for: quote - Kevin Anderson, quote - elite positive feedback carbon inequality loop, climate crisis - societal aspirations, elites - societal aspirations, societal aspirations, key insight - societal aspirations

quote

• This 1% of humanity uses its awesome power to manipulate
  • societal aspirations and
  • the narratives around climate change.
• These extend from
  • well-funded advertising to
  • pseudo-technical solutions,
  • and financialisation of carbon emissions (and increasingly, nature) to
  • labelling extreme any meaningful narrative that questions inequality and power.

comment

• it is the societal aspiration of the logic of capitalism and the free market that continues to create the next generation of the 1%
• How can the luxury industry NOT BE high carbon intensity? It's an oxymoron. High carbon is baked into the definition of luxury, and it is luxury goods and services which accelerate climate breakdown.
• The elites have a strong feeling of entitlement. They feel they DESERVE to reward themselves with a luxury lifestyle. That aspiration and reward structure multiplied by 80 million (1% of 8 billion) is a major variable driving the climate crisis