
...
CAMEROTA: I mean, I’m sure Richard Branson has done philanthropic things. I mean, I hope.
BLACKWELL: Yes.
CAMEROTA: I mean, I haven’t actually done a deep dive into all the philanthropic things he’s done. So I’m sure that he does try and help human kind. But I don’t want us all to have to go into space to realize the delicacy of Earth.
