In The Sixth Extinction, Elizabeth Kolbert describes what some scientists have called a “madness gene”, a human tendency to pursue short-term gains despite long-term ruin. It is an unsettling idea — that a species capable of understanding planetary collapse might continue to accelerate it. Today, that same perverse logic is visible in global politics. As conflicts escalate and geopolitical tensions harden, climate commitments quietly recede.

This contradiction is especially stark in the context of World Health Day 2026 (April 7), which was observed with the theme “Together for health. Stand with science”. This year’s observance launched a year-long campaign celebrating the power of scientific collaboration to protect the health of people, animals, plants, and the planet. And yet, paradoxically, the world is increasingly using its scientific and technological prowess not to preserve the planet, but to deplete it by channelling innovation into warfare, energy extraction and short-term security, rather than long-term planetary well-being.

Conflicts led or influenced by the Global North are not just geopolitical events. They are mechanisms that divert climate finance, reinforce fossil dependence, and export compounded climate and health risks to the Global South. The consequences of which are structured, predictable and deeply unequal.

The roots of this imbalance lie in history. The industrial growth of the Global North was built on centuries of carbon-intensive development, driving the accumulation of greenhouse gases that now shape our climate reality. That same trajectory also created robust infrastructure, strong institutions, and economic buffers. This dual legacy of responsibility for emissions alongside the capacity to adapt, has long........

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