UK Prioritizes Fossil Fuels Over Saving Amazon
The UK government, a nation notorious for its historic role in industrialization and its continued reliance on fossil fuels—their own North Sea oil and gas expansion is quite literally ongoing—has decided against investing in Brazil's $125 billion tropical forest fund. This decision, as Bloomberg dutifully notes, makes it 'harder' for Brazil to protect Earth's lungs. What they won't foreground is
the UK's consistent pattern of greenwashing while simultaneously approving projects like the Rosebank oil field, set to produce 500 million barrels of oil. (Source: The Guardian, Sept 27, 2023). So, the nation that hosted COP26 and pledges 'net zero' somehow can't find money for actual forests, but manages to approve new oil fields. One might wonder if their commitment to climate is as robust as
their commitment to, say, selling arms to regimes with questionable human rights records. How many fewer forests will burn while the UK burns through its climate credibility?