The Duke of Cambridge has blasted billionaires who use their money to fund space travel.
Speaking to the BBC’s Newscast, Prince William said ”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 added that he had no interest himself in going into space.
His comments came just hours after Star Trek actor, William Shatner, became the oldest person to go into space when he took off on a short trip at the invitation of Elon Musk and his Blue Origin initiative. Others, including Richard Branson, are also developing space projects.
William was speaking to Newscast ahead of the Earthshot Prize which will be handed out in the coming days to five projects focused on tackling climate change.
Focusing on the concerns among younger people over the environment, he said they were experiencing ”a rise in climate anxiety” and their ”futures are basically threatened the whole time”.
The Duke of Cambridge also had warm words for his father, the Prince of Wales, who has been an outspoken voice on the environment for decades. Prince William told presenter, Adam Fleming, that Prince Charles had ”talked about climate change a lot more, very early on, before anyone else thought it was a topic…he’s had a really rough ride on that and he’s been proven to have been well ahead of the curve.”
And he looked to the future, telling Newscast ”it would be an absolute disaster” if his eldest son, George, is still having the same conversations in a generation’s time.
The full BBC Newscast, with Adam Fleming talking to the Duke of Cambridge, can be heard on BBC Sounds from 4pm on October 14th 2021. The interview can also be seen on the BBC News Channel.
