You really couldn’t make this stuff up, except possibly in jest.
The Amazon boss and world’s richest man gives 8% of his fortune to fight the planet’s “biggest threat”, reports BBC News.
The world’s richest man said the money would finance work by scientists, activists and other groups.
He said: “I want to work alongside others both to amplify known ways and to explore new ways of fighting the devastating impact of climate change.”
Writing on his Instagram account, Mr Bezos said the fund would begin distributing money this summer.
Mr Bezos has an estimated net worth of more than $130bn, so the pledge represents almost 8% of his fortune.
Some Amazon employees have urged him to do more to fight climate change. There have been walkouts and some staff have spoken publicly.
Also, Mr Bezos is financing the Blue Origin space programme, criticised for its carbon footprint.
Full report here.
Tallbloke's Talkshop 
Science for sale to the highest bidder. Shock news. …. And a decent ‘carbon’ buffer for Amazon from MSM and XR et al.
I’m coming to believe that climate change is likely to be good for ordinary people, but that the 1% fear it will do them no good at all
Why is it the really wealthy seem to be the most uninformed?
Knowledge is Power. Time is Money. Power equals Work divided by Time. Therefore Money equals Work divided by Knowledge. Thus Money approaches infinity as Knowledge approaches zero.–Denis Poirier’s Theorem
Bezos isn’t dumb. He’s got an angle, just need to figure it out.
Perhaps he seeds a lab that gets grants thaf suck down oodles of AWS time…
JB doesn’t want climate hotheads creating a stink about his company.
Its unclear whether any commercial applications that the fund is responsible for aren’t simply more money for Bezos? Nit that I object to that per se, but isn’t this just Bezos investing in an area where he might make loads of money?
Reblogged this on uwerolandgross.
“The money would finance work by scientists, activists and other groups“
And that is a major worry…
Tax deductible ?
@Black Pearl:
Not just tax deductible, but the super rich often use their “gifts” to their “foundations” as a way to transfer money to their kids (see Ms. Chelsea Clinton’s salary at the Hillary & Bill foundation) and get tax free junkets as they “investigate” things all over the world.
So you stick a $ billion in a foundation as an endowment. Now it can be invested and grow tax exempt, tossing off, say, $50 Million a year in perpetuity. Next, your kids get nice titles and salaries from that $50 M (call it $4 M a year) plus staff to plan their attendance at parties, fly the foundation jet, organize events where they are the “star” , etc. So jet set around the world at the best hotels and resorts all expenses paid, no tax.
They do have to spend a little of it on “charitable works”, But that can be things like buying an island to make a wildlife sanctuary (where the “foundation”
mansionresearch facility is the only allowed occupied property) , or inviting a few friends to get their degrees paid for by your scholarships to go on adiving partyresearch expedition on the foundation yacht, er, research vessel.Then if they want to be politically active, they can follow the George Soros model and use their tax exempt foundations to buy politicians and laws they like…
Could it be that Bezos wants to impose wasteful economic activity on democracies so that their citizens will be brought closer to serfdom and more likely to accept control by those who know what’s best for them?
Bezos gets some stick anyway…
Shoppers slam Amazon’s ‘ridiculous’ packaging as Jeff Bezos pledges $10 billion to fight climate change
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/other/shoppers-slam-amazons-ridiculous-packaging-as-jeff-bezos-pledges-dollar10-billion-to-fight-climate-change/ar-BB107rtJ
‘The world’s richest man said the money would finance work by scientists, activists and other groups.’
Who have been completely unfunded and idle for decades. The last 30 years never happened.
New miracle tech is always just around the corner – in their dreams. Failing that, start shutting down the entire economy, one industry at a time.
UK airports must shut to reach 2050 climate target
February 18th, 2020
https://climatenewsnetwork.net/uk-airports-must-shut-to-reach-2050-climate-target/
Can they start back up 2 January 2050?
I suspect there is a problem with improper goal setting. Net Zero 2050. Do what you want 2051.
Q: How do you make a small fortune out of Climate Change?
A: Start with a large one!
Boom Boom. The old ones are the best.
I’ll get my coat…
I like E.M.Smith’s explanation.
Chiefio rocks!