• hackitfast@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    Let’s make this simple.

    Elon for example is worth 180 billion. His private jet, which costs $17k/yr to refill, is worth $62 million, or 0.03% of his net worth.

    The average person, maybe lower middle class to middle class, is let’s say worth about $250,000. If they bought or leased a car worth $45k, that would be 18% of their net worth.

    It is probably the equivalent, or LESS than the equivalent of someone in the middle class, buying a candy bar. And they can do it over and over again with no repercussions.

    And jet fuel is incredibly pollutant, and billionaires pollute millions of more times in general than the average person.

    https://www.oxfam.org/en/press-releases/billionaire-emits-million-times-more-greenhouse-gases-average-person

    I’m fully in support of these protesters and hope they don’t stop.

    • lud
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      1 year ago

      He is rich as fuck but “worth” is a stupid metric since he could never liquidate all that money.

      He couldn’t “even” afford Twitter that’s why he tried to back out of the deal and had to get investor help to buy it when he was forced too.

      • Cethin@lemmy.zip
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        1 year ago

        Liquidating is also stupid. That’s not how they access their wealth. They take out loans, using their equity in companies as collateral. They don’t sell off their stocks, because you have to pay taxes on that.

      • hackitfast@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        Realistically, people like Elon Musk have unlimited money. Some governments aren’t even worth as much as him. He could buy governments and control people if he wants (which is what lobbying basically is).

        If he wants to make more money he just has to pay the right people and do a little dance. Liquidation is in some cases completely irrelevant.

      • Risk@feddit.uk
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        1 year ago

        An inconvenience?! Murder them.

        Fuck you. You’re part of the problem.

      • strider@feddit.nl
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        1 year ago

        You’re in for a rough time in 20 years if having to take a detour already makes you wish death on someone.

        • espentan@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          Stinks to see ambulances stuck in traffic because some kids didn’t consider the consequences of their actions, though.

          Don’t mess with critical infrastructure to “send messages”. Roads can be very critical, to many people.

          Edit: I’m down voted for thinking ambulances and fire trucks should be able to reach their destination? Holy cow… What does one do for upvotes around here, blow up hospitals?

          • hubobes@sh.itjust.works
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            1 year ago

            That’s why you are having the same attitude towards cars. They also create traffic jams, blocking ambulances.

            • Bandananaan@lemmy.world
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              1 year ago

              And if you’re child/significant other died as a direct result of someone glueing themselves to a road, would you genuinely be ok with that? Would that be a worthwhile loss of life for the cause? Because somehow, I find that incredibly hard to believe.

              • hubobes@sh.itjust.works
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                1 year ago

                You are correct. I would not be okay with that. I would be furious and hateful against the people responsible. The politicians that do nothing, making these protests necessary in the first place.

          • Bandananaan@lemmy.world
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            1 year ago

            I’m not sure why you’re being downvoted so much either tbh. I completely support protest, but let’s not fuck up everyone’s day and potentially kill people for it. Yes, climate change is a genuine threat, but don’t risk the people’s lives.

            If people want to protest, do it in the middle of a city, do it outside a government building etc. There are ways to inconvenience people and get your message across without risking life

          • Mr_Blott@feddit.uk
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            1 year ago

            Yep, these kids are trust fund babies with no idea what they’re doing and no personal responsibility. Their parents taught them that

      • wanderingmagus
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        1 year ago

        Projecting a little, are we? Don’t worry, there’s support and therapy for people like you. Help is available.

      • SouthEndSunset
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        1 year ago

        The fact that the little guy can’t be 10 mins late without repercussions is part of the problem.

  • Echo71Niner
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    1 year ago

    They are legends, they’ve painted super yachts, blocked private jets, and targeted golf courses to protest unnecessary emissions from the wealthy, which may as well be a paid-group by fossil fuel companies to divert attention from them being the biggest fucking problem.

  • cloud@lazysoci.al
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    1 year ago

    The wealthy answer will be to have these activists convicted for terrorism for invading an airport

  • StringTheory@beehaw.org
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    1 year ago

    Golf courses use huge amounts of water. Streams get diverted to water them. The countryside dries up without its water, and then catches fire. It’s not good.

    • agent_flounder@lemmy.one
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      1 year ago

      In southern Arizona they typically use reclaimed, non-potable water, at least. I wonder if they do that anywhere else?

      • Letto@reddthat.com
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        1 year ago

        Oftentimes they do not as it is quite expensive to make many kinds of “grey water” safe enough to be basically touched by golfers all the time. Being in the center of the desert with high water costs, it made sense in Arizona.

        Regardless, keeping that much grass alive for such a small number of people to enjoy feels like a misalignment in priories of a local water authority to me. With the general trend towards water insecurities the world over I’m a bit upset with golf courses.

    • prd@beehaw.org
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      1 year ago

      They won’t, and it’s pretty naive to think actions like this will cause them to grow a conscience.

      Stunts like these are fun in a cathartic way, but not even a mild inconvenience or cost to them. It ultimately yields nothing.

      • iByteABit [he/him]
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        1 year ago

        I don’t, I was exaggerating.

        I do think though that it’s about time the general public stops being so passive about climate change among other things.

    • SpaceCowboy@lemmy.ca
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      1 year ago

      Well I don’t know if them gaining a conscience is realistic. But if doing the wrong thing becomes too costly and inconvenient they might stop doing those things. Well… they might do slightly less wrong things.

  • iHUNTcriminals
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    1 year ago

    Golf, lol. How are they going to make sales and network? ( and get drunk and basically have the day off. )

  • downpunxx@kbin.social
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    1 year ago

    Exxon Mobile and BP, rubbing their hands together, yes, good, blame the retail consumer for another 100 years … don’t forget those straws

    • chaogomu@kbin.social
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      1 year ago

      Private jets, Yachts, and Golf…

      All things that the retail consumer has in spades, yes.

    • Khalic@kbin.social
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      1 year ago

      Oh these poor millionaires and their jets, always taking the blame for everything /s

    • SpaceCowboy@lemmy.ca
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      1 year ago

      Yeah and the CEOs of Exxon Mobil and BP definitely don’t have private planes and yachts so they’ll be completely unaffected.

  • penguin@sh.itjust.works
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    1 year ago

    Doesn’t golf have benefits for wildfires? The courses act as a fire break and if they’re built on the edge of towns can help stop the fire.

    It does nothing to fix the root cause but things that help mitigate climate disasters are good too.

    • Coreidan@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      They can build fire retardant systems that are cheaper then golf courses and don’t involve wasting mega tons of water every month. Golf courses are incredibly wasteful and and unnecessary drain on our water supply.

      • grue@lemmy.ml
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        1 year ago

        They can build fire removedant systems…

        Is the company that makes them headquartered in Scunthorpe?