Dear comrades and friends Climate change crisis: a crisis is the system, not the climate. Aphiwe Bewana writes.
Only a crisis--actual or perceive produces real change. When that crisis occurs, the actions that are taken depend on the ideas that are lying around. - Milton Friedman Scientific consensus has always pointed out that climate change and its adverse effects pose a most critical and unprecedented threat to humanity and the earth in the 21st century. Several scientific assessments have shown that climate change is no longer a hypothesis but a fact, and its causes and effects are already being experienced today (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change 2001, 2007). These reports show that irresponsible emissions of greenhouse gases, particularly carbon dioxide (CO2) to the atmosphere by “human activities” as a major driver that has perpetuated climate change. Greenhouse emissions explain around 90% of global climate change and this is no longer the object of credible contestation on the scientific level. The majority of carbon dioxide [CO2] emissions come from fossil-fuel use (56.6%) and deforestation (17.3%), which has been central in the rapid growth of world economies. However, in light of all these developments in climate change research and public discussions continue to lack in focusing to the underlying root-causes of climate change. The scope of proposed responses by world governments towards Copenhagen and beyond, particularly within developed nations and United Nations (UN) are limited to mitigation measures, and hardly move beyond technical approaches that only address the symptoms [i.e. targets of reduction of carbon emissions and carbon financing]. In essence even if greenhouse gases were restricted successfully by means of technological shifts and innovations, the root cause of would remain unaddressed. The root cause of climatic upheaval is not just due to “human activity” in general but to the path of these economic activities has been founded on capitalist laws. Conceptually, the problem of climate change is not an isolated phenomenon but a result of other market failures which include highest rate of depletion of fish stocks, depletion of biodiversity, reduction of food security due to barbaric agriculture practices and destruction of forests. This capitalistic driven system is characterized by destructive patterns of production, trade, extraction, land-use, waste proliferation, and consumption. The limitations of proposed responses do not address this contradiction, but allow a system which continues to undermine the integrity of life sustaining systems [predictable supply ecosystem services i.e. clean water, clean air, and productive land etc]. Thus, this crisis should be seen as providing an opportunity to challenge the root cause which is the capitalism economic growth paradigm. For example it is acknowledged that the economic take-off of the Industrial Revolution and the imperialism could not have been carried out on a large scale without coal. The dependence on scarce resources [coal, oil etc] for energy generation allowed for serious entrancement of capitalism [ownership and control of fossil fuel resources] and systematic suffocation of alternative sources. So my point here is not to critique genuine “progress” or genuine use of fossil fuel for generating energy per se but how it has been used by capitalist for their class interests. The inability of governments and UN to take decisive measures that are necessary to save humanity is rooted structurally in the fundamental laws of capitalism. This is can be demonstrated by their actions to commodify air pollution (carbon trading scheme) and even sinister ideas of converting food to fuel (biofuel), which show that capitalism knows no limit other than capital itself. As short-term measure, there is a need adequate and additional funding to support developing countries in establishing low-carbon growth plans from initiatives such as Clean Teseek the establishment of democratic planning of the economy which takes into account the preservation of the environment and, in particular, prevents a catastrophic disruption of the climate. It is thanks to such planning that we will be able to make a revolution in the energy system, leading to the replacement of the current resources (especially fossil energy), which are responsible for climate change and the poisoning of the environment, by renewable energy resources: water, wind and sun. The necessary prerequisite for this democratic and ecological planning is public control of the means of production: decision-making on matters of public interest concerning technological investment and change must be removed from the banks and the capitalist companies, if we want these decisions to serve the common good of society and the safeguarding of the environment. Aphiwe's new e-mail address is ([email protected]) Mr. A.L. Bewana MSc. Conservation Biology Percy-FitzPatrick Institute DST/NRF-Centre of Excellence University of Cape Town Cell no. 073 4483 651 "It is our aim and aspiration that all can become socially conscious, and effective; but to achieve this end, it is necessary to provide all with means of life and for development". - Errico ______________________________________________________________________________________________ UNIVERSITY OF CAPE TOWN This e-mail is subject to the UCT ICT policies and e-mail disclaimer published on our website at http://www.uct.ac.za/about/policies/emaildisclaimer/ or obtainable from +27 21 650 4500. This e-mail is intended only for the person(s) to whom it is addressed. If the e-mail has reached you in error, please notify the author. If you are not the intended recipient of the e-mail you may not use, disclose, copy, redirect or print the content. 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