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The threat of climate change has become more serious than ever before. While NASA reported that the effects of human activity on Earth’s climate are irreversible, every little bit of effort can still help reduce future temperature increases. We’ve been told that doing things like lessening the carbon footprint, using renewable energy, and drastically reducing our waste can help immensely when it comes to the issue of global warming.

While every little bit certainly counts, a study found that the average human is not necessarily responsible for the bulk of the damage to our environment. That also means it’s not the average person’s sole responsibility to fix it. Instead, we should be pointing our fingers at the world’s elite and rich, as they have done the most damage.

Science says the world’s wealthiest people are responsible for global warming.

A 2025 analysis found that the world’s wealthiest 10% have caused two-thirds of observed global warming since 1990. Scientists were able to pinpoint that the top 1% of high-income earners contributed 26 times the global average, resulting in heat extremes and droughts.

Researchers also indicated that the richest 10% in major economies, like the United States and China, caused a two-to-threefold increase in dangerous heat conditions across tropical climates. Most of these damaged areas were in places like Southeast Asia, southern Africa, and other regions with limited resources to handle amplified environmental stress.

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The financial ventures of the elite are doing the most damage to the environment.

Several analysts explained that climate discussions should not solely focus on individual consumption but also on the massive financial investments of the elite. When these investments promote high-emission ventures, like factories and the depletion of natural resources like forests and clean water supplies, the world suffers the consequences, resulting in heat extremes and drought.

Top earners are being encouraged by advocates, climate activist groups, and organizations to start caring about more than profits because they are the ones who have the greatest capacity to shift business ventures to more sustainable practices.

They can choose low-carbon lifestyles in their private and professional lives, and they can prioritize long-term climate solutions, like renewable energy. The problem with this line of thinking is that it can hurt profitability in the short term, and it seems very few people are willing to invest in the future, regardless of how much wealth they hold.

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Scientists have long warned that the planet is heating up faster than predicted.

“We are in the early phase of a climate emergency,” according to a paper published in the Oxford Open Climate Change. The study co-authored by scientist James Hansen warned of a surge of heat “already in the pipeline” that will rapidly push global temperatures beyond what has been predicted.

Hansen, who was the first researcher to publicly sound the alarm on the climate crisis in the 1980s, noted that warming could exceed 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels in the 2020s, and above 2 degrees Celsius before 2050.

These rapidly rising temperatures could result in an increase of extreme weather systems, including hurricanes and fires, as well as causing a massive hit to our delicately balanced ecosystem, making farming more difficult than it already is. Sadly, climate change has become a political talking point rather than a fact that impacts everyone regardless of where you fall in the fray. That makes advocating for change difficult.

We only have one planet, and it’s reaching its breaking point. We have no time to simply sit around and twiddle our thumbs. The wealthy elite truly have the power and resources to shift the trajectory of our planet’s future. They just have to be willing to put aside their own needs and prioritize the well-being of everyone else around them, along with world leaders and people in power who actually have the means to make a significant difference.

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Nia Tipton is a staff writer with a bachelor’s degree in creative writing and journalism who covers news and lifestyle topics that focus on psychology, relationships, and the human experience.