The Carbon Pie and How the Wealthiest Slice It Up

I came across a stat today that stopped me mid-coffee sip. Apparently, the richest 1% of people on this planet managed to gobble up their share of the entire annual carbon budget for 2025... in just 10 days. Ten. Days. By the time most of us are still figuring out our New Year’s resolutions, they’ve blown through their environmental allowance like it’s Monopoly money.

Now, let me break this down: the “carbon budget” is basically the amount of CO₂ we can pump into the atmosphere without frying the planet beyond repair. Think of it as a pie that everyone on Earth has to share equally. The 1%? They’re scarfing down giant slices like it’s an all-you-can-eat buffet, leaving crumbs (if that) for the rest of us. Meanwhile, the other half of the world—the poorest half—takes three years to consume their share. Three years! That’s like showing up to the party three hours late and finding out the pizza’s gone, but there’s still... celery sticks.

Here’s the kicker: to keep the world from heating up more than 1.5°C (the point where things get seriously ugly), the wealthiest 1% would need to slash their emissions by a whopping 97% by 2030. Ninety. Seven. Percent. That’s like telling a chocoholic to give up all but one square of chocolate a month. Doable? Maybe. Painful? Absolutely.

But what really hits me is the inequality of it all. It’s not just about carbon; it’s about who gets to live comfortably and who’s stuck picking up the pieces. The 1% jet around like there’s no tomorrow, while half the world is trying to figure out how to stay warm, fed, and afloat.

And yet, here we are, all in the same planetary boat, but some folks are lounging on the upper deck sipping cocktails, and others are bailing water to keep the thing from sinking.

This makes me think: what’s my slice of the carbon pie? I’m not hopping on private jets or building mega-mansions, but I know I can do better. Maybe it’s swapping out some car rides for walks or choosing local produce over the stuff shipped halfway across the world. It’s easy to point fingers at the 1%, but change starts with the choices I make, even if they feel small.

Still, this isn’t just about individual actions—it’s a systemic problem. We need policies, regulations, and big, bold moves to make the pie-sharing fairer. Until then, I guess I’ll just keep doing my part, staying hopeful, and dreaming of a world where we all get a fair shot at dessert.

Now, time for tea. And maybe a snack, because all this talk of pie is making me hungry.