Photos of $1.2 billion megayacht spark outrage in crowded marina: 'Seems like such a waste of money'

The number of yachts has doubled since the year 2000, and with it, the amount of planet-harming emissions. This has still not deterred communities on Reddit from inquiring about what type of yachts dot the coastlines of their favorite beaches. One Redditor turned to r/yachtporn to display a massive Moonraker yacht in Palm Beach, Florida. However, many were not impressed by the vessel.

"Seems like such a waste of money, but it probably keeps 30+ people employed full-time," wrote one user who commented on the boat.

A small percentage of billionaires own the majority of these yachts — Photo Credit: Reddit

Megayachts, as the massive yachts are known, typically sell for millions and sometimes billions of dollars. Simply based on price, only the super rich can afford these vessels, much like private jets. Both have faced scrutiny from governments, environmental activists, and the general public for their disproportionate harm to the environment through air and water pollution.

"The average annual carbon footprint of each of these yachts [is] 5,672 tonnes," as estimated by Oxfam. "It would take the average person 860 years to emit the same pollution."

Since a small percentage of billionaires own the majority of these yachts, governments and activists have called for the vessels to be heavily taxed. This is to curb the exorbitant amount of pollution produced by the yachts.

Oxfam put it best, explaining that while the ultrarich enjoy their mass-polluting yachts, "millions of people who are facing poverty, who've done the least to cause the climate crisis, are paying the highest price — loss of loved ones to flooding and drought, damage to homes by storms, and higher bills when food and fuel is scarce."

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Government incentives not to buy massive yachts that pollute the environment could keep consumers from purchasing these vessels. As one opinion piece in The Guardian argued, owning a megayacht is morally indefensible, as it is the single most polluting activity to engage in.

"The bulk of these emissions," The Guardian wrote, "happen whether or not a yacht actually travels anywhere."

Supporting environmental organizations that put pressure on governments to regulate megayachts can lead to solutions to these disproportionate environmental injustices.

Do you think billionaires spend their money wisely?

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