With the space tourist market set to blast off in the near future, it's surely a good idea to apply a tax to at least offset the emissions that the billionaires and their passengers are pouring out.
Jeff Bezos and Richard Branson say they want to get back into outer space ASAP. An Oregon congressman wants these massively rich men - and all other space tourists - to pay a substantial tax for the privilege.
Rep. Earl Blumenauer, a Democrat who represents Portland, has proposed a tax on space tourists, the same day that Bezos, his brother Mark, and two other passengers took a brief rocket trip to the edge of outer space.
After the flight Bezos said that his rocket company, Blue Origin, has booked nearly $100 million in tickets for upcoming space flights, reports CNN. Rival space tourism company Virgin Galactic has sold 600 tickets for up to $250,000 apiece for planned flights on the space plane that took its controlling shareholder, billionaire Richard Branson, on his own flight to outer space a couple of weeks ago.
Blumenauer's proposal is likely to be well received by politicians - and the people who vote them in.