It's no crime to treat yourself to a treat here and there, but it becomes problematic when that luxury treat is a multimillion-dollar boat with heavy negative environmental impacts.
In a Reddit post on the r/SanDiego thread, a user posted a photo of a massive superyacht tied to a dock and just sitting there. "Anyone know anything about this huge yacht in the harbor?" the original poster asked. They stated that they knew that the yacht was worth "$250 million" and was made for 12 passengers.
Reddit users were able to fill in some of the blanks about the superyacht with rumors about who may own it. One user identified the yacht as "Liva," made by renowned shipbuilders Abeking & Rasmussen. Redditors also found out that the rumored owner of the superyacht is a German American billionaire.
Massive luxury boats like superyachts, while beautiful engineering feats, are unfortunately and objectively bad for the environment — specifically oceans and marine life.
A Bloomberg report set out to provide data on just how much dirty pollution comes from both the creation of superyachts and their usage. Not only does the pollution from superyachts total more than entire countries, but the "wastewater, noise, and light pollution, particulate matter in exhaust, and even where the vessels dock can have an adverse effect on the local environment," per Bloomberg.
While most people are not in the market to purchase superyachts, it is still important to consider the impacts of the products that we buy and interact with. For example, consider clothing and the fast-fashion industry. Fast fashion relies on harmful environmental and unethical work practices. Buying clothing secondhand or shopping from sustainable brands helps to avoid those practices.
It is also important, when feeling angered or upset by the harmful practices of the richest of the rich, to put that energy into supporting organizations that care about our planet and continue to stay educated on environmentally related advocacy.
Commenters on the Reddit post were helpful in providing more information on the superyacht, as well as adding their two cents on it.
"Would be a shame if orcas sank it," joked one user.
🗣️ Do you think billionaires spend their money wisely?
🔘 Definitely 👍
🔘 No way 👎
🔘 Some do 🤔
🔘 Most do 😎
🗳️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind
"It's been here for so long too!!!" added another user.
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