Skip to main content
Climate
Search

Main navigation

  • Climate 101
    • What We Know
    • What Can Be Done
    • Climate Primer
  • Explore
    • Explainers
    • Ask MIT Climate
    • Podcast
    • For Educators
  • MIT Action
    • News
    • Events
    • Resources
  • Search
MIT

Main navigation

  • Climate 101
    • What We Know
    • What Can Be Done
    • Climate Primer
  • Explore
    • Explainers
    • Ask MIT Climate
    • Podcast
    • For Educators
  • MIT Action
    • News
    • Events
    • Resources
  • Search
PostJune 14, 2017

Climate Inequality

We know the world isn't fair even as we try our best to make it so, so it shouldn't come as a surprise that climate change disproportionately hits the most vulnerable people in the world. As an Indian, it bothers me enormously that underprivileged Indians - who have contributed almost nothing to climate change - are going to suffer its consequences more than anyone else.

One of the problems is that small increases in temperature averages lead to greater incidences of temperature extremes such as heat waves. A recent article in science advances talks about the increasing probability of heat wave induced mortality in India - it's sobering reading. MIT's Tech Review has an excellent summary here. Here's a relevant quote (from the original article, not the Tech Review summary):

the projected annual spatial warming in India will be between 2.2°and 5.5°C by the end of the 21st century, with higher projections over northern, central, and western India

To give you an example of what that might do, consider that on May 28th, 2016, the Pakistani city of Turbat experienced a high of 53.5 degrees celsius (128 degrees F). It's literally unlivably hot.

Per capita GHG emissions of the US are more than ten times per capita as those of India and yet the current administration choses to play hardball to strike a better deal, whatever that might mean. Yet another example of how the so called first world continues to maintain its wealth and power at the expense of others. 

by Rajesh Kasturirangan
Topics
Government & Policy
Climate Justice

Related Posts

PostJune 16, 2025

Lack of middleman between Illinois farmers and consumers limits market for ...

MIT Climate
A man laughs while carrying a white and green box that reads "farm fresh vegetables."
PostJune 11, 2025

A vision for transportation resilience in the energy transition

MIT Center for Sustainability Science and Strategy
Rethinking resilience of low-carbon transportation
PostJune 11, 2025

As labor costs rise, AI is learning to farm

MIT Climate
Agricultural workers place stakes in the ground among jalapeño plants.
PostJune 8, 2025

Crop insurance costs taxpayers billions. But it only benefits big farms and...

MIT Climate
A person in a blue shirt and a baseball cap looks at a tractor that's installing fenceposts in a field.

MIT Climate News in Your Inbox

 
 

MIT Groups Log In

Log In

Footer

  • About
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Accessibility
  • Contact
MIT Climate Project
MIT
Communicator Award Winner
Communicator Award Winner