The Coast Guard “does not ask to be paid” for rescues. The piece also casually mentioned that not only do rescue efforts cost a lot, they also can cost lives—of the rescuers. Earlier this year, even richer tourists paid $55 million apiece --55 MILLION—to go on Elon Musks’s SpaceX trip to the International Space Station. Needless to say, 55 million dollars could buy a heckuva lot of good in the world. If you can afford 55 million dollars to go to space, you can afford 55 million extra to, hmm, maybe undo some of the damage you’ve done to the environment for your joyride?

Source: New York Times June 23, 2023 01:20 UTC