Hurricane Melissa’s 'New Normal' Excludes Corporate Emissions
The Independent bravely declares Hurricane Melissa 'fuelled by climate change' and warns 'this is our new normal.' They highlight Jamaica's minimal carbon emissions yet its devastation, a classic 'poor country suffers' narrative. What's conveniently absent from this 'new normal' forecast? Any mention of the fossil fuel giants and their lobbyists who actively obstruct progress, pouring millions
into political campaigns to maintain the status quo. For example, the American Petroleum Institute (API) alone spent over $6 million on lobbying in Q3 2023, funding the very politicians who deny or delay meaningful climate action. So, while the developing world faces the literal winds of change, the real architects of this 'new normal' continue to operate in the shadows, their pockets lined by
industries that see planetary destruction as collateral for profit. Funny how the 'new normal' for corporations seems to be record profits and legislative impunity, even as the 'new normal' for ordinary people means losing their homes. One might wonder why a catastrophic 'new normal' is always just about the weather, never about the power.