New footage of the ultra-rich taking part in a swiftly growing sport aboard a yacht sparked outrage on the internet.
This Is Money (@thisismoney), an account run by British newspaper the Daily Mail, shared a video of unnamed rich folks playing padel on the deck of a superyacht.
@thisismoney How the super-rich play padel 🤑 The pair were spotted off the coast on St Barths enjoying a game aboard a £175 million yacht 🛥️ 🎥 Jonny Dodge - My Ocean Yachts #ThisIsMoney #News #Money #Padel #Yacht ♬ original sound - ItsMariam.R
Padel is similar to pickleball mixed with squash. It features a 10-by-20-meter court encased in plexiglass. The ball can be played off the walls and is slightly smaller and less pressurized than a tennis ball, while the paddle is made of a perforated, solid composite material. The scoring system is similar to tennis.
The presence of a full, functional padel court on the deck of this yacht underscores the massive size and massive cost of such a boat. The £175 million ($233 million) vessel is able to comfortably fit the large court because of its own massive size, engine, and fuel tank.
Setting aside the absurdity of the situation, superyachts are one of the biggest sources of pollution on the planet. According to Oxfam, the yachts and private jets of the super-rich account for more pollution in a week than the poorest 1% of people on Earth will produce in their lifetimes. An ultra-rich European's yacht produces more carbon emissions in a year than the average European produces in 585 years.
Boats such as this padel palace produce massive amounts of pollution all by themselves because of inefficient diesel engines that operate even when the ships aren't moving.
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Countries, however, are beginning to push back against these floating symbols of wealth inequality; Canada has introduced taxes on luxury yachts and jets in the hopes of curbing their use.
Commenters were quick to pile on.
"I can't anymore," one said.
"The divide is getting bigger and bigger!" another wrote.
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"While others can't afford a piece of bread," a third person pointed out.
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Should the ultra-wealthy pay a tax to help offset their environmental impact?
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Absolutely 💯 
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