1. I have been invited to a conference dealing with, well, climate justice. It will take place in Zagreb this November ahead of the Paris climate talks in December. According to the organizers, climate change is driving social, economic, and political inequality to new heights. The poorest of this world are the most vulnerable. Ravages of the weather affect them disproportionately. Therefore, something needs to be done in response to this injustice. This is an ethical question in need of a timely response. The organizers hope that the conference will offer valuable insights to the upcoming Paris talks.

Scholars are now being invited to submit papers for the conference. Now, I know the organizers, and I can imagine who the main speakers will be. The best and the brightest of the Croatian capital, to be sure. But it did not take me long to decide neither to submit a paper to the conference, nor to attend it. It will be a waste of time. Only a few crafty people will use the conference as a platform for making themselves look wonderful in the eyes of the tightly-knit audience. The show cannot but end up by being rather revolting.

2. The best model of the effect of climate change and environmental degradation that we have at hand is the fall of Rome. Justice and ethics were bantered about in high circles even in Roman times, but such topics were reserved for the few at the very top of the social, economic, and political hierarchy. But the most powerful families of the empire perished with its downfall, which was accompanied by many wars. Some of the downtrodden at its periphery survived in small communities, most often in hilly and inaccessible parts of the European subcontinent. Those communities fortified themselves to survive the onslaught of bewildered survivors. A new social order arose from the devastation of the old one.

We can expect something similar to happen as the result of climate change and environmental degradation caused by the recent explosion of human population. The most wealthy and powerful people of this day and age will perish in the process. The coming wars will affect the largest cities of this day the most. Some of the downtrodden at the periphery will survive in small communities. Once again, they will find their foothold in hilly and inaccessible parts of the subcontinent. The Balkan peninsula abounds with places ideal for such communities. Large and powerful cities will end up in rubble in the meanwhile. Just like the city of Rome after the fall of the empire, they will attract only scavengers.

3. Nothing that is about to happen has anything whatsoever to do with justice. Or ethics, for that matter. When it comes to social, economic, and political transformations of this magnitude, such notions are nigh meaningless. Although they may be of value to those who are presently in need, and who certainly need help, the coming calamity will recognize nothing but struggle for survival, which follows its primordial rules. Small communities will survive by following patterns of behavior that have prevailed for many tens of thousands of years across the entire globe. Just like troops of chimpanzees, these human tribes will not need any instructions on how to behave under the circumstances. It is all in the genes, anyhow.

4. At this juncture, that is about all we need to know about climate justice. Or ethics. The ravages of climate change and environmental degradation will take some time to play out. The inequalities and injustices of the moment mark nothing but the beginning of a long process that will not leave anyone out. Wars will only add to the misery of all, as has always been the case with the human species. Many twists and turns in justice can be expected this century and beyond. Focusing on this moment in the process is thus pretty meaningless, to say the least. At best, it can make for a cozy conference in which the best and the brightest can parade their supposed skills. As well as their moral acumen. Happily, I will miss the pointless show.