Richard Branson is a British entrepreneur, founder of the Virgin Group, and a well-known billionaire who ventured into the environmental movement. Klein examines Branson's green entrepreneurship, highlighting his initial commitments to combating climate change through biofuel development and carbon absorption technology. However, she critiques Branson for failing to align his environmental messages with his business practices, particularly his investments in the airline industry, underscoring her view that billionaires cannot be relied upon to solve climate crises.

Francis Bacon was a British scientist and philosopher from the late 1600s, credited with laying the groundwork for empiricism and the modern scientific method. Klein focuses on Bacon as an emblem of extractivism, depicting his views as reflective of a human-centered exploitation of nature. She critiques Bacon’s detached scientific approach, associating it with the problematic mindset that sees nature as a resource to be used for human benefit, while also acknowledging his contributions to scientific progress.