The implosion of the Titan submersible provided a harsh lesson: that the laws of physics are immutable and indifferent to wealth. Similarly ‘global boiling’ will not discriminate. A common trope is that the poor will suffer most. But the rich are not immune. Expensive assets and lifestyles are vulnerable also – to the inevitable economic dislocations, as well as to the physical threats. The hope by some that they will be saved by retreat to a remote refuge is naïve. How big an army will they employ to protect and sustain themselves? How will they feed their entourage and keep them loyal? And the idea of escaping to Mars is for the birds. It would be far better for those with wealth and power to use their influence to transition the world rapidly to a state in which the ecosystem services and physical conditions of the planet remain conducive to human wellbeing. This could be their most indulgent project. They have more to lose than the rest of us after all.
A Message to the Rich
