Carbon Manslaughter: Holding Billionaires Accountable for Their Role in Accelerating Climate Catastrophes

Twelve years ago, Nobel laureate in economics Joseph Stiglitz authored a groundbreaking book addressing the perils of inequality, a work that garnered attention in a notable piece in The Economist https://www.economist.com/books-and-arts/2012/06/23/an-ordinary-joe. 

Since then, the discourse surrounding this issue has evolved, with a shift towards more explicit language and concrete proposals. For instance, in a recent book, a professor at the University of Utrecht advocated for an ethical ceiling on individual wealth of 10 million euros https://19-pacheco-torgal-19.blogspot.com/2024/02/utrecht-university-10-million-euro.html

Similarly, an associate professor at King's University College of Western University has argued for abolishing billionaires through significantly progressive tax measures https://www.amazon.com/Against-Inequality-Practical-Abolishing-Superrich/dp/0197670407

However, there's one final stride required to galvanize public support for the criminalization and imprisonment of the super-rich.  Their offense is not merely the obscene accumulation of wealth, but rather a form of manslaughter. Take, for instance, the shocking statistic that the top 20 wealthiest individuals emit carbon at a rate 8000 times higher than the poorest billion.This surplus carbon directly contributes to the loss of countless lives, a grim reality unsurprising to those acquainted with the issue. For further insights, please consult the article titled "Quantifying Global Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Human Deaths to Guide Energy Policy" https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/16/16/6074

PS -  It was precisely the foundational revelation of the aforementioned study, conducted by researchers from Canada and Austria, that brings to light a stark truth: for every 1000 tonnes of fossil carbon burned, one life is lost - which led me to assert that academics have a moral obligation to ensure that they are not implicated in the loss of any human life https://19-pacheco-torgal-19.blogspot.com/2024/02/moral-obligations-of-university.html

É urgente criminalizar os super-ricos por homicídio devido às suas emissões de carbono

Há 12 anos atrás o Nobel de economia J.Stiglitz foi autor de um livro versando o perigo da desigualdade, livro esse que foi comentado num artigo da revista The Economist https://www.economist.com/books-and-arts/2012/06/23/an-ordinary-joe

De lá para cá o tema foi ganhando tracção, mas a linguagem tornou-se mais "explicita". Como se deu conta por exemplo num post anterior,  no qual se comentou o facto de uma catedrática da Universidade de Utrecth defender um limite ético de riqueza individual de 10 milhões de euros https://19-pacheco-torgal-19.blogspot.com/2024/02/universidade-de-utrecth-hipotese-do.html ou no facto de um professor associado do King's University College da Western University defender que é necessário "tratar da saúde" aos super-ricos através de impostos altamente progressivos https://www.amazon.com/Against-Inequality-Practical-Abolishing-Superrich/dp/0197670407 

Falta porém que seja dado um último passo, que comece a haver quem defenda a criminalização e a prisão dos super-ricos. O crime esse não é o de acumulação pornográfica de riqueza mas sim o de homicídio, pois os 20 indivíduos mais ricos deste Planeta emitem 8000 vezes mais carbono do que os mil milhões mais pobres. E não é surpresa para ninguém que esse carbono em excesso é responsável pela morte de muitas pessoas, vide artigo "Quantifying Global Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Human Deaths to Guide Energy Policy"

PS - Foi precisamente a revelação fundamental do estudo acima mencionado, conduzido por investigadores do Canadá e da Áustria, que trouxe à luz do dia uma dura verdade: por cada 1000 toneladas de carbono fóssil queimadas, perde-se uma vida humana, que me levou a afirmar que neste contexto, os académicos têm a obrigação moral de garantir que da sua conduta profissional e pessoal não decorre a perda de qualquer vida humana https://19-pacheco-torgal-19.blogspot.com/2024/02/obrigacoes-morais-de-professores.html

Rectifying Euronews' oversight: The imperative of carbon sequestration in building sustainability

https://www.euronews.com/green/2024/03/23/our-built-world-is-the-biggest-contributor-to-green-house-gas-emissions-heres-how-to-chang

Yesterday, Euronews released an article (link above) titled "Our Built Environment: The Leading Contributor to Greenhouse Gas Emissions. Here's How We Can Make a Difference." authored by an individual with a distinguished academic background, having attended HEC Lausanne, the London School of Economics, and Harvard Business School.

Despite its significance, the article surprisingly overlooks the critical role of carbon sequestration in building materials. Embodied carbon, is estimated to contribute between 10-25% to the overall carbon footprint of existing buildings. Particularly noteworthy is that for Nearly Zero Energy Buildings, this percentage may escalate to as much as 400%.

PS - I´m the lead Editor of the upcoming second edition of "Carbon Dioxide Sequestration in Cementitious Construction Materials," co-authored with esteemed Full Professors Caijun Shi and Angel Palomo. Discover a preview of the second edition's cover and back cover below.