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 >
Displacement and the Climate Crisis
According to UNHCR, an average of 20 million people are displaced from their homes by natural disasters. Examples of natural disasters that cause the wreckage of homes and safety are droughts, fires, floods, and extreme weather conditions. These are all caused by climate change. Greenhouse gases are rising in the atmosphere, caused mostly by human activity, which unbalances the natural system of keeping the Earth habitual. The more our carbon footprint increases, the more natural disasters are bound to happen. Fires in California are becoming more and more common, with 52,113 taking place last year. Those fires caused the destruction of homes and the homelessness of families, much like the flood in Florida did, caused by a concerningly huge hurricane. If the world fails to reduce the uses of greenhouse gases, especially carbon, the lives and integrity of citizens will become more and more threatened by these disasters.