* . *
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact
Wednesday, October 8, 2025
Earth-News
  • Home
  • Business
  • Entertainment
    Beyond the Stage: 8 Performing Arts Centers Driving Entertainment and Education – Livability.com

    Beyond the Stage: 8 Performing Arts Centers Transforming Entertainment and Education

    Row K Entertainment Emerges as Major New Hollywood Buyer With Splashy TIFF Shopping Spree – TheWrap

    Row K Entertainment Emerges as Major New Hollywood Buyer With Splashy TIFF Shopping Spree – TheWrap

    Charlie Hunnam Reflects on Playing a Serial Killer in Monster: The Ed Gein Story – Yahoo

    Charlie Hunnam Reveals the Dark Challenges of Playing a Serial Killer in Monster: The Ed Gein Story

    “Reba” cast, then and now: See the stars 24 years later (and who’s reunited for another show) – Yahoo

    “Reba” cast, then and now: See the stars 24 years later (and who’s reunited for another show) – Yahoo

    Why Taylor Swift Name-Dropped Elizabeth Taylor in Her New Album – Yahoo

    Here’s Why Taylor Swift Dropped Elizabeth Taylor’s Name in Her New Album

    Al Roker Gives Olivia Dean an Unexpected ‘New Job’ on the ‘Today’ Show – Yahoo

    Al Roker Shocks Olivia Dean with an Exciting New Role on the ‘Today’ Show

  • General
  • Health
  • News

    Cracking the Code: Why China’s Economic Challenges Aren’t Shaking Markets, Unlike America’s” – Bloomberg

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Trending Tags

    • Trump Inauguration
    • United Stated
    • White House
    • Market Stories
    • Election Results
  • Science
  • Sports
  • Technology
    US and investors gambling on unproven nuclear technology, warn experts – Financial Times

    US and investors gambling on unproven nuclear technology, warn experts – Financial Times

    Is Light-Speed Analog Computing the Future of Technology? – BIOENGINEER.ORG

    Could Light-Speed Analog Computing Transform the Future of Technology?

    ARM Institute opens technology project call to speed submarine manufacturing – The Robot Report

    ARM Institute Unveils Cutting-Edge Technology Project to Revolutionize Submarine Manufacturing

    Forget Cowbells. Cows Wear High-Tech Collars Now. – The New York Times

    Ditch the Cowbells: Discover the High-Tech Collars Transforming Cattle Care

    What the Recent Price Surge Means for Figure Technology Solutions After SEC Settlement – Yahoo Finance

    What the Recent Price Surge Reveals About Figure Technology Solutions Following SEC Settlement

    MAC Brings iPad Technology to Football Sidelines Across All 13 Member Schools – Sports Video Group

    MAC Brings iPad Technology to Football Sidelines Across All 13 Member Schools – Sports Video Group

    Trending Tags

    • Nintendo Switch
    • CES 2017
    • Playstation 4 Pro
    • Mark Zuckerberg
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Business
  • Entertainment
    Beyond the Stage: 8 Performing Arts Centers Driving Entertainment and Education – Livability.com

    Beyond the Stage: 8 Performing Arts Centers Transforming Entertainment and Education

    Row K Entertainment Emerges as Major New Hollywood Buyer With Splashy TIFF Shopping Spree – TheWrap

    Row K Entertainment Emerges as Major New Hollywood Buyer With Splashy TIFF Shopping Spree – TheWrap

    Charlie Hunnam Reflects on Playing a Serial Killer in Monster: The Ed Gein Story – Yahoo

    Charlie Hunnam Reveals the Dark Challenges of Playing a Serial Killer in Monster: The Ed Gein Story

    “Reba” cast, then and now: See the stars 24 years later (and who’s reunited for another show) – Yahoo

    “Reba” cast, then and now: See the stars 24 years later (and who’s reunited for another show) – Yahoo

    Why Taylor Swift Name-Dropped Elizabeth Taylor in Her New Album – Yahoo

    Here’s Why Taylor Swift Dropped Elizabeth Taylor’s Name in Her New Album

    Al Roker Gives Olivia Dean an Unexpected ‘New Job’ on the ‘Today’ Show – Yahoo

    Al Roker Shocks Olivia Dean with an Exciting New Role on the ‘Today’ Show

  • General
  • Health
  • News

    Cracking the Code: Why China’s Economic Challenges Aren’t Shaking Markets, Unlike America’s” – Bloomberg

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Trending Tags

    • Trump Inauguration
    • United Stated
    • White House
    • Market Stories
    • Election Results
  • Science
  • Sports
  • Technology
    US and investors gambling on unproven nuclear technology, warn experts – Financial Times

    US and investors gambling on unproven nuclear technology, warn experts – Financial Times

    Is Light-Speed Analog Computing the Future of Technology? – BIOENGINEER.ORG

    Could Light-Speed Analog Computing Transform the Future of Technology?

