The largest sailing yacht in the world is owned by Jeff Bezos and is worth $USD500 million. According to an analysis by Wilk and Barroz the vessel emits 7,154 tonnes of CO2 a year.
In order to combat their extensive amount of environmental pollution, Bezos fiancé has tried to justify their usage by saying that the couple are committed to climate change which leaves some people skeptical.
In an interview with Vogue, she said, “I think Jeff and I are really focusing on the long-term commitment to climate and we’re extremely optimistic about it. Ten billion is just the beginning.”
Sanchez said that they only use green aviation fuel when possible and the yacht which is called Koru is also able to sail using wind power.
However it’s really not that simple. Because the yacht does not have a helipad. Bezos has a shadow vessel called Abeona to follow the yacht which houses a chopper for Sanchez to pilot in and out.
Koru the super yacht
The Koru measures 417 feet and took three years to build. It is the largest sailing vessel in the world and has triple masts reaching 230 feet. Although it can use wind power, it uses up a lot of diesel when it doesn’t. The pollution it emits is equivalent to that caused by 1,521 people annually.
Oxfam International’s inequality policy adviser Alex Maitland says, “Billionaires generate obscene amounts of carbon pollution with their yachts and private jets – but this is dwarfed by the pollution caused by their investments. Through the corporations they own, billionaires emit a million times more carbon than the average person. They tend to favor investments in heavily polluting industries, like fossil fuels.
“The world’s poorest communities, those who have done the least to cause climate change and are least able to respond and recover, suffer the worst consequences. This is unfair and immoral.”
The Guardian reported that Jeff Bezos, Roman Abramovich, Bill Gates, Larry Page, Michael Dell, Elon Musk and Carlos Slim are responsible for producing more greenhouse gas emissions than the annual energy emissions of two million homes.
Cover Photo: Wiki