LONDON (CU)_ Hollywood actor William Shatner on Wednesday (13 October), became the oldest person in history to go to space. The 90-year-old, best known for his portrayal of Captain James T. Kirkin the Star Trek series, took off aboard the 60-foot-tall New Shepard spacecraft, in a mission paid for by the founder of Blue Origin, Jeff Bezos. Back in July, Bezos himself made a Bezos, which he later described as his “best day ever!”
Recently, the Amazon founder has been engaged in a new age space race with Tesla founder Elon Musk, who has said he wants to “die on Mars, just not on impact”. They both are two of the world’s brightest and richest men, each worth around £150 billion.
Therefore, this week, the future king of the United Kingdom, Prince William slammed the two business tycoons for pursuing space travel instead of helping to solve the global climate crisis. Speaking ahead of inaugural ceremony of his Earthshot Prize, a global initiative celebrating those leading the global effort to restore the world with a series of £1million prizes, the Duke noted that he is using his “little bit of influence” to help change the world for future generations and called on the billionaire space tourists to do the same.
“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,” he said. As the international community races against the clock to tackle the climate crisis, the Duke of Cambridge, who is a father-of-three, has been motivated to play his part, and slammed those who are “robbing from our children’s future”.
“Now I’ve got children as well and speaking to other parents you start to see the world differently,” the Duke said. “I want the things that I’ve enjoyed – the outdoor life, nature, the environment – I want that to be there for my children, and not just my children but everyone else’s children.”
Sharing his views regarding the upcoming UN climate summit (COP26), Prince William warned against “clever speak, clever words, but not enough action”. He said the event, which is scheduled to be held in Glasgow next month, is critical to communicate “very clearly and very honestly” about what the challenges involved in the climate crisis and what the solutions are going to be.
