[samatman]

I dislike Gates for the old reasons, and some of the new ones as well.

But this basic argument from hypocrisy is applied to a lot of people, and it's a weak case.

If someone is using an appreciable fraction of their fortune to decarbonize the grid, and otherwise make industrial civilization sustainable, they can fly private jets as much as they like. Ultimately, carbon in the atmosphere is a simple game of addition. If Gates Brand nuclear plants take 100GW of coal and natural gas offline, I don't care if the man lives on an airplane with a whole second fleet for in-flight refueling, because it doesn't matter.

The reason the hypocrisy argument sucks is that, by definition, you can only apply it to rich people who see a problem with climate change and are doing something about it.

The many wealthy private-jet owners who are invested in fuel extraction don't even get mentioned. They get wealthy when carbon emissions get worse, and then spend their wealth jetting around.

Can you link me to the page which tracks Mohamed bin Sultan's jet travel? No? I believe I've made my point.

[mistermann]

We may not be interested in metaphysics, but metaphysics may be interested in us.

[sidewndr46]

You are now comparing Gates to a dictator in a country that brutally murders reporters for publishing critical pieces. Amongst other atrocities. I wouldn't give Bill G the time of day if on the street, but this is a pointless comparison.

[bamboozled]

On the other hand he could try fly a bit less ?

[raspberry1337]

> Mohamed bin Sultan's jet travel? No? I believe I've made my point.

Mohamed bin Sultan did not claim that polar bears might be dead by 2020 and that Florida will be under water by 2030, hence he can't be a hypocrite.

Yes, hypocrisy can only be be applied to someone who claims something, argues for a certain something. The fact that everyone does not beleive in apocalyptic global warming destroying mankind by 2020 still means that the people who do can be hypocrites.

[elcamino44]

Mohammed bin Salman’s public position is that global warming is real and dangerous and he has pledged that Saudi Arabia will be carbon neutral by 2060. I think if you wanted to make a case that he’s a hypocrite, there’s ample evidence out there.

But then the real question is why hypocrisy is so bad. All of us are hypocrites in different ways, on different things. Why is being a hypocrite on climate change worse than being wilfully ignorant?