The world’s slide into authoritarian practices is accelerating the climate crisis. At its core, the authoritarian goal is typically to enable resource consolidation for a few. Such projects pursue muscular governance that puts the concerns of these few people ahead of the planet, while weaponising disinformation and dissatisfaction.
The increasing adoption of authoritarian tactics by leaders, including in democracies, and their corporate allies are further entrenching fossil fuels. The United States, an economic behemoth and number one cumulative emitter of greenhouse gas, is one such example.
First, they not only trash climate science but discredit the very idea of expertise and manipulate the information ecosystem to breed cynicism. A report compiled by a group of “independent experts”, convened by the US Department of Energy, says projections of future global warming are exaggerated and climate action could do more harm than good. …
Second, many authoritarians lock in fossil dependence at home and abroad by exploiting economic interdependence and asymmetries of power. …
Third, as the American philosopher Jason Stanley has documented in his book How Fascism Works, authoritarian projects intentionally stoke social divisions, sabotage community relationships and divert attention to the wrong ‘bad guys’ to cement power and hobble collective action.
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