Green capitalism is a stage of this economic model that tries to deal
with nature according to new rules. It is made up of a wide range of
institutions (from government offices, to corporations, think tanks,
charities, non-governmental organizations, to financial institutions)
that implement a certain process to enforce market mechanisms in the
environment. Few of these institutions use the term "green capitalism"
to describe what they do, but we and many others think it is the most apt.
Capitalism is once again in crisis, and many of the current global
environmental crises, including global climate change or biodiversity
loss, are creating new markets in which to generate profit. Proponents
of green capitalism claim that if we treat nature right, it will not
only be saved, but even healed. This can supposedly be achieved within
the current economy and at the same time ensure the welfare of society.
They say that through proper pricing of assets, goods and services
provided by the environment, the "invisible hand" of the market can
measure, monetize and minimize its devastation. But this assumption
ignores the fact that once you price something for protection, you open
the door to someone willing and able to pay that price and destroy the
"protected" priced resource or territory.
Green capitalism is also a trap. It is an attempt to make this economic
model appear to be socially and environmentally responsible, when it is
not. As there is sufficient global agreement on the need to tackle
global climate change and confront environmental issues, capitalism
needs to recast itself to appear to be addressing these issues and
seeking the best possible solutions.
The task of green capitalism is to divert attention from questions that
are primarily concerned with the contribution of the capitalist economy
to environmental devastation and its ability to deal with these
problems. The same capitalist principles and mechanisms that triggered
the environmental crisis-ie. perpetual economic growth, private
property, profit, and "free" markets-are being applied to the
environment to avert this crisis. It serves to preserve capitalist
dominance through the search for new ways of generating profit and as a
bulwark against the criticism of environmentalists.
Although this is an evolving concept without fixed definitions, we will
go into a more detailed analysis of the features that we believe are
central to green capitalism. We will also try to outline why we find
them problematic.
Disarming the environmental movement
The existence of green capitalism is in part a response to social
movements that force the capitalist economy to take environmental issues
into account. Environmental crises have created defiance around the
world, and as the self-governing green movement became better organized
and began to reach a wider public, capitalism had to start presenting
itself as a solution to the environmental crisis in order to dislodge
it. The concept of green capitalism began to be developed in the late
1980s and became mainstream thanks to the cooperation of some
environmental organizations with corporations. In 1992, 180 government
officials from around the world attended the United Nations Environment
Conference, the Earth Summit, in Rio alongside representatives of
business, non-governmental organizations and the media. Many people
consider it to be the moment when the ideas of green capitalism began to
gain ground globally.
Co-opting ecology
The destructive effect on the environment has been one of the pillars of
criticism of the capitalist economy for many years. In recent years,
however, the ideas of green capitalism have been used to argue that this
model does not harm nature (it is allegedly damaged by household
consumption), but on the contrary has the potential to solve ecological
problems. It is an attempt to seize upon a scathing critique of
capitalism, turn it upside down, and use it to ideologically justify a
treacherous economic system. It reinforces the myth that "there is no
alternative" and prevents the recognition and implementation of other
forms of social organization.
The urgency of the climate crisis and other environmental disasters may
be another incentive for a green capitalist approach. Because solutions
must be sought quickly, because immediate changes in lifestyles are
needed, people may be inclined to reject large-scale systematic changes
and be lured by the false promises of the green capitalist agenda. This
does nothing to solve the crisis, it only reinforces capitalist
mechanisms and principles.
Inequality, Injustice and the Global South
At the center of green capitalism is the commodification of the
environment. This means that people's access to and ability to benefit
from it is conditioned by their purchasing power, which inevitably
exacerbates environmental inequality, particularly based on gender, race
and class. Those who can afford to pay extra for environmentally
friendly products can claim that they are not responsible for the
destruction of nature, while those who cannot afford to do so become the
target of demonization and the cause of the problem.
The people of the Global South, who depend for their existence on their
traditional economies, are often directly exposed to the most
destructive methods of capitalism. Most often, it is deforestation of
their environment. Green capitalism does not address these invasive
business practices, it merely diverts attention and shifts the problem
elsewhere. The killing of people through the devastation of nature is a
form of violent oppression characteristic of many capitalist projects
and infamous in the southern hemisphere. On the other hand, the
wealthier people in the North are often detached from the consequences
of capitalist practice, whether it is painted green or not, and find it
difficult to navigate the vast amount of information and misinformation.
