THE global climate change emissions inequality divide continues to increase between rich and poor nations classified as Global North and South. The global emissions gap between the Global North and South, divides the world into two parallel axes: The rich-cum emissions intensive industrialised countries with high climate egos and the least developed-cum poor non-polluting nations with low climate egos. Global climate change has become the emitters’ paradise driven by high and unbridled egocentrism, ego-logical and ego-narratives, among others.
Egoistic mindsets have taken the global climate negotiations by storm where ecological has been substituted by ego logical while eco narratives have been substituted by ego narratives and eco-centeredness has been replaced by egocentric. An ego mindset views humans as superior to other creatures including being superior to other humans too. Therefore, humans in the Global North view themselves as superior to those in the Global South.
The dominant egoistic climate narratives have been imposed on the Global South at the same time shaping the worldwide climate landscapes and spaces. The global climate change narratives have been replaced by the climate onion syndrome, with multi-layered climate dimensions and discourse, with communities subscribing to the egocentric core.
This is done to ensure a global mindset that protects the emissions core and centre of carbon sinning interests. This has led to the world’s climate change narratives being captured by the leading global corporates, international banks and multilateral financiers. In short, climate change is an international club for the rich and polluting nations to continue spreading their discourses, establish the new world order and a new wave of global capitalism.
Negative impacts of climate change are currently wreaking havoc mostly in the Global South and less in the Global North, with those in the former classified as the other and peripheral, leading to an ego logical balance of nature. The exploitative large corporates from the Global North and other emissions production countries control the global climate change narratives through double-speaking and dealings. On the one hand they are emitters while on the other hand, they are champions of clean energy development, just to maintain their egocentric status.
Of course, the Global South has upped its own climate game and pressure hence they can now match the main polluting nations mostly in the Global North, tit-for-tat. Despite all the sterling efforts, the buck stops with the global climate champions in the Global North. Their voices are backed by financial resources, powers of deceit and disinformation, ruthless in their dealings, sowing divisions in other camps and making threats so that the least developed countries toe the line.
Of course, it is the egoists who want to be everything that is eco-relevant while in the forefront of exploitative capitalism, carbon colonialism and climate fraud. For years, the world has been forced to participate in the climate solutions that do not directly address the global climate injustices threatening to tear the world apart. Currently, the global environment is in a sickly state, intoxicated, polluted and fractured hence it requires global healing.
It is not a secret that some leading personalities in the Global North have labelled climate change a hoax and they use their resources for climate disinformation and climate change propaganda using their powerful global media outlets and politics. Campaigners for the eco-mindset are many but because of lack of resources even their powerful voices are not strong enough to tame the ego-centric mindsets of the Global North. That is why climate change negotiations have become monotonous, predictable and a recycle of ideas and pledges, without any meaningful solutions and an ill will that bears no one any good.
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The ongoing climate crises are compounding every situation as the superior beings do not want to put their exaggerated egos aside and be ethical, morally relevant, human-centered and eco-conscious. The co-existence between the Global North and South on climate change is punctuated by endless pleas for funding from the Global South and met with the carrot and stick from the Global North.
The climate egoists have been making wrong decisions for the world but deep down, they know that they are wrong for humanity and the environment. The failure by global climate leaders to make people and environmentally friendly decisions has degenerated into devastating climate results that cannot be wished away or be massaged. Due to the ego logical reasoning from the Global North, the envisaged ”climate proofing” is marred by lack of ‘mistake proof’ and introspection.
Ego logical reasoning in situations where climate change and inequalities are critical and interrelated issues hence global inequalities have dominated global climate debates and conferences. The arguments by the main polluting nations are that they cannot surrender the riches that come about from selling fossil fuels to become poor, they are in business and profit making is key.
Climate crises are ethical problems driven by high and unbridled egos and not making ethics as universally and globally binding as they are supposed to be.
- Peter Makwanya is a climate change communicator. He writes in his personal capacity and can be contacted on: petrovmoyt@gmail.com
