LONDON (AP) – British Prince William has criticized some of the richest men in the world for using their fortune to fund a new space race and space tourism instead of trying to solve the problems on earth instead.

William expressed his disapproval in an interview with the BBC that aired Thursday, the day after former Star Trek actor William Shatner became the oldest man to go into space in a rocket funded by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.

“We need some of the best minds and minds in the world focused on fixing this planet, not finding the next place to live,” said William, who is second on the British throne.

On Wednesday, 90-year-old Shatner, best known as Captain James T. Kirk in the 1960s television series “Star Trek”, flew briefly into space with Bezos’ space company Blue Origin. Billionaires Elon Musk and Richard Branson are also pumping resources into their own space ambitions.

When asked if he would like to be a space tourist, William said, “I have absolutely no interest in going that high.”

“I was once on an airplane up to 65,000 feet, which was really terrifying,” said William, who served as a helicopter pilot with the Royal Air Force. “That’s high enough.”

William, officially known as the Duke of Cambridge, spoke on climate change ahead of his first Earthshot environmental award on Sunday and two weeks before the start of a UN climate summit in the Scottish city of Glasgow later that month.

During the high profile ceremony at Alexandra Palace in London, in which five sustainability projects each win £ 1 million ($ 1.35 million), William will be accompanied by his wife, Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge. The awards are inspired by the Moonshot Challenge President John F. Kennedy set for the United States in 1961 to land people on the moon by the end of the decade – a challenge that was overcome eight years later.

The winners will be selected by a committee made up of veteran television broadcaster David Attenborough, actress Cate Blanchett and World Trade Organization director Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.

William, who has been preoccupied with environmental issues through the strong interest of his father, Prince Charles, and late grandfather, Prince Philip, has expressed concern about the world his own children will inherit.

He said it would be an “absolute disaster” if his 8-year-old eldest son, Prince George, whom he said was “very aware” of the impact of resources on the planet, had to address the same issues 30 years from now.

“Young people are now growing up where their futures are basically threatened all of the time,” said William. “It’s very annoying and it’s very scary.”

Following his father’s comments, William urged world leaders to put words into action at the UK climate summit in Glasgow known as COP26.

“I think COP is very clear and honest about what the problems are and what the solutions will be,” said William.

The summit is scheduled to take place from October 31 to November. 12. It is described by many environmentalists as the world’s last chance to turn the tide in the fight against climate change.

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