Jeff Bezos Pledges $10 Billion To Fight Climate Change — Environmentalists Are STILL Not Satisfied

Written by K. Walker on February 19, 2020

The super-rich owner of Amazon just learned that you can never, ever do enough for green activists.

Nothing will satisfy these people until the population has been halved and those lucky enough to be alive are surviving in conditions similar to the dark ages, sterilized, naked and eating bugs.

We are paradoxically told that we must spend billions of dollars to fight the inevitable “climate catastrophe” or we’re all going to die in the next… what is it now, 11 months? Whatever.

The advocates shouting that both governments and individuals Need To Do Something Right Now while protest-dancing, super-gluing themselves to roads, and setting up a blockade in front of the wrong business, aren’t so supportive of Bezos pledging to give billions of dollars to their cause. Some are calling it a “greenwash” and slamming him as a hypocrite because his business has a massive carbon footprint.

The richest man in America yesterday unveiled the Bezos Earth Fund to be set up with his vast funds. Amazon paid federal income tax this year for the first time since 2016, shelling out $162 million, a mere 1.2 percent of its $13.9billion income for 2019.

Earlier this month Bezos spent more than that on a Beverly Hills mansion worth $165million.

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Critics were quick to point out that Amazon has a carbon footprint that is greater than some small countries and gets tax breaks, which they find offensive. They also question where the funding will go and how exactly it will help in fighting climate change.

Amazon said it emitted 44.4million metric tons of carbon dioxide in 2018, which is more than some small countries.

Furthermore, critics questioned how the initiative would operate, it being privately funded, Bezos will be have full control and its activities will not necessarily be transparent.

In outlining his project Bezos only provided rudimentary details saying it ‘will fund scientists, activists, NGOs.’

Bezos posted the announcement that he was starting Bezos Earth Fund on Instagram writing:

“Today, I’m thrilled to announce I am launching the Bezos Earth Fund.⁣⁣⁣
⁣⁣⁣
Climate change is the biggest threat to our planet. I want to work alongside others both to amplify known ways and to explore new ways of fighting the devastating impact of climate change on this planet we all share. This global initiative will fund scientists, activists, NGOs — any effort that offers a real possibility to help preserve and protect the natural world. We can save Earth. It’s going to take collective action from big companies, small companies, nation states, global organizations, and individuals. ⁣⁣⁣
⁣⁣⁣
I’m committing $10 billion to start and will begin issuing grants this summer. Earth is the one thing we all have in common — let’s protect it, together.⁣⁣⁣”

View this post on Instagram

Today, I’m thrilled to announce I am launching the Bezos Earth Fund.⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣ Climate change is the biggest threat to our planet. I want to work alongside others both to amplify known ways and to explore new ways of fighting the devastating impact of climate change on this planet we all share. This global initiative will fund scientists, activists, NGOs — any effort that offers a real possibility to help preserve and protect the natural world. We can save Earth. It’s going to take collective action from big companies, small companies, nation states, global organizations, and individuals. ⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣ I’m committing $10 billion to start and will begin issuing grants this summer. Earth is the one thing we all have in common — let’s protect it, together.⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣ – Jeff

A post shared by Jeff Bezos (@jeffbezos) on

But it was quickly noted that Amazon’s business model relies on fossil fuel and has made deals with oil and gas companies.

Amazon has landed lucrative deals with fossil fuel companies BP, Shell and Haliburton, to provide machine learning for better exploration and oilfield automation.

Others drew attention to the plight of Bezos’ workers around the world who have endured savage working conditions to meet cost-cutting retail demands.

Many commented on the hypocrisy from a man whose company makes its billions from packaging items with papers and plastics and delivers them by burning fossil fuels.

Source: Daily Mail

The lefty blue-check eco-activists grabbed their smartphones and tweeted their outrage because Bezos is really a capitalist villain, you see. The answer is to move to socialism and take their money.

Others say it’s a way for him to “greenwash” his company’s carbon footprint.

Berkeley Economics professor and former Secretary of Labor, Robert Reich noted that Bezos lives a life of luxury.

Wow. Reich sounds a bit envious of Bezos’s success. After all, Reich is just a millionaire. According to The Richest, Reich’s net worth is in the neighborhood of $4 million.

Alleged-conservative political commentator Ana Navarro-Cárdenas weighed in, and like many others were slamming Amazon for not paying its “fair share” in taxes.

Jonah Blank says that the $10 billion that Bezos has pledged is not really from him, but the money that was “stolen” from taxpayers.

Well, that’s a take.

Sure, Amazon has problems with surplus packaging, treatment of employees, and avoiding taxes by exploiting loopholes — and none of that is something that can be ignored — but the man just pledged the GDP of a small country to the left’s cause célèbre. Where’s the gratitude? Where is the applause?

Hollywood celebs are fêted when the jet all over the place to speak at climate action events.

Oh, wait. I forgot. They’re not mustache-twirling capitalists like Bezos.

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K. Walker
ClashDaily's Associate Editor since August 2016. Self-described political junkie, anti-Third Wave Feminist, and a nightmare to the 'intersectional' crowd. Mrs. Walker has taken a stand against 'white privilege' education in public schools. She's also an amateur Playwright, occasional Drama teacher, and staunch defender of the Oxford comma. Follow her humble musings on Twitter: @TheMrsKnowItAll

 

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