Colonialism only took on modern forms. It’s always been might makes right.
Now with some countries slowly rising from its shadows, a lot of people in the west are pissing their pants that the tables might turn. Even if we’re a very long stretch away from that, and climate change is ironically affecting us less than the so-called global south.
Climate change is in many ways an extension of neocolonialism ie. localizing benefits while externalizing harms. Western countries, despite making up 20% of the global population, are responsible for 50% of global cumulative emissions.
Back during the Earth Summit in 1992:
“In view of the different contributions to global environmental degradation, States have common but differentiated responsibilities. The developed countries acknowledge the responsibility that they bear in the international pursuit of sustainable development in view of the pressures their societies place on the global environment and of the technologies and financial resources they command.”
Based on this, the Rio declararion explicitly stated that developed countries must take the lead in combating climate change and its adverse effects.
As we all know, these responsibilities were ultimately betrayed
The world has a way of rebalancing itself. We may not see a complete rebalancing in our lifetimes but the process has already begun.
Colonialism only took on modern forms. It’s always been might makes right.
Now with some countries slowly rising from its shadows, a lot of people in the west are pissing their pants that the tables might turn. Even if we’re a very long stretch away from that, and climate change is ironically affecting us less than the so-called global south.
It may not be as long a stretch as it seems.
Climate change is in many ways an extension of neocolonialism ie. localizing benefits while externalizing harms. Western countries, despite making up 20% of the global population, are responsible for 50% of global cumulative emissions.
Back during the Earth Summit in 1992:
“In view of the different contributions to global environmental degradation, States have common but differentiated responsibilities. The developed countries acknowledge the responsibility that they bear in the international pursuit of sustainable development in view of the pressures their societies place on the global environment and of the technologies and financial resources they command.”
Based on this, the Rio declararion explicitly stated that developed countries must take the lead in combating climate change and its adverse effects.
As we all know, these responsibilities were ultimately betrayed
The world has a way of rebalancing itself. We may not see a complete rebalancing in our lifetimes but the process has already begun.