    ARM Institute opens technology project call to speed submarine manufacturing – The Robot Report

    ARM Institute Unveils Cutting-Edge Technology Project to Revolutionize Submarine Manufacturing

    Forget Cowbells. Cows Wear High-Tech Collars Now. – The New York Times

    Ditch the Cowbells: Discover the High-Tech Collars Transforming Cattle Care

    What the Recent Price Surge Means for Figure Technology Solutions After SEC Settlement – Yahoo Finance

    What the Recent Price Surge Reveals About Figure Technology Solutions Following SEC Settlement

    MAC Brings iPad Technology to Football Sidelines Across All 13 Member Schools – Sports Video Group

    MAC Brings iPad Technology to Football Sidelines Across All 13 Member Schools – Sports Video Group

    Trending Tags

    • Nintendo Switch
    • CES 2017
    • Playstation 4 Pro
    • Mark Zuckerberg
No Result
View All Result
Earth-News
No Result
View All Result
Home Science

Six ways inequality holds back climate action

January 20, 2024
in Science
Six ways inequality holds back climate action
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

private jet

Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Are improvements to green technologies, like better batteries and more efficient solar panels, enough on their own to tackle climate change? Unfortunately not. Our behavior and lifestyles must change too.

Rolling out the solutions to climate change (electric vehicles, solar power, heat pumps) will require confronting the enormous gulf in wealth and resources separating the richest and poorest people—both within countries and between them.

In our recent article for Nature Climate Change, we explain why inequality remains one of the biggest barriers to the net zero transition.

1. The very rich are very big polluters

Oxfam recently shone a spotlight on the gap in emissions between the richest and poorest people globally. According to their latest analysis, the richest 1% emit as much CO₂ as the poorest 66% combined.

To limit warming to 1.5°C, each person has a yearly carbon budget of about 1 ton. However, the top 1% of emitters currently burn through more than one hundred times the sustainable amount, emitting on average a staggering 110 tons of carbon a year each.

If we want to transition to net zero fairly and in time to avoid the worst effects of the climate crisis, we need to slash emissions from the biggest sources.

2. Political solutions are limited

The political power of the rich prevents measures that could otherwise distribute emissions and energy use more fairly. This is because wealthy people can shape government policy to suit their interests.

Billionaires who have made their fortunes through investments in the fossil fuel industry have donated to groups that campaign against policy solutions to climate change, obstructing and delaying efforts to decarbonize.

With the ability to successfully lobby against climate policies, the super-wealthy have no compulsion to curb their highly polluting behavior. For example, private jet travel remains legal despite it being the most polluting transport mode of all and useful to just a tiny minority.

3. Carbon taxes could be more effective

No price attached to carbon emissions, in any country, accounts for their full damage to the Earth and to human health. This means that it is often cheaper for industries to pollute than switch to clean alternatives.

Carbon taxes are supposed to increase the price of emitting greenhouse gases and pollution so that the greenest option is also the cheapest one. For example, taxing diesel and petrol vehicles (and investing the revenue in public transport) could make it cheaper for families to travel by train and bus instead of by car. If such taxes were widely introduced, research indicates they could be effective at reducing emissions.

Instead, carbon taxes tend to disproportionately affect poorer people and countries by increasing the prices of goods and services that remain highly polluting, while wealthier people can afford to keep emitting. More equal societies, without extreme poverty or wealth, could introduce carbon taxes that enable everyone to decarbonize.

4. Green options aren’t in reach for all

While carbon emissions are not priced at their true cost, some lifestyle changes (such as replacing a gas boiler with a heat pump) require a hefty upfront investment. If you’re one of the many people on a low income then you may not be able to afford them.

In the UK, subsidies for energy-efficiency improvements like home insulation tend to be restricted to homeowners, leaving renters with little control over the building they live in—including its emissions. Similarly, tax breaks or grants to buy electric bikes are largely restricted to those in stable jobs which pay above the minimum wage.

Ensuring that subsidy schemes specifically support those on lower incomes could allow everyone to make the changes necessary for reaching net zero.

5. People need free time to go green

Beyond wealth and income, there are also inequalities in available time to consider.

Some low-carbon options take longer or are less convenient than the polluting alternatives, such as traveling long distances by train instead of flying. Learning new skills, like how to cook plant-based recipes to cut down on your meat consumption, can take time which wealthy people can more readily afford by working part-time, retiring early or paying others to take care of cleaning and childcare.

