Corporations Are Not Going to Save Us From Climate Disruption

[marmar]

(Truthout) This past week in New York saw some remarkable actions around climate change. The massive People's Climate March was perhaps the main media spectacle, but it was not the only, or necessarily the most important event. Another important one: the Climate Justice Summit, which featured the voices and testimonials of people all around the country and the globe who are on the frontlines, bearing the brunt of both ruthless extraction and destruction of their lands and livelihoods, and also experiencing most directly the impacts of climate change itself. Many were tearful as they described lives and lands laid to ruin by tar sands, fracking, coal, uranium mining and more. The brutal, relentless and rapacious greed of corporate profiteers in the fossil fuel industries, big agribusiness and forestry and financial sectors seems almost unfathomable.

Clearly, the United Nations is not going to do what is necessary to change the path we are on, but rather is mired in blame and conflict, relegated to endlessly reenacting and rehashing the history of colonialism, apparently utterly incapable of taking any steps that could be construed as challenging to the economic status quo much less calling out capitalism. Why? Because the UN itself is beholden to corporate puppet masters.

With apparent naïveté, the UN insists on taking its cue from the very corporations who are responsible for degrading the planet, destroying lives and creating the crisis in the first place. This is pervasive throughout institutions and governments across the globe, not only the UN. The reason is money. With a handful of corporations owning and controlling most of the world's wealth, little can be funded and executed on a large scale without the funding, involvement and decision making of the handful of ultra wealthy. Which means ceding control to those corporate interests and doing their bidding. Money is power - but not the only kind!

The proliferation of "public-private partnerships" is one of the manifestations of this political and economic reality. These are presented in diplomatic terms as attempts to "bring together" the public and private sectors with civil society, to ensure all "stakeholders" are represented in working toward various goals. Many are either initiated by, or granted a platform in, the UN. One such partnership in particular that was in the limelight at this climate summit was the "Global Alliance for Climate Smart Agriculture." .............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/26501-corporations-are-not-going-to-save-us-from-climate-disruption

[KurtNYC]

1. A lot of focus on what WON'T work. Perhaps some balance would be provided by looking at what IS

Major insurance companies suing to force action:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2014/05/19/climate-change-get-ready-or-get-sued/

Youth have standing to sue for action on climate change and are proceeding:
http://billmoyers.com/2014/04/28/young-people-are-taking-the-government-to-court-over-its-failure-to-address-climate-change/

Billionaire Richard Branson continues his crusade and Carbon War Room, announcing a new initiative aimed at using better tech and practices to reduce emissions from diesel trucking:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/christopherhelman/2014/02/25/richard-branson-launches-a-green-energy-plan-for-the-caribbean/

The (billionaire) Rockefellers divesting from petroleum, $50 billion so far (!?):
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-09-22/companies-pledging-action-as-leaders-set-to-talk-climate.html

USDA and US farmers adopting no-till practices (less pesticide and petroleum use, less soil erosion, better water retention), 35% of US farming now no-till and rising:
http://sustainableagriculture.net/blog/usda-report-on-no-till-farming/

Birth rates world-wide are declining. China now in year 35 of "one-child" policy:
http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/future_tense/2013/01/world_population_may_actually_start_declining_not_exploding.html

Massive adoption of solar energy on-going.

- - -
Lots of other areas for progress that need our help. A big one is efficiency. Efficiency is shunned by economies that are addicted to growth. Efficiency may reduce manufacturing jobs, commodity prices, tax base, etc so it is not high on the list for governments and those who want their numbers to go up constantly and forever but efficient use of energy will be key to maintaining our standard of living while addressing climate change in a meaningful way. Higher MPG, less plastic, more durability, and less miles driven all have the benefit of putting less carbon in the air but we measure GDP and "success" by how many cars are sold, houses built and hours worked so efficiency seems at odds with the GDP scoreboard.