The recent far-right protests in the UK highlight a growing alliance between billionaires, thugs, and opponents of climate action, according to a commentator writing from the Brazilian Amazon. The piece argues that the battle for a habitable planet cannot be fought solely through science or environmentalism, as extreme politics and extreme weather are increasingly intertwined.
The author draws a parallel between stressed trees shedding leaves to conserve moisture and human societies 'closing borders' or 'building walls' in response to climate-induced stress. Both responses, they argue, are self-defeating: trees become more flammable, while societies become more isolated and less able to find solutions.
Elon Musk is singled out for his 'incendiary rhetoric', which the piece describes as 'sinister' and part of a broader strategy by billionaires to deny, delay, and distract from climate action. The article notes that many ultra-rich individuals have apocalyptic visions but invest in personal doomsday bunkers rather than global solutions.
The piece concludes that the far-right's rise is fuelled by climate-related fear and uncertainty, and that global climate action has provoked resistance from wealthy individuals and petrostates. It warns that left isolated for too long, societies risk 'withering and dying' or 'self-combusting'.
