The unbearable light-mindedness of coal barons

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The cynical thoughts of an ecovandal

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Chief Executive of the World Coal Association

Chief Executive of the World Coal Association

The International Energy Agency, the World Bank, and many others say that unless greenhouse gas emissions are sharply restricted, and soon, it will be impossible to keep global warming below 2ºC, the level at which catastrophic climate change becomes very likely.

So the Financial Times asked Milton Catelin, chief executive of the World Coal Association, whether the threat of such restrictions should make investors nervous about buying or holding coal company stock.

Catelin’s cynical reply: “I don’t know why you would assume action on climate change is more likely than action on poverty.”

Catelin and his ilk will destroy our world, just to make a fast buck. It’s time for us take their toys away.

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Ian

More from my notebook … 

2 Comments

  • Milton Catelin’s words indicate that he recognises social inertia as a fact of life, which it is, and that he is personally highly unlikely to join this list because he is not of a mind to try to attempt to shake it up. Whereas the people on this list, I would think, are generally advocates of fundamental change.

    • Social inertia isn’t just a fact of life — it is consciously created. Catelin and his clients are among the foremost promoters of inaction. They actively resist change, in order to continue profiting from both poverty and emissions.