# Sunil Amrith on unequal costs of environmental destruction

2026-08-14T17:03:06+00:00 | World & Diplomacy | Indian Opinion Desk

Corroboration: 1 independent outlet

In an interview with Times of India, Yale historian Sunil Amrith discusses his new book 'The Burning Earth', which argues that elite pursuit of luxury and accumulation has disproportionately driven environmental destruction over the last two centuries. Amrith, winner of the Infosys Prize, MacArthur Fellowship, and Toynbee Prize, anchors his global history in Asia, home to most of humanity. Drawing on paleoclimatology and other disciplines, he traces how migration, plantations, and colonial economies reshaped the planet. He stresses that environmental inequality is central to understanding the climate crisis, though his book stops short of naming clear villains.

## Coverage

- timesofindia.indiatimes.com <https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/sunil-amrith-on-the-burning-earth-and-the-unequal-costs-of-environmental-destruction/articleshow/133244981.cms>

Tags: Sunil Amrith, The Burning Earth, Yale University
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