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What's the worst case of climate injustice you have heard of?

Climate injustice refers specifically to the disproportionate distribution of benefits and damages related to climate change. Its always people who contribute the least suffer the most, while that small fraction of people who does most of the harms keeps on living unaffected if not gaining more profits from it. What do you think is the worst case of climate injustice? Is there a way to change this?

5 comments

5 Comments

Tavishi Devaiah

Jun 17, 2021

All over the world it is the poorest and most marginalised communites that bear the brunt of climate change, despite these communties having a very small carbon footprint. Systemic inequalities that already exist are further exarcerbated by climate change. Disasters like floods, droughts, etc lead to a scarcity of resources, in which case the available resources are hoarded by privileged groups and oppressed communities are forced to suffer further. Climate change is not only increasing the population that lives in poverty, but is also worsening the conditions of those living in poverty. A possible solution would be to combat the root of these systemic inequalities along with climate change. It needs to be looked at as a human rights issue, and inclusive climate policies must be adopted.

Carly Lovas

Jun 03, 2021

I don't even know if there's one specific case I can give the title of "worst injustice" to. They seem to follow the same pattern of poor air quality, poor water quality, removed from homes, no longer allowed to subsistence hunt or fish in land that is historically their own, all across the world. The global south, indigenous communities, and minority groups are bearing the brunt of climate change. I think the best way to remedy this is to hold the highest polluters accountable. It then comes down to the local level to support these impacted communities with the resources they need that were taken from them.

Nivedita Bansal

Jun 10, 2021

Replying to

I remember you once told me about Haiti. Definitely worth sharing here!

Carly Lovas

Jun 12, 2021

Replying to

@Nivedita Bansal Oh yeah! That's an environmental injustice that predates the US and European industrial revolutions...

Carly Lovas

Jun 17, 2021

Replying to

Alright! Gather 'round, kiddos! It's story time!

Disclaimer: This is a simplified version of the Haitian Revolution. It is a complex story with many characters.

Haiti is considered the poorest nation in the world. How it became such is a case of incredulous injustice. I wouldn't consider it climate injustice as it predates the industrial revolution, but it certainly has a factor of environmental injustice.

The island of Haiti was a French colony in the 1700s. Between the native population and the African slaves brought to the island, the population of enslaved Blacks dramatically outnumbered the White french occupants. Haiti was the most successful producer of sugar cane in the French colonies, bringing an enormous amount of wealth back to France. However, the white French plantation owners were known to be exceptionally and heinously cruel to the enslaved population. Eventually, in the late 1700s, the slaves would unionize and revolt in what is the largest and only successful slave uprising in history.

In what would become years of violent revolt, the French would eventually abandon the colony and declare the slaves free of French rule. Britain would also attempt to occupy the island and fail. Consequently, the people of Haiti were ostracized by the Europeans and Americans, left to fend for themselves.

Much of the island's natural landscape had been altered for the mass production of sugar cane, cocoa, and coffee. In the years of revolt, many of these plantations were burned. What was once a lush, tropical island was now a barren wasteland. Between being entirely cut off from Northern resources and left with infertile land, Haiti would never recover economically.