Ship breaking and ship recycling is a billion-dollar industry that benefits economic giants in the Global North while leaving countries in the Global South, where environmental protections are weaker and labor laws are lax, to shoulder the environmental damage and human cost. Costs for workers include loss of health due to exposure to environmental toxins, injury and death. Ship breaking is a forgotten issue, made palatable under the guise of “economic opportunity” for nations like Bangladesh, Pakistan, and India,…
Tag: environmental justice
Fossil Fuel Shackles: How Wealthy Nations Hook Developing Ones
Introduction In the realm of global environmental justice, a disconcerting phenomenon has gained prominence in recent times: the entrapment of impoverished nations by their wealthier counterparts into a relentless dependence on fossil fuels. (1) This practice, though obscured by economic negotiations, perpetuates a cycle of environmental degradation and inequality. By examining pertinent examples and evidence, this essay aims to illuminate the detrimental consequences of this pattern, exposing how such actions hinder both sustainable development and the global fight against climate…