China is deploying low-carbon investments through its $1.3 trillion Belt and Road Initiative. But many of these projects come with risks of their own. Case in point: Two hydroelectric dams in Argentina could flood cultural heritage sites and harm one of the world’s largest glacial icefields.
Pure criticism of the impacts of these investments is absolutely useful and warranted, especially from a point of view of whether they impede or promote decarbonization and an indigenous point of view.
But the article is also rife with discussions of US-China imperial antagonisms and cites the opinions of US officials. Well, excuse me, but Trumpist America opinions about the environmental impact of decarbonization projects can get fucked. The country that drills baby drill, that pulls out of the Paris Agreement, that actively curtails renewables etc etc etc doesn’t get to have a say on what other countries do or don’t do for the climate.
So I don’t know how to read this article. It’s too hard to untangle what is legitimate criticism and what is American hypocrisy.
Case in point: Two hydroelectric dams in Argentina could flood cultural heritage sites and harm one of the world’s largest glacial icefields.
Something tells me this would be happen regardless of which country made the investment
@ice they can’t do worse than the USA.
