Can we solve the climate crisis without confronting global inequities?
A recent study in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA found that white residents in the USA produce more climate pollution than black or hispanic residents, but black and hispanic people are exposed to more air pollution.
And that is just the USA! Think about the global inequities in the "haves" and the "have nots".
And how are we going to lift people out of poverty without making the climate crisis even worse?
If you are a resident in a wealthy country, is it your responsibility to address both problems at once? And what would that look like in terms of national and international policy?
Environmental Justice >
Country Environmental Equality
Wealthy countries such as the United States and Canada contribute to climate change much further than poverty-stricken countries do so. This is because of the rapid industrialization, deforestation, and energy overuse that the US and Canada partake in, disrupting the carbon cycle and causing more carbon to be released into the atmosphere. However, although large and wealthy countries's carbon emission are above others, the consequences to their actions have a profound effect on poverty-stricken or poor countries of the world. Countries that are unable to defend themselves against the harsh effects of climate change (unpredictable weather patterns, rising temperatures, loss of wildlife and biodiversity) are the countries that have to pay the price for our privileged negligence. I believe that wealthy countries that evidently put less-fortunate countries in a dangerous situation with the environment should be held accountable, and asked to help people and communities affected by the consequences of their actions.