More equality in free time, such as a four-day working week, can help people make lifestyle changes that benefit the planet.

6. Public services cannot meet their potential

Providing high-quality public services to all makes low-carbon choices easier for everyone. Universally available amenities also meet basic standards of human well-being while using less energy overall.

In the UK, London boasts the cheapest bus fares and the most comprehensive public transport network. Although rent and property prices can be lower in rural areas than in cities, the deregulation and subsequent privatization of the UK bus network in the 1980s—as well as austerity since 2010—has led to more unequal access to public transport.

Fare increases and axed bus routes have put low-carbon public transport out of reach for many and made it harder to get around without a car.

The planet’s dwindling resources are being squandered by a rich minority. Reining in their emissions and redistributing their power and influence would help everyone live more sustainably so that the planet can support a decent life for all.

More information:
Charlotte A. Kukowski et al, Tackling inequality is essential for behaviour change for net zero, Nature Climate Change (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s41558-023-01900-4

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.The Conversation

Citation:
Six ways inequality holds back climate action (2024, January 20)
retrieved 20 January 2024
from https://phys.org/news/2024-01-ways-inequality-climate-action.html

This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no
part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.

>>> Read full article>>>
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source : Phys.org – https://phys.org/news/2024-01-ways-inequality-climate-action.html

Tags: holdsinequalityscience
Previous Post

Flipping Indigenous regional development in Newfoundland upside-down: Lessons from Australia

Next Post

Trash TV: Streaming giants are failing to educate youth about waste recycling. Why it matters

Blackwater photos suggest new symbiosis between fish and anemones – EurekAlert!

Breathtaking Blackwater Photos Unveil an Unexpected Alliance Between Fish and Anemones

October 8, 2025
WATCH LIVE: The winner of the Nobel Prize in chemistry is… – PBS

Breaking News: Unveiling the Latest Nobel Prize Winner in Chemistry!

October 8, 2025
Soar through a 1,000-mile-long maze on Mars in this mesmerizing new satellite video – Live Science

Discover a Breathtaking 1,000-Mile-Long Maze on Mars in This Mesmerizing New Satellite Video

October 8, 2025
Video: Dog Sighs in Different Situations Like ‘He Works 9-5′ – Yahoo

Watch This Dog’s Hilarious Sighs That Perfectly Capture Everyday Life Moments

October 8, 2025
US and investors gambling on unproven nuclear technology, warn experts – Financial Times

US and investors gambling on unproven nuclear technology, warn experts – Financial Times

October 8, 2025
Wings, booze and heartbreak – what my research says about the hidden costs of sports fandom – The Conversation

Wings, Booze, and Heartbreak: The Untold Price of Being a Devoted Sports Fan

October 8, 2025
Create Your Own Private Garden and Escape the World – Signals AZ

Design Your Own Private Garden Sanctuary and Escape the Everyday

October 8, 2025
Rethinking New York City’s Economy: “The Menace Of Prosperity” – Forbes

Rethinking New York City’s Economy: Confronting the Hidden Challenges of Prosperity

October 8, 2025
Beyond the Stage: 8 Performing Arts Centers Driving Entertainment and Education – Livability.com

Beyond the Stage: 8 Performing Arts Centers Transforming Entertainment and Education

October 8, 2025
Eagles Host Towson Wednesday for Mental Health Awareness Game – aueagles.com

Eagles Face Towson Wednesday in Impactful Mental Health Awareness Showdown

October 7, 2025

Categories

Archives

October 2025
M T W T F S S
 12345
6789101112
13141516171819
20212223242526
2728293031  
« Sep    
Earth-News.info

The Earth News is an independent English-language daily published Website from all around the World News

Browse by Category

  • Business (20,132)
  • Ecology (857)
  • Economy (877)
  • Entertainment (21,750)
  • General (17,474)
  • Health (9,919)
  • Lifestyle (890)
  • News (22,149)
  • People (879)
  • Politics (888)
  • Science (16,088)
  • Sports (21,378)
  • Technology (15,858)
  • World (860)

Recent News

Blackwater photos suggest new symbiosis between fish and anemones – EurekAlert!

Breathtaking Blackwater Photos Unveil an Unexpected Alliance Between Fish and Anemones

October 8, 2025
WATCH LIVE: The winner of the Nobel Prize in chemistry is… – PBS

Breaking News: Unveiling the Latest Nobel Prize Winner in Chemistry!

October 8, 2025
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact

© 2023 earth-news.info

No Result
View All Result

© 2023 earth-news.info

No Result
View All Result

© 2023 earth-news.info

Go to mobile version