Russian president Vladimir Putin holding a cup of tea. Credit: Thomas Cizauskas/Flickr. Some rights reserved.Trump’s Russia connection can seem just one more sideshow in his horrific political circus. Yet that connection, and the American Republican establishment’s acquiescence to it, needs some explanation: how can we have a government in the USA elected with the open support of the KGB man? The answer could lie entirely in electoral expediency, but it is worth considering that, between the Republicans and the Russian oligarchy, there is a deeper commonality of interests. Their common ground is that both aim to stall meaningful action on climate change. This common interest is reflected not only in the climate-related policies Trump and Putin promulgate for their respective states, but in their support for nationalism generally, and for fragmentation of the European Union in particular.
Even modest actions to reduce demand for fossil fuels would devastate fossil fuel wealth.Any hope of avoiding a very high risk of dangerous climate change requires stopping the accumulation of greenhouse gases soon. In all likelihood – absent some miraculous carbon capture and storage technology – that would mean leaving the world’s fossil fuel reserves where they are, in the ground. Because action has been delayed so long, this weaning now needs to be quick, and every human’s way of life would be affected to some degree. Those with wealth in fossil fuel reserves, however, stand to lose vast fortunes. Even more modest actions to reduce demand for fossil fuels would mean that less is sold, and at a lower price, devastating fossil fuel wealth.
The world’s fossil fuel billionaires include much of the Russian oligarchy. They also include some powerful Republican donors, like the Koch brothers. These people have a common interest in delaying effective action on climate change as long as they can.
