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The (Global) Rich are Killing the Planet
Consumerism is the cult that’s ending the world.
Let’s not act surprised. Two-thirds of global warming since 1990 can be traced directly to the top 10% of the world’s earners. I’ll say that again: sixty-five percent of the problem comes from a sliver of the global population. That number isn’t just staggering, it’s outright criminal. And honestly, it’s a case of, “Well no fucking shit.”
Of course the rich are torching the planet. They always have.
They fly private, build mansions on coastlines, drive two-ton electric SUVs and greenwash their jet-setting with carbon credits like it’s a damn video game. They’re not just consuming more — they’re outsourcing the consequences. Want to know who’s buying all the stuff that gets made, shipped, delivered, and then tossed? It’s not the subsistence farmer in Uganda or the garment worker in Bangladesh. It’s the guy in Orange County with three subscription boxes and a pool heater running in November.
The richer you are, the more you spend. That’s not some deep philosophical insight, it’s just math. Every dollar spent comes with a carbon cost. Products don’t appear out of thin air. They come from raw materials — extracted, processed, packaged, and shipped. Then there are services, ranging from home cleaning to financial…
