Our 'Polluting Elite'

The rich have always been with us. The planet may, however, be unable to tolerate the behaviours of such folk much longer (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/nov/01/polluting-elite-enormous-carbon-dioxide-emissions-gap-between-poorest-autonomy-study). A study, by Autonomy, looked at the relationship between UK earnings and 'greenhouse gas' emissions over the 20 years from 1998-2018. Emissions for people in the top 1% of UK earners (getting £170,000 or more per annum in 2018) were compared with those of folk in the bottom 10% (getting £21,000 or less). Over that period, members on the 'rich list' each generated an average over 2000 tons of 'greenhouse gases', whereas poorer folk produced only 88 tons. This means it takes a relatively poor individual around 26 years, to produce as much climate-changing material, as a member of the 'polluting elite' achieves in a single year. Remember also, that there were 10 times more folk in the former category in the comparison! The period examined in this analysis was just before the UK's onset of the Covid19 pandemic, with its consequent travel restrictions (for most). Recent data from airlines, travel companies etc, suggest that the 'polluting elite' are now back to pre-Pandemic levels of effluence. The 'polluting elite' also have tended to have disproportionate influences on attitudes, taxation and legislation. They do need to stop indulging themselves quite so much. It seems, however, likely that they will have to be 'encouraged' to modify their behaviour.