[ntp85]

Isn't it common sense that the wealthy are the ones who produce / emit the most CO2? Maybe I'm missing the point here, but I can't understand how poverty is the worst thing for the environment seeing that it restricts consumption.

[canadiantim]

Poor people care less for the environment than wealthier people, as a general rule. So if you push more people into poverty you get a population that will care about environmental concerns less. E.g. they will overharvest fish populations, or care less about other environmental pollution because their primary concern is getting food on their table and surviving. It's like maslow's heirarchy of needs. People generally need to look after their own and their family's survival first before they look at the survival of the environment.

[lapcat]

> Poor people care less for the environment than wealthier people, as a general rule.

This is not true. "Higher and lower incomes make little difference to people's concern about the natural environment, according to new research from the University of Bristol." https://phys.org/news/2012-09-environmentalism-rich-poor.htm...

See also: "People Of Color And Poor Americans Are More Likely To Care About Climate Change, Study Says" https://www.livekindly.com/people-color-poor-likely-care-cli...

[themitigating]

Poor people take public transit, drive small cars, ans buy less. Obviously not by choice but this tends to be much more environmentally friendly.

Middle class Americans drive lifted pickup trucks without using the main functionality. That harms the environment

[fzeroracer]

> Poor people care less for the environment than wealthier people, as a general rule.

If you're going to make up a rule then you need to actually substantiate your rule. Because considering I came from a family of fishermen (per your fish population quote) that was also in deep poverty I can tell you we specifically cared quite a bit about the environment; because ensuring that fish stocks didn't deplete is kind of a big deal for business.

[cfhhgtyg]

I don't think that's true, even though it may seem like that, since poor people can't consume as much climate friendly marketed tech.

Study for attitude to climate policies and more for countries all around the world, rich and less rich: https://www.oecd.org/climate-change/international-attitudes-...