Billionaires are buying massive amounts of land in Appalachia to plant forests as carbon offsets, per Echoes of Appalachia.
While this may sound like good news on the surface (at least they are doing something to try to offset the massive amounts of gas and oil they and their companies use), the truth is that it's not great for the people who live there. True, billionaires release a million times more carbon pollution than average people, and the top 10% of them produce at least 40% of carbon pollution, so it's nice to see them doing something about it.
However, when people spend a lot on land, it raises property taxes not only for them but also for the surrounding landowners. It also takes the land out of public use. The general price of land goes up, too, often forcing people whose families have been in an area for a long time to move elsewhere, according to the Institute for Policy Studies.
People are also finding that they can no longer access land that has been available to them for generations. Billionaires put up fences and gates that weren't there before.
Part of the problem comes from the fact that a lot of the land in Appalachia has historically been owned by corporations, according to Appalachian Voices. While mining and other operations aren't active anymore, they haven't been able to get any takers for the land those operations were on. When billionaires make an offer, these companies jump at it because it's the first one they've gotten in a long time.
Taking back some of that land may come down to policy changes around who can and cannot buy in certain areas. Voting for politicians who care about these things can help change the laws. If you own land in a rural community like Appalachia, consider refusing to sell to billionaires, too. This will help keep them out of certain enclaves, anyway.
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In a Reddit post about the topic, people who live in Appalachia or who have heard about this land buyup by the very rich weren't impressed.
"Great. Just what we needed. As if they haven't owned and ruined enough stuff," one said sarcastically.
"Ah yes, billionaires....historically the ally of everyone in Appalachia," another added in the same tone.
"This is heartbreaking," someone else shared.
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