Dissecting nature
Another problem related to the commodification of the environment is the
need to break it down into individual interchangeable market items. But
ecosystems work thanks to the interconnectedness that forms the whole,
and contain a number of complicated processes operating between
individual elements. As a simple example of this complexity and
interdependence, we can cite the unexpected effects caused by the
introduction of wolves into Yellowstone National Park in the United States.
The reserve has become overgrown and overgrazing of the vegetation has
caused serious damage to the ecosystem. After the introduction of
wolves, elk numbers were not only reduced, they completely disappeared
from areas where hunting elk was easy for wolves. The vacated space
became overgrown with lush vegetation, which attracted more insects,
birds and beavers. Beavers built dams that provided a natural habitat
for new aquatic species. The lush vegetation also affected the rivers
themselves. It strengthened the banks, affected the flow, stopped
erosion and created additional habitat for additional species. The
deployment of a few predators positively affected a huge ecosystem,
essentially the entire physical geography, in a short time horizon.
If ecosystems are fragmented, as green capitalism demands, they cease to
function or even exist. Some people argue that even the ecosystem box is
too simplistic to capture natural processes. We have a hard time
imagining the intricacies of the interactions that exist between
different forms of life and their natural environment, so to think that
we understand them well enough to value them is absurd. Converting the
value of species and ecosystems to money is a key issue.
Different kinds of values
Proponents of green capitalism claim that valuing nature will save it
from devastation, but one of the problems with this approach is that it
tries to apply one kind of value (monetary) to something that has
completely different values (intrinsic, mental or existential). The
value of a mountain range, an underground river system, or worms cannot
be quantified solely in financial terms when much of their meaning is
subjective and dependent on their environment and context. In fact, if
you turn natural values into market values, it means that they will be
tradable, not protected.
Our survival and well-being absolutely depend on the environment. The
application of market values threatens exactly what green capitalism
claims to protect. The assumption that a single value system can be
applied to something as complex, diverse, and perhaps even indefinable
as nature is deeply mistaken.
Nature includes all forms of life, including differently sentient
creatures. These species are not here just to serve man. Nature has its
own inherent value that cannot be quantified by financial or economic
measures. All this is ignored or even denied by the anthropocentric
approach on which capitalism and other exploitative systems are based.
Anthropocentrism is deeply rooted in modern Western culture, but if we
are to find ways of harmonious existence with the non-human world, we
need to completely rethink these attitudes towards the environment.
Keeping capitalism alive
If we look at the problem from a slightly different perspective, we can
describe green capitalism as the next stage of capitalism's development,
or even as a necessary step for its survival. For capitalism to survive,
money must circulate, economies must grow, and new sources of profit
must constantly emerge as old ones are exhausted or destroyed. These,
including the ability and necessity of constant reinvention, have always
been important components of capitalism. In this sense, green capitalism
is a way for capitalism to continue to function. New ways of generating
money are created by turning more and more aspects of the environment
into tradable commodities. So green capitalism is an evolutionary stage
providing further opportunities to expand into new areas for sustainable
profit accumulation.
The powerful remain powerful
Another problem that is often neglected in the field of environmental
protection is the problem of power. Capitalism is a system of the rich
and powerful who maintain it. Green capitalism is a way to expand this
wealth and consolidate power. It is a way of consolidating the same
power principles that have caused the current ecological crisis. Instead
of disempowering multinational corporations that profit from
environmental destruction, it gives them more power and makes their
pacification increasingly difficult. The same institutions and
principles responsible for past and present economic crises are now to
be entrusted with the protection of the environment on which all life
depends.
Once nature is priced out and fully part of the market, it will suffer
from the same chronic diseases as the economy. Reckless trade and
speculation will crush it, just as it crushes our households. That's not
all. Green capitalism deepens the ingrained habits and assumptions on
which capitalism is based. This means that the current condescending
attitude towards the environment is increasingly difficult to overcome,
as is the force that hinders our collective imagination.
https://www.afed.cz/text/8195/zeleny-kapitalismus
_________________________________________
A - I N F O S N E W S S E R V I C E
By, For, and About Anarchists
Send news reports to A-infos-en mailing list
A-infos-en@ainfos.ca
with nature according to new rules. It is made up of a wide range of
institutions (from government offices, to corporations, think tanks,
charities, non-governmental organizations, to financial institutions)
that implement a certain process to enforce market mechanisms in the
environment. Few of these institutions use the term "green capitalism"
to describe what they do, but we and many others think it is the most apt.
