Jeff Bezos states that Earth has improved in all aspects except for one specific area.

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos doesn't want to go back in time.

At the New York Times' DealBook Summit last month, Bezos stated that while many factors, such as infant mortality, global literacy, and global poverty rates, have improved over the past 50 years, there is one exception.

Bezos stated that the notion of the "good old days" is an illusion, as almost everything is better today than it was. However, he noted that there is one exception, which is the natural world. Over the past five centuries, the world's oceans, rivers, and forests have been polluted and depleted to support human growth.

In 2022, Amazon released 70.74 million metric tons of carbon dioxide, which is equivalent to 1.1% of the U.S.' total emissions and significantly more than its competitor Walmart.

Amazon is working towards achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2040, as stated in its 2023 sustainability report.

Charlie Munger, a late billionaire investor, once said in 2022 that people should not underestimate the positive changes that occurred during his lifetime. This sentiment is similar to Bezos' observation about the quality of life.

Munger, who was 98 at the time, stated that people are less happy about the current state of affairs compared to when things were much tougher. He explained that it is strange for someone his age because he experienced the Great Depression when the hardship was unbearable.

DON'T MISS: The ultimate guide to earning passive income online

Blue Origin, founded by Bezos, has been funded with billions of dollars annually for the past two decades to develop rockets, spacecrafts, space stations, and lunar landers as a potential solution to Earth's natural resource deficiencies.

Blue Origin and its rivals could potentially solve Earth's resource scarcities by exploring other planets and space for "limitless energy, limitless raw materials," as Bezos stated. NASA suggests that some natural resources, such as oxygen, water, and methane, can be extracted from Mars.

Bezos' company has successfully completed nine human spaceflights, most recently in November 2024. "It'll eventually be the best business I've ever been involved in, but it's going to take a while," said Bezos.

Elon Musk's SpaceX aims to make humanity multiplanetary, while Bezos' goals for space exploration differ.

Instead of Bezos's goal for Blue Origin being to help keep humanity happy on Earth, he wants it to aid in their survival.

"We have no backup plan. We must protect Earth," he stated. "We've dispatched robotic probes to all the planets in our solar system. This is the best one."

To earn extra money online, sign up for CNBC's course on passive income streams, starting tips, and real-life success stories.

Sign up for CNBC Make It's newsletter to receive expert advice on work, money, and life.