Hi Jurriaan, > Reasonably punchy article by an ecological historian, suggesting there > is no green way out for capitalism: > > "Green capitalism: the god that failed" > by Richard Smith, Institute for Policy Research & Development, London > In: Real-world economics review, issue no. 56 > http://www.paecon.net/PAEReview/issue56/Smith56.pdf
This article is indeed an interesting one, and thank you very much for posting the reference to it. Among other things, it goes into the failure of cap and trade and the carbon tax, referring to the actual experience with it. It doesn't just advocate that "business is destroying the world", but goes into details. There is much too much defense of market measures based on someone abstract idea of how the market should work, if it worked according to their prescriptions, and not enough examination of how the market measures have really fared in the environment. I think that the article does suffer from some shortcomings. Now, I know that you giving the reference to this article shouldn't be taken to mean that you agree with all of it. But I would like to go on to comment on its views without implying that these are your views, because I think it is a significant article. Its idea is, generally speaking, just to say that we need a change, a new system. It gives an impression of debunking anything that might be done, because it doesn't give much of an idea of what to fight for now. In fact, the failure of market measures indicates that something more effective should be advocated now, even while capitalism exists, and even while the majority of people still don't see the need to go beyond it (even if they talk of "socialism", they conceive of it as simply capitalism with some reforms). We need such things as a) a system of overall environmental regulation, which inevitably requires a large measure of overall economical regulation. b) the regulation must not simply be comprehensive as far as environmental production, but must be of a different character than current neo-liberal government operations. As far as possible, the masses have to be involved in it. c) the linking of environmental planning with planning for mass livelihood -- not by the "trickle-down" method of saying that "green jobs" will suffice, but through direct planning to provide the mass needs. d) there has to be a fight against the entrenched capitalist interests Obviously only a fraction of this and the other things that are needed can be accomplished under capitalism. But without accomplishing something along these lines, the devastation will be extreme before we get to socialism. In any case, irrespective of how much can be accomplished, there must be a fight to accomplish this, just as much as we have to fight for democratic and economic demands. Indeed, unless one puts forward one's idea of what is needed now, how will anyone know what one conceives off as a new system? The fight for comprehensive planning that deals both with the environment and mass livelihood, and links the two, will help clarify what type of system one wants, and whether it really is different from today's capitalism. Instead the article repeatedly fulminates against "consumerism" and "growth". To do this without further explanation is particularly unfortunate at a time when hundreds of millions of people are starving. It also is misleading because the need to rebuild infrastructure, industry and agriculture to deal with the environment will mean a massive economic effort, not a retreat to simply doing less. What is needed is to show the difference between the way capitalism is treating consumption and needs, and what is needed. The article doesn't deal with this. But, as I said, it does give a lot of useful and important information about the failure of capitalist market measures. In doing so, it poses a problem, rather than retreating from it by crossing one's fingers and believing in the latest neo-liberal fad. -- Joseph ----------------------------------- Joseph Green [email protected] ------------------------------------ _______________________________________________ pen-l mailing list [email protected] https://lists.csuchico.edu/mailman/listinfo/pen-l
