Written By:Last Updated:February 09, 2025, 18:30 ISTThe ephemeral violence induced by climate-related policies in the Global South is largely irrelevant in discussion platforms. What fascinates and energises the institutionalisation of denialism remains the spectacular notion of the rise of profitThe Global North does not experience the same level of loss and violence due to calamities triggered by climate change, as in the Global South. (Image for representation: AFP)In 2019, more than 11,000 scientists signed a statement warning of the “catastrophic threat” posed by climate change. The climate catastrophe statistics further reveal that “2024 was 0.72°C warmer than the 1991-2020 average, and 1.60°C warmer than the pre-industrial level making it the first calendar year to exceed 1.5°C above that level”. Also, it exposes the hypocrisy of the Global North, largely responsible for greenhouse gas emissions. It takes little to understand that natural catastrophes do not discriminate between human economies or national borders; however, when the calamities triggered by climate change are seen through the lens of recovery, it becomes palpable that the Global North, which enjoys rich resource and a much safer environmental ecosystem, do not experience the same level of loss and violence as their counterparts in the Global South. Also, they recover much faster due to a robust economic system.related storiesNo wonder that the beatific visage of feel-good anecdotes remains an integral part of the denialism ecosystem. The ephemeral violence induced by climate-related policies in the Global South is largely irrelevant in the global discussion platforms. What fascinates and energises the institutionalisation of denialism remains the spectacular notion of the rise of profit.Losses and the concomitant violence are deflected to select geographical regions whereas profit is internalised by regimes of power, mostly to be found in the Global North. The anxiety of facts and figures matters insofar as they can contribute to the establishment and accumulation of such a regime, which is not only racially prejudiced but also insensitive and brutal. For example, in a comic book titled, ‘Once Upon A Time: A True Story About The Miracle Molecule – Carbon Dioxide’, the brainchild of a group called CO2 Coalition, the character of Mr Gordon, a scientist, says to his three neighbours that carbon dioxide emissions have a net benefit for Earth: “Everything green in our very green world owes its existence to carbon dioxide… And every person and every animal … are built from the carbon in CO₂, which we get from eating vegetables and meat.” Likewise, a Mobil advertisement reinforces the same degree of denialism, boldly announcing: “Good news: the end of the Earth as we know it is not imminent.” It goes on to claim: “More than 30 years have passed since the environmental movement began. They made their point. There is no longer a need for alarmists… [T]o th
Mar. Feb 11th, 2025
