So-called climate change denial is just a tactic to make sure the vast majority of the world’s power and wealth remains in the hands of a privileged few. If the people of the world could have a say in their destiny they would choose survival, quality of life and fairness over enriching the powerful elite in the hope that they’ll occasionally get some crumbs. Real democracy would not result in a dangerous choice to continue to increase man-made climate change after decades of warnings from the scientific community, especially if the overwhelming majority of people do not benefit from the causes of climate change. But capitalism does.
We know the average person is not a climate science expert. Neither are businessmen, journalists, celebrities or farmers. But all of us can be informed by the real experts. Or we can be informed by the leaders of the fossil fuel, agriculture and automobile industries via their paid political representatives and media mouthpieces. Either way we do not make the real decisions. Capitalism, not democracy, makes money count more than votes.
Pic: Arlynn Aquino EU/ECHO, Leyte, Philippines, November 2013
Capitalism does not encourage sustainability. It has no interest in it. The nature of the predominant economic system on the planet is to make as much profit in as short a time as possible. For any kind hope of a sustainable, recognizable future it must be at the very least carefully regulated by governments and kept in check by people.
There are a lot of people on earth who seem to believe we have two earths. We have seen now what has happened in the Philippines. It is an urgent warning. An example of changed weather and how climate change is affecting all of us on earth.
–UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon (via Agence France-Presse)
What Ban Ki Moon is not addressing is that there are in fact two earths: one for the richest and most powerful “one percent” and another for everyone else. The moneyed elite know they are not at risk from climate change. They are not poor, rural Filipinos living in thatched huts or residents of low-lying Pacific islands. Nor are they likely to lose their position to another damaging hurricane like Sandy if it hits the US or in an Australian bush fire.
National day of climate action, Melbourne, Australia, November 17, 2013. Pic: Takver
In Australia, unlike in most other countries, there’s an atmosphere of denialism and scepticism. So many in our media and so many of our politicians, who should know better, deny that the science is settled. This isn’t the time to move backwards. You’ll hear a lot this week from Tony Abbott about his mandate. He’ll tell all of you to get out of the way as he tries to slam Australia into reverse. But we won’t be taking a backwards step, not this week, not this year, or next year or ever.
–Australian Labour Party environment spokesperson Mark Butler (via the Guardian)
The “atmosphere” the spokesperson is talking about is not really some sort of scientific skepticism, but the victory of those with obscene amounts of money over everyone else. Intergovernmental groups can discuss tackling climate change and poverty, but until power is wrested from the super-rich, these problems will continue and increase. Until we question capitalism.
350.org petition – Send a message to the UN: Haiyan is a wake-up call