Outraged residents sound off after massive yacht pulls into iconic river: 'It's just obscene'

One Redditor recently sparked a debate online after sharing an image of a massive yacht sitting in the Thames in London.

While the OP was impressed with the boat, other Internet users saw a significant environmental impact.

"It's just obscene," wrote one user.

"Just ridiculous," commented another Redditor.

Superyachts like this have major environmental consequences. Their high fuel consumption results in exorbitant pollution, making their carbon impact huge. In fact, according to CleanTechnica, the pollution from the top 300 superyachts is about 285,000 tons.

On top of their insane pollution, superyachts disrupt marine ecosystems. Whether they're moving or parked, yachts generate pollutants from wastewater and energy consumption that end up spilling into the surrounding water. They also create noise pollution that is detrimental to the marine species that rely on sound for communication.

Watch now: How bad is a gas stove for your home's indoor air quality?

From an economic perspective, superyachts are a reminder of wealth inequality.

"While millions of people live in food and fuel poverty, billionaires are busy commissioning the most extravagant consumer goods ever created, simply to provide a change of scene away from their mega mansions," reported the Guardian. "The annual costs associated with owning a $400m yacht, for example, would be enough to run a small hospital in the US, or to administer 10m malaria vaccines in Africa."

This type of obscene luxury is not only environmentally damaging but also wasteful. Most of these yachts essentially act as floating hotels, with full-service staff, numerous rooms, and lavish amenities. However, all of these features require massive amounts of energy that exacerbate the overheating of our planet.

Redditors continued to discuss the problems of superyachts.