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Carbon colonialism: How rich countries export climate breakdown by Laurie Parsons

Writer's picture: Arya UkeyArya Ukey
Thumbnail art by Naveen Hari
Thumbnail art by Naveen Hari

What would happen, then, if behind the bluff of "sustainability" lurked the more uncomfortable reality of global injustice? Laurie Parsons' Carbon Colonialism: How rich countries export climate breakdown addresses this question head-on by opening up the hidden costs of global consumption deep within people's consumption experiences. Vivid storytelling, coupled with incisive analysis, reveals for Parsons how the environmental and social advantages enjoyed by affluent societies are founded on workers and ecosystems in the global south being exploited. Environmental mythology is dismantled and systemic inequalities exposed that shape and support the illusion of "green" industries, urging readers to sit uncomfortably among the truths that lie buried behind the rind.


The narrative starts with a haunting image: fabric scraps from global fashion brands burned as fuel in brick kilns in Cambodia, releasing toxic fumes and bringing lives into danger. The first heartbreaking scene created is on "carbon colonialism," an economy under which wealthier nations export environmental and social costs into less powerful regions. It goes from the polluted rivers in Indonesia to suffocating air in Delhi, to show what happens to these regions as Parsons leads an investigation of economic supply chains in human rights abuses within the hidden corners because they prioritize profit over ethical business practices and transparency. Parsons argues against the popular understanding of sustainability, claiming that "rich countries reduce their carbon footprints." This was evident when emissions seemed to go down in these countries: the much more carbon-intensive production of items they consume was merely relocated to the global South. The same goes for corporate greenwashing; Parsons calls this a more and more clever form of greenwashing. Such firms rubbish their environmental credentials but pay little attention to the exploitative consequences surrounding their supply chains.


However, Carbon Colonialism is more than an economic or environmental critique: it's a very human story. Parsons tells the climate crisis in the voice of those affected by it-mostly farmers entering debt cycles, factory workers at the mercy of hazardous conditions, and communities disarmed against any kind of climatic disaster-putting up a challenge before the reader about confronting the injustice that makes the stories possible. Why do natural disasters sound "natural" when the effects are systemically unequal? Why do richer countries have resources to cope with climate change, and poor countries end up in shambles? It is because of its human nature that makes Carbon Colonialism all the more effective.


Throughout his book, Parsons weaves into the text the stories of those most impacted by climate injustice—the farmer thrust into debt cycles, the factory worker working under hazardous conditions, and the communities rendered defenseless against climate disasters. He draws attention to the inequalities that make it easier for richer nations to adapt to climate change and have poorer nations get devastated. Parsons ask uncomfortable questions: Why do disasters appear as "natural" when the influence of systemic inequalities shapes them? Why does the global economic system permit such clear-cut contrasts between vulnerability and resilience? The book is not without its limitations despite all its strengths. Parsons successfully calls for systemic change, but his solutions are so broad and ambitious that they call for a level of global cooperation that is almost daunting in the current fragmented political landscape. Nevertheless, his critique is a powerful starting point for rethinking the systems that perpetuate environmental and social injustice.


As the book closes, Parsons leaves readers with questions that linger long after the final page: How much responsibility should consumers bear for the hidden costs of their choices? Can corporations and governments ever truly balance economic growth with sustainability? What will it take to hold global industries accountable for their environmental and social impacts? Can we bust these systems of carbon colonialism in place, or are they too hard-set in the global economy? More importantly, how do you want to intervene in a more just and sustainable future? Carbon Colonialism serves not just to critique the status quo, but also as a call to action, challenging readers to rethink their place in the world and the systems they support.



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Jan 28
Rated 5 out of 5 stars.

Well written😊

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