Killing Them Softly?

In 1977, US President, Jimmy Carter, received a memo, warning him of the possibility of catastrophic climate change (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/jun/14/1977-us-presidential-memo-predicted-climate-change). Researchers at the climate Impact Laboratory have now calculated that Americans could save 7.4 million lives from heat-related death, over this century around the world, if they could only cut their emissions to net zero by 2050 (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/jun/16/us-climate-crisis-millions-lives-saved). The US reaching net zero by 2050 would also save $3.7tn in climate change costs around the world. The trouble is that many of the victims of global heating would be anonymous to Americans. Similar calculations could be made for other countries, including China. The US achieving net zero by 2050 seems, however, unlikely as the UN's head has noted that fossil fuel companies (many of which are American), have 'got humanity by the throat' (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/jun/17/fossil-fuel-firms-un-head-antonio-guterres-blistering-attack).