Petromodernity and the New Normal: How Fossil Fuels Connect Wildfires in Iran and California

Summary

The article explores the concept of "petromodernity" — the modern era defined by fossil fuel dependency — and draws a connection between wildfires in Iran and Southern California as symptoms of the climate crisis. It uses the story of the critically endangered Asiatic cheetah in Iran as a symbol of ecological collapse driven by oil-based modernity. The piece argues that wildfires, habitat destruction, and species extinction are interconnected consequences of petromodernity, and that the "new normal" of environmental disasters unites seemingly disparate regions like Iran and California. It blends environmental critique, political analysis, and cultural commentary to examine how fossil fuel consumption shapes landscapes, politics, and futures across the globe.

Source

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