For many years, climate change has been near the top of the list of global concerns. Although we know plenty of causes and can infer the detrimental effects, there is no global collaboration to attempt at preventing climate change. Some people even conspire that climate change and global warming are a government hoaxes in place to instill fear in the public.
With that being said, are humans intentionally contributing to climate change to encourage oppression or would oppression be an unintended effect of the contribution? I, for one, think that climate change is only a form of oppression if intended. I believe that most humans are ignorant of their contributions to climate change and the extreme effects it may bring. If they are not ignorant, then they are unwilling to sacrifice their current lifestyle to save the future as it does not directly affect them. Therefore, although climate change is caused by the actions of humans, it is an unintended yet foreseen effect.
I believe that oppression has to be intended and controlled to actually be considered oppression. Humans can influence and predict the weather, but cannot control it. Although there may come a time when climate change leads to oppressive events, it is not the climate that is the oppressor. It is the actions of those who are in charge of handling the situation that may become the oppressor. For example, let’s say the United States faces a nationwide shortage of water due to climate change. As a result, the cost of water increases drastically. This disadvantages those of low economic standings and deprives them of a basic human need. Meanwhile, the rich are stocking up on water and continuously driving the costs up. In this situation, it is not climate change that oppresses the people, it is the economy. Nature cannot enact human ideas, it can only contribute.
A realist passing through…
