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- Elon Musk again expressed his support for a carbon tax at Tesla’s annual shareholders meeting.
- He said the policy “is really necessary” and would benefit Tesla, but ultimately hurt SpaceX.
- Musk said “don’t worry too much about methane,” the gas responsible for 20% of greenhouse emissions.
Elon Musk approved a carbon tax at Tesla’s annual meeting of shareholders on Thursday, a position he has held since 2015, although its implementation could impact his spaceflight ambitions.
Earlier this year, Musk said he suggested the policy to the Biden administration, but was told it was too “politically difficult.”
“Can there be a carbon tax? I mean, what is it? Musk told shareholders, adding that if the tax would benefit Tesla, it would end up hurting SpaceX.
He added that people should not “worry too much about methane,” the gas responsible for 20% of global greenhouse gas emissions. According to the EPA, methane is 25 times more powerful than carbon dioxide when it comes to trapping heat in the atmosphere.
It’s also the gas used to power SpaceX’s Starship rocket, which Musk hopes to send to Mars. In January, Tesla announced plans to drill near a natural gas launch pad in Texas.
“Methane quickly breaks down into CO2,” Musk said. “Methane is not a stable molecule, CO2 is extremely stable.”
A significant reduction in methane emissions “would have a rapid and significant effect on atmospheric warming potential,” according to the EPA. According to the agency’s Global Methane Initiative, concentrations of methane in the atmosphere have doubled over the past two centuries.
Since SpaceX is among the first companies to use liquid methane and oxygen as fuel, there isn’t enough research available to calculate exactly how methane-fueled rocket engines can contribute to gas emissions. greenhouse effect, according to a 2019 report from the Center for Space Policy and Strategy.
With Musk’s $ 100 million investment in carbon capture technologies, it may be possible for SpaceX to continuously recycle gas released by its rockets back into the atmosphere.
“We strive to do the right thing in all respects. We don’t always succeed,” Musk said at the meeting. “But if you’re looking for a company where we say, is that company really trying to do the right thing? It’s Tesla.”
Correction: An earlier version of this story distorted the fuel mixture used by SpaceX. It’s liquid methane and oxygen.
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