With the recent California fires, the effects of climate change and global warming are weighing on the minds of Americans. While the causes of these fires have not officially been determined, California has been facing drought-like conditions and has had overall less average rainfall since October. Along with powerful winds that hit the day the fires began. All these things helped nurture these fires into the devastation they became.
California is not the only place to see these extreme weather conditions. The Earth as a whole is heating up.
NASA scientists reported that 2024 was the hottest recorded year since they started documenting average temperatures in 1880. 2024’s global temperatures were 2.30 degrees Fahrenheit above NASA’s 20th century baseline, giving it the record.
The time it is taking for Earth to heat up is picking up, with NASA stating that most of the warming has occurred in the past 40 years. As many know, the industrial revolution set the stage for this ticking time bomb of a planet. Greenhouse gas emissions from these evolutions create the blanket that traps the sun’s heat in our atmosphere, hence leading to global warming. Our carbon emissions are the undeniable cause of these record-breaking temperatures. But the question remains: Are the world’s average citizens the ones to blame and pay for the costs?
A report from Oxfam wrote in 2020 found the world’s wealthiest 10% were responsible for about half of the global emissions and the top 1% were responsible for 15% in 2015. Both statistics have increased over the years, the 1% jumping to 16% of emissions in 2019. They also found the world’s poorest 50% were responsible for 7% of emissions. The richest of the world are one of the leading contributors to the climate crisis on Earth through their private travel jets, yachts, luxury homes, and most of all investments in polluting industries.
They have a gigantic carbon footprint.
Climate Clock is an environmental activist group who runs a clock on when the effects of global warming will become essentially irreversible and will reach a point of no return. Right now, it is estimated we have a little more than 4 years left to prevent climate change from completely taking over our planet.
Of course, acknowledging that society could be doing more to protect our planet and reduce our personal emissions is important, but the extreme and unnecessary lifestyles of the richest in this world are doing far more damage than any of us ever could. At this point in our human history, our carbon emissions in certain domains are not able to be erased because the effects are already here and are showing in many ways. Increasing temperatures and unusual weather are just the tip of evidence that our damage to the Earth has already been done. The average civilian can’t afford the new technologies that offer an environmentally friendly alternative to things used in our daily lives such as energy resources.
People have been told their whole lives ways to live more eco-friendly, whether that be through commercial campaigns or Earth Day posts. Shower for shorter periods of time, recycle, carpool, among other things. No one ever mentions the ways to create massive change by holding the richest accountable for the damage they have done.
Fair and proper taxation of the richest would make the largest contributors to the climate crisis pay for the thing they played a part in creating by helping the government fund sustainable technologies and other things needed to help the environment. Karl Burkart, writer for Medium, found that a 2% tax on those in the $5 to $50 million range, a 3% tax on the $50 million to $1 billion range, and a 5% tax for billionaires would result in $2.5 trillion a year to add to the federal budget for issues regarding the environment and climate. But taxing them doesn’t happen easily. It comes all the way back to your state leaders.
Researching candidates during voting periods to find those who care and speak out about climate change is just the start. Voice your concerns to your government officials either through letters, phone calls, or in person meetings. Supporting environmentally friendly policies and bills contributes so much if you are voting for candidates who listen to their people.
Having an increased number of government officials who want to help stop this global crisis will lead to increased chances of the richest paying towards the cause through their taxes. Everything intertwines together.
You can even further get involved in an environmental activist group that can help you have so many outlets to help the cause, such as educating others about the crisis, participating in protests, and speaking out to government officials.
You can find your representatives and elected officials to contact here: https://www.commoncause.org/find-your-representative/
https://www.usa.gov/elected-officials
Some local environmental activist groups are linked here:
https://www.keepomahabeautiful.org/
https://www.sierraclub.org/nebraska
Power comes in numbers and as people work from the bottom up, we can fight this issue before it is too late. This is a large task and can be overwhelming at times, but it is not the time to be quiet and leave it in the hands of others.