Prince William: Saving Earth should come before space tourism
Prince William has suggested entrepreneurs should focus on
saving Earth rather than engaging in space tourism.
The Duke of Cambridge said great brains and minds should be
"trying to repair this planet, not trying to find the next place to go and
live".
He also warned about a rise in "climate anxiety"
among younger generations.
William spoke to the BBC's Newscast ahead of the first
Earthshot Prize to reward those trying to save the planet.
The prize's name is a reference to the "moonshot"
ambition of 1960s America, which saw then-President John F Kennedy pledge to
get a man on the moon within a decade.
Speaking about the current space race and the drive to
promote space tourism, William said: "We need some of the world's greatest
brains and minds fixed on trying to repair this planet, not trying to find the
next place to go and live.
"I think that ultimately is what sold it for me - that
really is quite crucial to be focusing on this [planet] rather than giving up
and heading out into space to try and think of solutions for the future."
On Wednesday, Hollywood actor William Shatner became the
oldest person to go to space as he blasted off aboard the Blue Origin
sub-orbital capsule developed by billionaire Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.
Sir Richard Branson and Elon Musk are also building up space
businesses.
William told Newscast's Adam Fleming he had "absolutely
no interest" in going as high as space, adding there was a
"fundamental question" over the carbon cost of space flights.
He warned there was "a rise in climate anxiety"
among young people who whose "futures are basically threatened the whole
time".
"It's very unnerving and it's very, you know, anxiety
making," he said.
The father-of-three challenged adults to channel their inner
child to "remember how much it meant to be outdoors and what we're robbing
those future generations of".
William also said his father, Prince Charles, had a
"rough ride" when warning about climate change, adding: "It's
been a hard road for him."
He said Charles, inspired by his father, the late Duke of Edinburgh, "talked about climate change a lot more, very early on, before anyone else thought it was a topic".
The duke added that "it would be an absolute disaster
if [Prince] George is sat here talking" about saving the planet in 30
year's time.
Source BBC
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