It was the common belief poorer people caused more destruction to the environment, but it's not the case. The wealthier countries outsourcing their manufacturing plants overseas, have outsourced their pollutants, and wealth provides power so the less wealthy endure the impacts of environmental degradation.

In the US the lower income earners and minorities live in the most polluted areas, but not because they are causing the pollutants. The less wealthy communities have less power to demand environmental regulations. Beverly Hills would never allow a high pollutant factory to develop in its neighborhood and community orgs would be established to fight against it, but a community with less wealth, has less resources as well as power.

Wealthier people save money, but like you mentioned they travel by airplane, purchase cars, multiple homes, and other luxury goods. The top 10% of world's wealthiest are responsible for over 50% of the world's carbon emissions, but the least wealthy endure the impacts. It's pretty crazy.

I'd share the research but they're via a library database and you have to pay to access. I should write an article on it, but here's some links for info:

https://www.theguardian.com/inequality/2017/jul/04/is-inequality-bad-for-the-environment

https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/11/16/4481/htm

And I can only share the abstract of this study: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0301421513007404?via%3Dihub