Greed 💰 = 🌍🔥
As the name says, 'Global warming' is a global phenomenom and not a localised effect. Capitalism worldwide is despoiling the environment, changing weather patterns, degrading land and water, extinguishing animal species. Capitalism is polarising the planet, making a few fabulously wealthy while impoverishing the many, seizing the best land and evicting small farmers and devastating rural communities, leaving destitution in its wake. The capitalists sacrifice the balance of nature for the sake of plunder.
Essentially, if Capitalism is the reason why we have the climate change crisis, then any attempt to halt it must by definition anti-capitalist and therefore the anti-capitalist prescription is to scrap rather than reform capitalism. A cooperative commonwealth of the associated producers, rationally interacting with nature for mutual benefit is surely the precondition for a sustainable planet.
Ref: ALJO
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I'm not sure that Capitalism is the cause of the problem, Capitalism is simply the prevailing mechanism which can be, and should be a motivator, a reason to educate, innovate and build better. Capitalism is not the preserve of huge multinationals, it exists at all levels of society. It allows social mobility and rewards hard work in a very constructive manner. Capitalism is simply a system that ultimately generates money which in turn provides possessions and power for the individual.
Sadly at the heart of any system there exists the potential for abuse motivated by GREED. It is this greed that aims to maximise profit and concentrates the power generated by money. After all why should we behave fairly and have a little when we can behave unfairly and have a lot - and fairness in this context is fairness to the planet.
I'm not sure what the answer is. Ultimately greed is self-defeating as it will bring about changes that will decrease power. Unfortunately greed is a short term gratification and few are thinking about what will happen in 10 or 20 years time because they want their power, their possessions now. A system which constrains, or ideally frowns upon greed would be a start. Sadly in the media driven consumerist environment that we live, where importance and power are driven by possessions I cannot see it happening any time soon.
Personally I am a great fan of an increasingly emergent and all encompassing Carbon Exchange as a factor - both as a way of restricting carbon output and also as a way of redistributing wealth from the rich to the poor.
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Hi Philip,
First of all let me say I agree with the second part of your comment, which was about greed. This has to do with human nature and I agree with you on that point.
But You talked about a consumeristic society in the same breath, yet this very system is all brought about by the capitalist society itself, which is there to perpetuate consumerism and is all part of the very same problem. Creating competition between companies and also peoples, between the haves and the have nots.
The greed that you talked about on which we agreed it is that which is destroying the earth deforrestation, pollution of the air, the land, the water and sea by companies who take but give very little back in return.
This was the main point of my post 'Global warming' and 'Capitalism' and that Capitalism or as you said 'consumerism' is what is causing the destruction of our planet.
What is required is transformational change, a mass mobilisation of peoples for an entirely new society based upon a fundamentallly different economic system. Those intent upon defending the environment must organise world wide for a new system which is the antidote to the despair and despondency that prevails in many peoples attitudes to the global warming threat and the capitalist system.
Abundance exists and to provide plenty-for-all need not involve the intensification of the extraction process to the detriment of the environment . Production can be geared to satisfying human needs which, contrary to the mythology used to justify Capitalism, are not limitless and can be met without over-srtretching
Natures resources.
Gill
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Refrence; ALJO