Stop Engaging In Climate Imperialism
A common refrain often levelled against the utterly necessary cuts to greenhouse gas emissions in the face of the Climate Crisis is: “But what about China?”
Of course, the nation may be interchangeable, but it is a rebuttal against climate science that is all too common. And those who use it may not realise that they are actively engaging in racism, xenophobia and climate imperialism.
Today we explore what climate imperialism is, why it matters in the face of the Climate Crisis, and why you shouldn’t participate in it.
What Is Climate Imperialism?
Climate imperialism – sometimes also referred to as climate colonialism – refers to the continued suppression of the Global South by people in the Global North.
The easiest way to think about it is in the context of European nations who created vast empires across the world during the Age of Imperialism, where they sought to access resources and increase their power.
Of course, with their expansion and colonising also came vast human tragedies and exploitation, where the lives of white Europeans in home nations were valued over those of local peoples who were subjugated in colonised nations.
This is what we are seeing today in the context of the Climate Crisis – nations and peoples in the Global North, who have historically created the largest greenhouse gas emissions, placing the greatest pressure on people in the Global South to enact change.
Or, as in many cases, telling people in the Global South that they aren’t allowed to grow their economies and quality of life because they will worsen the Climate Crisis in the same way that we in the Global North did.
In the meantime, corporations and nations from the Global North are also exploiting the peoples and the lands of the Global South in order to access the materials for the green revolution.
What about China?
Climate science has been clear for decades that human society needs to dramatically reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and that this needs to happen immediately.
CO2 and its fellow greenhouse gases do not care about, nor respect, international borders. So it does not matter where the emissions are coming from, it only matters that we cut them.
The Rhodes Colossus is a famous depiction of the Age of Imperialism, where nations in the Global North subjugated entire nations and their peoples - something that we in the Global North are replicating today in the face of the Climate Crisis. Credit: Wikicommons
Common refrains of “What about China” or “It doesn’t matter what we do in Ireland if India is still creating vast emissions” can be seen on TV debates, in newspaper columns, and across social media.
Whether people know it or not, this is climate imperialism.
The truth is, it absolutely matters what each and every one of us does.
“The average person in Ireland has a carbon footprint nearly THREE TIMES greater than the average person on Earth”
In Ireland, the average person produces 13.3 tonnes of CO2 per year – which accounts for 55% more emissions than the average person in the EU. In fact, we have the third highest greenhouse gas emissions in Europe.
Yet, if we are to truly understand climate imperialism, we must look at Ireland’s role on a global basis. The average Irish person – as well intentioned and eco-conscious as they think they may be – has a carbon footprint nearly THREE TIMES greater than the average person on Earth.
Nations in the Global North have historically accounted for the greatest CO2 emissions, and today still have a disproportionately high rate of consumption and emissions. Credit: Carbon Map
This is not apportioning blame, but a recognition of how accustomed to a high-consumption, high-emissions lifestyle we have become.
So hopefully you can see that, regardless of the emissions created in other countries, what we do on an individual basis – and as a nation – is essential if we are to avert the worst outcomes of the Climate Crisis.
Keep in mind that 5 million people are already dying each year as a direct result of the Climate Crisis, and that millions more will die with every year we delay action. In addition, one third of all plant and animal species are facing extinction by 2070, and more than 1.2 billion people are likely to be displaced by the Climate Emergency by 2050.
Given the horrendous history (and present existence) of Direct Provision, Ireland has a lot of work to do on this front in order to live up to the promise of Céad míle fáilte –a hundred thousand welcomes.
Is Climate Imperialism Racist?
Yes, if you are sharing climate imperialist views, you are likely also espousing racist views too.
By denying the need to take ownership of one’s own carbon footprint when living in the Global North, you are therefore subjugating people in the Global South to increased likelihood of droughts, famines, floods, wildfires and death.
Those most vulnerable to the Climate Crisis today – and those with the least money available on either a personal or national level to mitigate the impacts of the Climate Emergency – are non-white.
Even in developed nations in the Global North, non-white people are considerably more likely to suffer the dire consequences of the Climate Crisis, with a study from the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill showing that black people in US urban areas are exposed to an extra 3.12°C of heating on average, compared to an extra 1.47°C for white people.
Dr Angel Hsu, the lead author of the study, made the following comments in an interview with the BBC: “Our study helps to provide more quantitative evidence that climate racism, environmental racism exists. And it’s not just an isolated incident, it’s pervasive all across the US.
What’s The Solution?
Remember that the poorest 50% of people on Earth - accounting for some 3.5 billion people - account for just 10% of total CO2 emissions. Credit: Oxfam
We hope and believe that the vast majority of people espousing climate imperialist views do not mean to be racist, and that they are misinformed about the severity of the Climate Crisis – and their personal responsibility to act.
Sadly in a world where climate science has been clear about the dangers of the Climate Crisis for around 40 years or more, ignorance cannot be an excuse.
We need individuals to undertake their own research about the Climate Crisis, and not only understand this in the context of their own lives and the nation in which they live – but to also recognise their privilege and consumption in a global context.
Only in this way can we achieve a just transition that is equitable for all humans – and all life – on this planet.
It is also essential that the Irish media, and the international press, step up their coverage of climate imperialism, and that they frame their reports of the Climate Crisis in this context. They have been failing their audiences on this front consistently, and this must end.
So the next time you see or hear someone sharing climate imperialist views, challenge them – and feel free to share this article if you think it might help.
It is up to each and every one of us to live the change we want to see in the world, and the stakes have never been higher.
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