The politics of the Super Rich

I still need to get a hold of a book called "The Haves and the Have Yachts". I've picked it up a few times, and will see whether they get a copy into the library in the next few months. 

The book explores the lives of the super rich. Here's the description

‘A field guide to the super-rich . . . a hoot to chronicle – and even more fun to read’ Sunday Times

The one percent now hold more of America’s wealth than they did in the heyday of the Carnegies and Rockefellers, and their habits cast a longer shadow than ever before. With deft storytelling and meticulous reporting, Evan Osnos exposes the hidden world of the ultra-rich in all its outrageous, fabulous, ridiculous detail: superyachts, luxury bunkers, private gigs, wealth managers, elite tax dodges and a torrent of political donations.

Osnos’s essays are an entertaining, unsettling and eye-opening wake-up call – a case against complacency in the face of unchecked excess and staggering disparities of wealth and power. As the choices of the ultra-rich ripple through our lives, The Haves and Have-Yachts couldn’t be more relevant to today’s world.

Meanwhile Rowland Atkinson, has written a piece for 'The Conversation' which explores the pollution that the super-rich (or hyper-rich) create through their extravagant (and risky) lifestyles.

There are some amazing statistics here. Roman Abramovich's yacht apparently has a 1 million litre fuel tank.

"It is estimated that the 125 wealthiest billionaires alone emit three million tonnes of carbon annually. This is close to the carbon footprint of Madagascar, a country of 30 million people."

Time for some limitarianism perhaps....