The world’s third-richest man, Mark Zuckerberg, may have myriad adventurous interests, be it surfing in Tahiti or heli-skiing in Norway, but his thrill-seeking streak isn’t sitting well with the residents of Longyearbyen in Svalbard. Local activists recently staged a peaceful protest against the presence of his luxury fleet, the $300 million superyacht Launchpad and its $30 million support vessel Wingman, both sailing in the fragile Arctic region.
Armed with banners, whistles, and determination, the people of Longyearbyen made it clear that the tech tycoon’s visit, and the environmental toll of his vessels, was unwelcome. Their message, according to NRK was amplified through the @arcticclimateaction Instagram account, read, “If he thinks he can come to one of the most threatened and fragile places in the world with two yachts (while one of them emits 40 tons of CO₂ per hour) without being criticized, he’s thinking wrong. We’ll be there on Wednesday evening (April 30), showing that Longyearbyen steps up for the Arctic when needed. The precise time will be announced in the Facebook event (the irony…). Bring things that make noise, whistles, drums, vuvuzelas, etc. Come angry, but stay peaceful. We’re still looking for speakers, and spontaneous speeches are encouraged.”
The group also highlighted that the entire journey from the Azores to Northern Norway and Svalbard spans over 4,000 kilometers. A round trip would result in emissions equivalent to those of 1,400 average Norwegians over a year. And this is not St. Barths, Svalbard is one of the world’s most delicate ecosystems. Temperatures in parts of the archipelago have risen nearly twice as fast as earlier estimates, deeply worrying climate scientists and residents alike.
That’s why for a 40-year-old billionaire to parade around the Arctic with not one, but two superyachts, a helicopter for heli-skiing, and a full coastal itinerary along Norway is being seen as nothing short of irresponsible. It remains unclear whether Zuckerberg himself was aboard for all, or any, of the voyage.
But regardless of the father of three’s presence, his 387-foot-long Launchpad, powered by four massive MTU 20V 4000 M93L diesel engines, carries an enormous carbon footprint. Each engine consumes approximately 291 gallons of diesel per hour, and at a cruising speed of 16 knots, total fuel consumption soars to 1,165 gallons per hour, emitting an estimated 40 tons of CO₂ every hour. In addition to this there is also Wingman in tow which only adds to these numbers making it even more infuriating.
All these numbers put things in stark perspective. It’s no surprise that the environmentally conscious residents of Svalbard felt compelled to send a strong message, not just to Zuckerberg, but to the world, about what truly matters in one of Earth’s most endangered places. The Feadship beauty is still anchored at Longyearbyen with its next destination unknown.
