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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

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