With the Paris World Climate Summit taking place in three months, scientists and politicians are raising concerns over the speed at which the effects of climate change are being addressed. Recently, developing countries demanded that the United States and other wealthy nations pay reparations for climate refugees affected in their respective countries. It is past time for the United States to pay its dues as it has a long history of climate inaction, and in 1997 was the only wealthy nation not to ratify the Kyoto Protocol, a document which, for many nations, represented a first step in reducing their carbon footprint. The United States has already felt the effects of a changing climate, such as Hurricane Katrina and Superstorm Sandy, and should mitigate the consequences of these disasters with the country’s abundant resources that poorer nations cannot afford.

The question of environmental reparations is a matter of ecology and humanitarianism. A changing climate could lead to a dangerous trajectory where the fight for resources in countries no longer able to provide for their own populations engage in civil wars or genocide. If a country’s resources are not enough to maintain an entire population, more extremist leaders would be willing to eliminate part of the population in order to have enough resources for the remaining inhabitants. Even if such drastic incidences are not repeated, it is undeniable that dislocated populations are often forced into war or forced to live as refugees. By paying reparations, the United States would allow poorer countries to put in place infrastructure that may help prevent ecological catastrophes which would force populations to be dislocated in the first place. This infrastructure could include seawalls in coastal areas to prevent severe flooding and proper tools for irrigation that would help reduce the impact of drought — things that, if implemented properly, could make the difference between life and death for thousands of people.

Finally, the United States should pay reparations because it is a matter of justice — the United States and China together account for more than a third of all CO2 emissions, and we are far behind other wealthy nations in reducing our emissions. Unless international organizations like the United Nations begin to financially penalize the United States for its irresponsible actions, it is unlikely that we will change our attitude. If the reparation proposals fall short, it should hardly come as a surprise to most of us. But at the very least, we must let American politicians and climate lobbyists know that their inability to take action against climate change will not go unpunished, and that those who suffer as a result shall be in some way compensated.

Opinions expressed on the editorial pages are not necessarily those of WSN, and our publication of opinions is not an endorsement of them. 

A version of this article appeared in the Monday, September 21 print edition. Email Jesus Kumamoto at [email protected].