Climate change caused by the actions of humans is oppression. Of the Five Faces of Oppression, this would be categorized under powerlessness. It is an undeniable fact that corporations cause climate change. While we should all be conscious of our actions and do our best to be sustainable and care for the environment, our actions have little impact compared to those of corporations. A person using environmentally friendly, sustainable methods will still be affected by climate change caused by large companies.
Climate change affects those in poverty the most. Colder winters, hotter summers, and increasing ferocity of natural disasters affect the homeless population in the US and beyond. Climate change affecting the conditions needed to grow produce causes increasing prices, which people in low-income communities cannot afford. Communities around the world are affected by climate change, and many of those people live in countries with no political power to change the practices of other countries. Those most affected by climate change are powerless to change what is happening around them, and the people that have the power to make a change, governments and corporations, choose to aid in the downfall of our Earth. The companies know that they are causing climate change, they know the consequences of climate change, and they know that a switch to clean energy sources is needed, but they intentionally continue damaging the environment. So not only is climate change oppressing these communities, but the companies are also oppressors.
