Twelve years ago, Nobel laureate in economics Joseph Stiglitz authored a groundbreaking book addressing the perils of inequality, a work that garnered attention in a notable piece in The Economist https://www.economist.com/books-and-arts/2012/06/23/an-ordinary-joe.
Since then, the discourse surrounding this issue has evolved, with a shift towards more explicit language and concrete proposals. For instance, in a recent book, a professor at the University of Utrecht advocated for an ethical ceiling on individual wealth of 10 million euros
Similarly, an associate professor at King’s University College of Western University has argued for abolishing billionaires through significantly progressive tax measures https://www.amazon.com/Against-Inequality-Practical-Abolishing-Superrich/dp/0197670407
However, there’s one final stride required to galvanize public support for the criminalization and imprisonment of the super-rich. Their offense is not merely the obscene accumulation of wealth, but rather a form of manslaughter. Take, for instance, the shocking statistic that the top 20 wealthiest individuals emit carbon at a rate 8000 times higher than the poorest billion.This surplus carbon directly contributes to the loss of countless lives, a grim reality unsurprising to those acquainted with the issue. For further insights, please consult the article titled “Quantifying Global Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Human Deaths to Guide Energy Policy” https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/16/16/6074
PS – It was precisely the foundational revelation of the aforementioned study, conducted by researchers from Canada and Austria, that brings to light a stark truth: for every 1000 tonnes of fossil carbon burned, one life is lost – which led me to assert that academics have a moral obligation to ensure that they are not implicated in the loss of any human life.
Pacheco-Torgal 