How wealthy French elite avoid the consequences of the climate chaos they create
Thousands of French householders are having to be evacuated because of wildfires, others are being deprived of drinking water from their taps while some are even dying at work because of the heat. Yet meanwhile the ultra-rich are jetting around in private planes, benefiting from exemptions to be able to continue to play golf and racking up profits thanks to rocketing fossil fuel prices. In this opinion article Mediapart's Mickaël Correia argues that the French government is itself giving a stamp of approval to the rich elite's climate 'separatism' through its approach to environmental policy.
ItIt was a small town in north-east France which encapsulated the times in which we live. As a result of the unusual dryness that has hit France over recent weeks, the inhabitants of Gérardmer were left without drinkable tap water. While efforts were made to resolve the issue by taking supplies from neighbouring Lake Gérardmer, the residents of this resort town and four nearby villages were told late in July that for 48 hours they should not drink their water without boiling it first.
