THE CLIMATE LEGACY OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE

When Queen Elizabeth passed away, much of the Western establishment's reaction was one of uncritical mourning. Likewise, her successor King Charles' ascent to the throne was greeted with celebration.It's one thing for world leaders to send formal condolences for a loss or congratulations for an ascendance. But in the United States, President Biden and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ordered the flag to be flown at half staff, a rare honor for a foreign leader. And Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, the iconic street that connects the White House to the Capitol, has been lined with British flags.These gestures go way beyond customary diplomatic niceties. And to many of the billions of people who live in or have ancestral ties to former British colonies, they're profoundly offensive.Consider: As the global media obsessed over the royal succession, onethird of Pakistan, a former British colony, lay submerged.The death toll from extreme flooding is already at 1,500, with nearly 700,000 people displaced in desperate conditions. In addition to homes, other essential infrastructure, including 18,000 schools, has also been damaged or destroyed. Flood survivors face serious risks of starvation and waterborne illnesses.