The wasteful opulence that characterizes the middle and upper classes of Western
industrialized nations was created by colonizing and plundering the Global South.Between 1850 and 2002 these aggressive nations emitted more than three times moregreenhouse gases than the victims of their racist colonialism. But who will paythe heaviest price for climate change? Predictably it will be those who have donethe least to cause it and who have are already suffered the most fromcapitalism's scramble for ‘growth'. More frequent and more violent storms aredestroying crops, rising sea levels are threatening flood and ruin, heat andhumidity is set to render life in some areas intolerable.The most basic consideration of justice dictates that reparations must be made bythe wealth hoarders so that exploited regions get resources to mitigate theexisting damage and to plan for a sustainable future.But a cursory look at whatthe economic overlords of the wealthiest nations are doing right now, through theInternational Monetary Fund and the World Trade Organization, indicates that theydon't even remotely care about paying the enormous debt they owe to the GlobalSouth. Through conditionality linked to ‘aid' they are vigorously: deterringsocialized health care and social security; disallowing protections for domesticindustries and their workers; and ruthlessly enforcing unjust debt repayment.This commitment to the bullying tactics of neo-liberalism offers little hope thatthey will take climate reparations seriously. If the powerful intend to pay only lip-service at best to climate reparationswhat can we do? Whilst the ACG advocates a revolutionary democratic restructuringof society, we are not deluded. This won't happen quickly enough to address theimminent effects of climate injustice. Nevertheless, in bringing pressure to bearon those who hold the power, revolutionary tactics are relevant. The concept ofracist environmental injustice was put on the political map of the world's mostpowerful economy forty years ago when a Black community in North Carolinarebelled against a toxic dump being placed amongst them(https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/interactive/2021/environmental-justice-race/).This kind of action offers a model for challenging the power of the wealthy. Itis right to protest at COP 26 but it will achieve little. Grass-roots collectiveaction in communities and workplaces has revolutionary potential because it isrooted in true democracy. It threatens the elites and at the moment pressure frombelow is our only realistic option.https://www.anarchistcommunism.org/2021/10/26/reparations-a-call-for-climate-justice/_________________________________________A - I N F O S N E W S S E R V I C EBy, For, and About AnarchistsSend news reports to A-infos-en mailing listA-infos-en@ainfos.ca
Geen opmerkingen:
Een reactie posten