William, the Prince of Wales, Says "We Should Focus on Saving Earth Rather Than Space Travel"

"Need the Best Minds Dedicated to Fixing Earth Rather Than Planning to Leave It"
"Fundamental Questions Arise About Carbon Emissions Caused by Space Travel"

Prince William of the United Kingdom criticized space travel by the wealthy and urged focusing on saving the Earth. Photo by AP/Yonhap

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heeyoon] Prince William of the United Kingdom criticized space travel by the wealthy and urged focusing on saving the Earth.

In a BBC interview released on the 14th (local time), he pointed out the recent competition among companies for space travel, saying, "Instead of leaving Earth to find another place to live, we should focus on repairing the Earth."

He stated, "We need the world's best minds and spirits dedicated to repairing the Earth," adding that he has no interest in going to space and fundamentally questions the carbon emissions caused by space travel.

The space travel market has recently seen fierce competition with participation from Amazon founder Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin, Elon Musk's SpaceX, and Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic.

Prince William said, "If (his eldest son) Prince George is still sitting here 30 years from now talking about saving the Earth, that would be a disaster," expressing concern that "young people today are growing up in a place where their future is fundamentally threatened."

He also added that his father, King Charles, was influenced by his grandfather, Prince Philip, and has spoken extensively about climate change from an early age.

Prince William will award the Earthshot Prize, which recognizes ideas competing to address climate change, starting this year. The Earthshot Prize is given for good ideas to save the Earth. Each of the five categories awards 1 million pounds, and the five winners will be announced at the end of this month.