>"Are income inequality and environmental progress linked somehow?" They are insofar as anything that negatively impacts the population as a whole will be felt

>"Are income inequality and environmental progress linked somehow?" They are insofar as anything that negatively impacts the population as a whole will be felt worst by those at the bottom. This is not limited to environmental progress, it applies to just about anything you can think of. Who will suffer the most when sea levels rise? The poor, who cannot easily pick up their lives and relocate. Who will suffer the most when gas is taxed at 500% to reduce consumption? The poor who have little if any surplus income and for whom gas expenses make up a larger fraction of their budget. When the people at the bottom see people at the top have their discomfort cushioned by their wealth, a tense situation can develop.