Growthbusters

Are Jeff Bezos, Richard Branson and Elon Musk doing civilization a favor and advancing science? Are they preparing to colonize space like the Borg in Star Trek: The Next Generation? Or are they seeking status and boosting their egos – AND their carbon footprints – with expensive toys? July was a big month for space travel, with two billionaires blasting into space. Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin and Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic sold seats and launched space tourists into near space and promised many repeat performances. Elon Musk’s SpaceX plans manned Earth orbits before the year ends. Most of us tend to believe in science and support government funding of scientific advancement. But if we’re in a climate emergency, should we put non-essential, carbon-intensive research projects on hold in order to implement every possible CO2 emissions cut? In this episode, environmentalist Stephanie Gardner joins host Dave Gardner to explore the questions these flights raise. They also examine the carbon footprints of lifest