This alert form the Alliance of World Scientists (AWS) examines the environmental impact of the world’s affluent citizens. Here is a brief excerpt from the paper’s abstract:
“For over half a century, worldwide growth in affluence has continuously increased resource use and pollutant emissions far more rapidly than these have been reduced through better technology. The affluent citizens of the world are responsible for most environmental impacts and are central to any future prospect of retreating to safer environmental conditions. We summarise the evidence and present possible solution approaches.”
The paper was published in Nature Communications on June 19, 2020. Its authors are Thomas Wiedmann, Manfred Lenzen, Lorenz T. Keyßer, and Julia K. Steinberger. Here is the link to the pdf file:
