The Epinhood (TEH)

www.nytimes.com/2023/01/14/climate/ecuador-drilling-oil-amazon.html

I see a great Ceiba tree on fire with many rings of indifference worth interpreting. First there is the indifference of the Highly Developed Nations (HDN) that unashamedly built the existing disparities between ourselves and Lower Developed Nations by kidnapping their leaders, ransoming their treasuries, eradicating their civilizations, erasing their history, and exploiting their resources. Then there is the desperate indifference of the indigenous peoples who accept the poor bargain of any income for discarding their remaining natural resources to survive the consequences of our historic aggressions. Of course there is the greedy indifference of the Oil Cartels to score once more by ruining another fragile ecosystem they have bartered mightily to possess. Nor can we forget the existentially nihilistic indifference of the governments signing paperwork as we comment to ensure we are now even closer to the Climate Emergencies of tomorrow at a moment when every acre of rainforest preserved matters more than ever before.

• TEH Comment