UP IN ARMS ENVIRONMENTAL DIVIDES RESHAPING POLITICS

The document explores the 'anti-green backlash' and the practical dilemmas of the energy transition, focusing on social inequality, territorial disputes over renewables and mining, and the geopolitical implications of critical raw material sourcing. It argues that a just transition requires rebuilding the welfare state, increasing democratic participation, and addressing historical ecological debts to avoid 'eco-apartheid' and political polarisation.

• Climate inequality manifests in three dimensions: unequal exposure to climate shocks, inequality of responsibility (emissions), and unequal capacity to act (assets). The poorest 50% of the global population is responsible for only 12% of total emissions but will bear 75% of the damages measured by relative income loss.
• In Spain, the transition to renewables has sparked conflict under the slogan 'Yes to renewables, but not like this', driven by grievances over biodiversity loss, land use, and territorial inequality, particularly in 'Empty Spain' (España Vaciada) where rural populations feel they shoulder the burden for others' benefit.
• The Netherlands is facing a 'nitrogen crisis' due to agricultural intensification, leading to a freeze on building permits and the rise of the Farmer-Citizen Movement (BBB). This movement channels rural disaffection and urban-rural cleavages, winning approximately 20% of the vote in recent provincial elections.
• Urban heatwaves in Europe create social injustice, as low-income residents often live in treeless, concrete neighbourhoods with inadequate housing and less access to air conditioning. In Madrid, research indicates that income level is a greater explanatory variable for heat-related mortality than age.
• Lithium extraction in Argentina's Salinas Grandes is causing severe water depletion in an arid region, threatening indigenous livelihoods and biodiversity, including the death of flamingos due to water scarcity.
• In Serbia, planned lithium mining by Rio Tinto in the Jadar region led to the largest environmental protests in the country's history, resulting in the withdrawal of laws that would have facilitated land expropriation.
• Generative AI has significant material costs, including high energy and water consumption. Some estimates suggest LLM searches are five times more energy-consuming than traditional search engines, and a single ChatGPT query may equal pouring half a litre of water on the ground.
• Climate-induced migration is expected to shift populations from an 'arc of uninhabitability' in the tropics toward the north. By 2070, some models suggest up to one-fifth of all land could be uninhabitable, affecting up to 3 billion people.
• Russia's climate policy is characterised by inconsistency and 'climate delay', with the state prioritising fossil fuel exports. Despite signing the Paris Agreement, its energy strategy focuses almost exclusively on promoting fossil fuel extraction and exports.
• The European Green Deal is criticised for relying on African resources for its transition while ignoring historical ecological debts. Per capita emissions data from 1960-1990 show an average EU citizen emitted 279 tonnes of CO2 compared to 28.4 tonnes for a sub-Saharan African.
• Global military emissions are estimated at approximately 5.5% of global emissions, which would make the world's militaries the fourth-largest national carbon footprint if they were a single country.
• Deep-sea mining threatens irreversible biodiversity loss and the release of sequestered carbon. While the International Seabed Authority (ISA) grants exploration licences, companies like BMW, Volvo, and Volkswagen have committed to excluding deep-sea metals from their supply chains.
• The transition to electric vehicles in Europe's automotive sector may lead to significant job losses in manufacturing, with estimates ranging between 275,000 and 410,000 by 2040, though some roles will be transformed by new technologies.

APA

Green European Journal (2023). UP IN ARMS ENVIRONMENTAL DIVIDES RESHAPING POLITICS. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/GEJ-Vol25-Final.pdf

Chicago

Green European Journal. UP IN ARMS ENVIRONMENTAL DIVIDES RESHAPING POLITICS. 2023. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/GEJ-Vol25-Final.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Green European Journal |title=UP IN ARMS ENVIRONMENTAL DIVIDES RESHAPING POLITICS |date=2023 |url=https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/GEJ-Vol25-Final.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{greeneuropeanjournal2023arms, author = {{Green European Journal}}, title = {{UP IN ARMS ENVIRONMENTAL DIVIDES RESHAPING POLITICS}}, institution = {Green European Journal}, year = {2023}, url = {https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/GEJ-Vol25-Final.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }