The Dark Narrative of International Climate Change Policy
On a global level, climate change is deeply rooted against marginalized and low income communities. The environmental impacts and lack of policy and regulation among those in positions of power emphasize the stark classist and racist divide that is an unintentional consequence of our collective struggle and actions. It’s no secret that the impacts of climate change involve immensely increasing poverty, suffering, and starvation. However, the gruesome implications of current governmental apathy across many influential political leaders is largely the driving force of this issue. Problematically, it is generally not the people of the nations that contribute most to global warming who bear the brute of its ramifications. When the United States pulls out the Paris Treaty while simultaneously disproportionately producing the most carbon emissions, it is largely not the American citizens who feel the effects of lack of climate cooperation. Rather, the world’s poorest who rely on many primitive agricultural processes are severely compromised by prospective droughts and low crop yields. The economic downturns correlated with such impacts have destructive aftermaths- negative coping mechanisms like pulling children (especially girls) out of school to save on fees link classist indifference with inadequate education and literacy. The failure of the Paris climate treaty is just one example of globally deteriorating unity. As countries fail to uphold their goals in emissions, we risk destroying the fragile equality we’ve worked so hard for-in race, socioeconomic status, and sex.
Radical change is defined by collective effort and consensus. It is imperative that we unite to prevent the destruction of our movements towards equal opportunity.
