https://sputnikglobe.com/20230726/crime-against-all-living-beings-climate-change-being-fueled-by-government-inaction-1112146584.html
‘Crime Against All Living Beings’: Climate Change Being Fueled by Government Inaction
‘Crime Against All Living Beings’: Climate Change Being Fueled by Government Inaction
Sputnik International
The Director of Environmental Justice for New York Lawyers for the Public Interest joined Sputnik's Political Misfits to discuss the ongoing effects of climate change.
2023-07-26T02:34+0000
2023-07-26T02:34+0000
2023-07-26T02:31+0000
john kiriakou
joe biden
greece
sputnik
wildfires
climate change
global warming
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The blame for the effects of the current state of climate change must be placed at the feet of governments around the world who are not acting with urgency, Anthony Rogers Wright, the director of environmental justice at New York Lawyers For the Public Interest, told Sputnik.Wright joined Radio Sputnik’s Political Misfits on Tuesday to discuss the record heat wave, massive wildfires and a rang of climate change effects.When asked about the wildfires in Greece and elsewhere around the world, Wright told hosts John Kiriakou and Michelle Witte it is “unfortunately the new normal,” adding that climate change is a form of “slow violence” that doesn’t elicit the same urgency as terrorism attacks or other instances of immediate violence."As you just said, the Mediterranean, China, Africa, here in the United States, no one is safe. There is really no region in the world that is immune to this," he added.Massive wildfires are raging in Greece, causing tens of thousands of people to evacuate while similar wildfires raged in Italy and Algeria, where fires have killed at least 34 people. Wright fears this is just the beginning.Wright notes that it is our “slash, dig and burn economy” that is driven by fossil fuels and the infiltration of lobbyists into our government through Citizens United that encourages the continued destruction of our climate."That's an easy solution [switching to agriecological practices] but the reason it is not easy is because of Big Ag, and Citizen's United and politicians allowing themselves to be bought," he said.When asked by Kiriakou whether there are any feasible solutions governments could take that would have an impact, Wright pointed to agriculture as a possible “massive solution multiplier.” The environmentalist explained that by switching from industrial agriculture to agroecological practices, farming would not only be more sustainable but the healthy soil it promotes would trap greenhouse gasses and prevent flooding because healthy soil takes longer to become saturated.
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anthony rogers-wright, political misfits, climate change, wildfires in greece, wildfires in italy, wildfires in canada, effects of warming.
anthony rogers-wright, political misfits, climate change, wildfires in greece, wildfires in italy, wildfires in canada, effects of warming.
‘Crime Against All Living Beings’: Climate Change Being Fueled by Government Inaction
As scorching temperatures have skyrocketed and encouraged raging wildfires in Europe, researchers recently warned the current state of the environment would never have been likely without human-caused climate change. In fact, while an El Nino pattern has played a role, officials stress the 2023 heat is bolstered by fossil fuel burning.
The blame for the effects of the current state of climate change must be placed at the feet of governments around the world who are not acting with urgency, Anthony Rogers Wright, the director of environmental justice at New York Lawyers For the Public Interest, told Sputnik.
Wright joined
Radio Sputnik’s Political Misfits on Tuesday to discuss the record heat wave, massive wildfires and a rang of climate change effects.
When asked about the wildfires in Greece and elsewhere around the world, Wright told hosts John Kiriakou and Michelle Witte it is “unfortunately the new normal,” adding that climate change is a form of “slow violence” that doesn’t elicit the same urgency as terrorism attacks or other instances of immediate violence.
“It starts with our president," Wright said. "At a time when all of this is happening, Joe Biden is approving more and more fossil fuel projects. We already know about the Mountain Valley Pipeline, his favor to [US Sen.] Joe Manchin [D-WV], maybe to keep him in the Democratic party or whatever else. New liquified natural gas facilities across the country, especially in Alaska and the Gulf south [...] unfortunately his landmark Inflation Reduction Act will do nothing to really attack at scale what we are all witnessing."
"As you just said, the Mediterranean, China, Africa, here in the United States, no one is safe. There is really no region in the world that is immune to this," he added.
Massive wildfires are raging in Greece, causing tens of thousands of people to evacuate while similar wildfires raged in Italy and Algeria, where fires have killed at least 34 people. Wright fears this is just the beginning.
“It's not just the human species, all species that depend on weather patterns and temperature to determine what to do, when to mate, when to migrate, when to eat, when to sleep, when to wake up, all this is being altered and since it is all interconnected, this smells like serious, serious doom for us,” Wright said. “Again, the only way we can characterize how our respective governments around the world are responding, save for a few who are taking this very, very seriously, is malfeasance. This literally is not just a crime against humanity but a crime against all living things.”
Wright notes that it is our “slash, dig and burn economy” that is driven by fossil fuels and the infiltration of lobbyists into our government through Citizens United that encourages the continued destruction of our climate.
"That's an easy solution [switching to agriecological practices] but the reason it is not easy is because of Big Ag, and Citizen's United and politicians allowing themselves to be bought," he said.
The Citizens United ruling by the US Supreme Court in 2010 effectively brought down a complete shift in how companies can spend an unlimited dollar amount on political campaigns.
Thus, rather than politicians being mostly influenced by taxpaying Americans, officials began taking into large consideration their biggest campaign backers.
“We have an administration here and around the world that refuses to hold this industry accountable for a legacy of systemic environmental racism, as well as them knowing since the 1970s what they were, and are doing to the environment. Instead, they are making record profits,” Wright explained. “And Joe Biden is going to give them even more money with his Inflation Reduction Act, opening more oil and gas leasing in the Gulf, more oil and gas leasing on land. So it is just really troubling that you still have some in the Democratic party who refer to this man as a so-called 'climate president.' I’d say he is absolutely a climate chump.”
When asked by Kiriakou whether there are any feasible solutions governments could take that would have an impact, Wright pointed to agriculture as a possible “massive solution multiplier.”
The environmentalist explained that by switching from industrial agriculture to agroecological practices, farming would not only be more sustainable but the healthy soil it promotes would trap greenhouse gasses and prevent flooding because healthy soil takes longer to become saturated.
“Let's transform how we do agriculture,” Wright pleaded. “I have worked with a lot of farmers who have transitioned in Nebraska, not only are they having to do less work because there is no tilling but they are getting more profit yield per acre of land. So what we have is something that sequesters greenhouse emissions, it protects us from flooding.”