Capitalism is once again in crisis, and many of the current global
environmental crises, including global climate change or biodiversity
loss, are creating new markets in which to generate profit. Proponents
of green capitalism claim that if we treat nature right, it will not
only be saved, but even healed. This can supposedly be achieved within
the current economy and at the same time ensure the welfare of society.
They say that through proper pricing of assets, goods and services
provided by the environment, the "invisible hand" of the market can
measure, monetize and minimize its devastation. But this assumption
ignores the fact that once you price something for protection, you open
the door to someone willing and able to pay that price and destroy the
"protected" priced resource or territory.
Green capitalism is also a trap. It is an attempt to make this economic
model appear to be socially and environmentally responsible, when it is
not. As there is sufficient global agreement on the need to tackle
global climate change and confront environmental issues, capitalism
needs to recast itself to appear to be addressing these issues and
seeking the best possible solutions.
The task of green capitalism is to divert attention from questions that
are primarily concerned with the contribution of the capitalist economy
to environmental devastation and its ability to deal with these
problems. The same capitalist principles and mechanisms that triggered
the environmental crisis-ie. perpetual economic growth, private
property, profit, and "free" markets-are being applied to the
environment to avert this crisis. It serves to preserve capitalist
dominance through the search for new ways of generating profit and as a
bulwark against the criticism of environmentalists.
Although this is an evolving concept without fixed definitions, we will
go into a more detailed analysis of the features that we believe are
central to green capitalism. We will also try to outline why we find
them problematic.
Disarming the environmental movement
The existence of green capitalism is in part a response to social
movements that force the capitalist economy to take environmental issues
into account. Environmental crises have created defiance around the
world, and as the self-governing green movement became better organized
and began to reach a wider public, capitalism had to start presenting
itself as a solution to the environmental crisis in order to dislodge
it. The concept of green capitalism began to be developed in the late
1980s and became mainstream thanks to the cooperation of some
environmental organizations with corporations. In 1992, 180 government
officials from around the world attended the United Nations Environment
Conference, the Earth Summit, in Rio alongside representatives of
business, non-governmental organizations and the media. Many people
consider it to be the moment when the ideas of green capitalism began to
gain ground globally.
Co-opting ecology
The destructive effect on the environment has been one of the pillars of
criticism of the capitalist economy for many years. In recent years,
however, the ideas of green capitalism have been used to argue that this
model does not harm nature (it is allegedly damaged by household
consumption), but on the contrary has the potential to solve ecological
problems. It is an attempt to seize upon a scathing critique of
capitalism, turn it upside down, and use it to ideologically justify a
treacherous economic system. It reinforces the myth that "there is no
alternative" and prevents the recognition and implementation of other
forms of social organization.
The urgency of the climate crisis and other environmental disasters may
be another incentive for a green capitalist approach. Because solutions
must be sought quickly, because immediate changes in lifestyles are
needed, people may be inclined to reject large-scale systematic changes
and be lured by the false promises of the green capitalist agenda. This
does nothing to solve the crisis, it only reinforces capitalist
mechanisms and principles.
Inequality, Injustice and the Global South
At the center of green capitalism is the commodification of the
environment. This means that people's access to and ability to benefit
from it is conditioned by their purchasing power, which inevitably
exacerbates environmental inequality, particularly based on gender, race
and class. Those who can afford to pay extra for environmentally
friendly products can claim that they are not responsible for the
destruction of nature, while those who cannot afford to do so become the
target of demonization and the cause of the problem.
The people of the Global South, who depend for their existence on their
traditional economies, are often directly exposed to the most
destructive methods of capitalism. Most often, it is deforestation of
their environment. Green capitalism does not address these invasive
business practices, it merely diverts attention and shifts the problem
elsewhere. The killing of people through the devastation of nature is a
form of violent oppression characteristic of many capitalist projects
and infamous in the southern hemisphere. On the other hand, the
wealthier people in the North are often detached from the consequences
of capitalist practice, whether it is painted green or not, and find it
difficult to navigate the vast amount of information and misinformation.
