Jeff Bezos says the ‘good old days’ are just ‘an illusion’ when it comes to Earth, but with one exception

amazon.com Founder Jeff Bezos Highlighting the urgent need to address environmental issues despite progress in other areas. He emphasized that while everything on Earth is better now than it was 50 years ago, there is one exception.

What happened: Bezos spoke at the New York Times DealBook Summit and shared his thoughts on the state of the planet.

Bezos stressed that while significant progress has been made in reducing infant mortality, increasing global literacy and reducing poverty rates, the environment is still being affected. He highlighted the pollution and depletion that has continued to affect oceans, rivers and forests over the past 500 years.

Amazon’s environmental footprint has also come under scrutiny. In 2022, the company emitted 70.74 million tons of carbon dioxide, accounting for approximately 1.1% of total U.S. emissions. Nonetheless, Amazon remains committed to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2040.

“When people talk about the good old days, that’s an illusion. Almost everything is better today than it was before…with one exception, and that’s the natural world.” Jeff Bezos at the Summit said.

Bezos is investing in his aerospace business, blue originexploring solutions to Earth’s resource challenges. He envisioned using space resources to provide “infinite energy and unlimited raw materials.” Blue Origin has completed nine manned space flights, the most recent in November.

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In stark contrast, Bezos’ vision for space exploration centers on protecting the Earth MuskSpaceX’s mission is to take humans to multiple planets. Bezos said, “There is no Plan B. We have to save the planet.”

Why it’s important: Bezos’ focus on the environment is consistent with his broader initiatives, including the Bezos Earth Fund, which has come under scrutiny for its potential impact on the carbon credit market. The fund supports the Science-Based Targets initiative to set climate standards for companies.

As Amazon expands its climate pledge program, concerns have arisen about potential conflicts of interest.

In addition, Bezos has invested $60 million through the Bezos Sustainable Protein Center to revolutionize the food industry by improving alternative meats. The initiative is part of a $1 billion commitment to address food sustainability challenges.

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