Dissecting nature
Another problem related to the commodification of the environment is the
need to break it down into individual interchangeable market items. But
ecosystems work thanks to the interconnectedness that forms the whole,
and contain a number of complicated processes operating between
individual elements. As a simple example of this complexity and
interdependence, we can cite the unexpected effects caused by the
introduction of wolves into Yellowstone National Park in the United States.
The reserve has become overgrown and overgrazing of the vegetation has
caused serious damage to the ecosystem. After the introduction of
wolves, elk numbers were not only reduced, they completely disappeared
from areas where hunting elk was easy for wolves. The vacated space
became overgrown with lush vegetation, which attracted more insects,
birds and beavers. Beavers built dams that provided a natural habitat
for new aquatic species. The lush vegetation also affected the rivers
themselves. It strengthened the banks, affected the flow, stopped
erosion and created additional habitat for additional species. The
deployment of a few predators positively affected a huge ecosystem,
essentially the entire physical geography, in a short time horizon.
If ecosystems are fragmented, as green capitalism demands, they cease to
function or even exist. Some people argue that even the ecosystem box is
too simplistic to capture natural processes. We have a hard time
imagining the intricacies of the interactions that exist between
different forms of life and their natural environment, so to think that
we understand them well enough to value them is absurd. Converting the
value of species and ecosystems to money is a key issue.
Different kinds of values
Proponents of green capitalism claim that valuing nature will save it
from devastation, but one of the problems with this approach is that it
tries to apply one kind of value (monetary) to something that has
completely different values (intrinsic, mental or existential). The
value of a mountain range, an underground river system, or worms cannot
be quantified solely in financial terms when much of their meaning is
subjective and dependent on their environment and context. In fact, if
you turn natural values into market values, it means that they will be
tradable, not protected.
Our survival and well-being absolutely depend on the environment. The
application of market values threatens exactly what green capitalism
claims to protect. The assumption that a single value system can be
applied to something as complex, diverse, and perhaps even indefinable
as nature is deeply mistaken.
Nature includes all forms of life, including differently sentient
creatures. These species are not here just to serve man. Nature has its
own inherent value that cannot be quantified by financial or economic
measures. All this is ignored or even denied by the anthropocentric
approach on which capitalism and other exploitative systems are based.
Anthropocentrism is deeply rooted in modern Western culture, but if we
are to find ways of harmonious existence with the non-human world, we
need to completely rethink these attitudes towards the environment.
Keeping capitalism alive
If we look at the problem from a slightly different perspective, we can
describe green capitalism as the next stage of capitalism's development,
or even as a necessary step for its survival. For capitalism to survive,
money must circulate, economies must grow, and new sources of profit
must constantly emerge as old ones are exhausted or destroyed. These,
including the ability and necessity of constant reinvention, have always
been important components of capitalism. In this sense, green capitalism
is a way for capitalism to continue to function. New ways of generating
money are created by turning more and more aspects of the environment
into tradable commodities. So green capitalism is an evolutionary stage
providing further opportunities to expand into new areas for sustainable
profit accumulation.
The powerful remain powerful
Another problem that is often neglected in the field of environmental
protection is the problem of power. Capitalism is a system of the rich
and powerful who maintain it. Green capitalism is a way to expand this
wealth and consolidate power. It is a way of consolidating the same
power principles that have caused the current ecological crisis. Instead
of disempowering multinational corporations that profit from
environmental destruction, it gives them more power and makes their
pacification increasingly difficult. The same institutions and
principles responsible for past and present economic crises are now to
be entrusted with the protection of the environment on which all life
depends.
Once nature is priced out and fully part of the market, it will suffer
from the same chronic diseases as the economy. Reckless trade and
speculation will crush it, just as it crushes our households. That's not
all. Green capitalism deepens the ingrained habits and assumptions on
which capitalism is based. This means that the current condescending
attitude towards the environment is increasingly difficult to overcome,
as is the force that hinders our collective imagination.
https://www.afed.cz/text/8195/zeleny-kapitalismus
_________________________________________
A - I N F O S N E W S S E R V I C E
By, For, and About Anarchists
Send news reports to A-infos-en mailing list
A-infos-en@ainfos.ca
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