Capitalism and the Climate Crisis

James C. MacDonald

The definition of “Capitalism” according to the Oxford Dictionary is, “an economic and political system in which a country’s trade and industry are controlled by private owners for profit, rather than by the state”. And the definition of “Climate Change” by the same institution is, “a change in global or regional climate patterns, in particular a change apparent from the mid to late 20th century onwards and attributed largely to the increased levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide produced by the use of fossil fuels”. So what do these two terms have in common? one thing. In our current society they are both inherently interconnected.

As mentioned before, capitalism is driven by profits, profits being the amount of money that is earned and then not paid in taxes or other expenditures, being directly for you. Now put a pin in that, we’ll come back to it soon. So due to the way society and humanity has evolved, carbon emitting, non eco friendly products and workplace items are more common, widely produced, and cheaper than their climate friendly counterparts. This is when I come back to profits, if cheaper items are less eco friendly they increase profits. So profits go down if the company wants to buy carbon zero products, meaning bosses get less money in the short term, leading bosses and shareholders to turn down meaningful change because it sacrifices profit.

The current economic system puts profits before people, not just people but the world, our future. Capital drives the unelected bureaucrats at the top of megacorporations to sacrifice our planet in return for money. And this won’t change, Due to the well documented alliance of the private sector and the government (especially in The United States of America) the government can not issue change to this system to protect this planet and its many inhabitants. Seriously, over 80% of people believe that climate change is a devastating threat. So why are the ice caps still melting, why are so few countries actually trying to do something about it. Because of capital, because of the rich, because of the current economic system, capitalism.

Now we don’t have a clear alternative, many different systems can be put in place, some might work better than others, but what I know is that many things would be better than capitalism, better for our environment, better for our planet. The future of this world stands upon the edge of a knife, stray, but a little and it will fail to the ruin of all. End what is so dangerous and so intertwined in governments and we will save this planet. This is my argument for the interconnection of capitalism and the climate crisis. This is my argument for the overthrow of capitalism, among other things it’s really god damn bad for our future.

There is a claim that the state socialist countries were undemocratic, this is correct. There is a claim that the state socialist countries censored the press, this is correct. But then those who say that those state socialist countries like Cuba and North Korea were dictatorships, yet we are not. This is not true. Capitalist “democracies” are not free, they do not have free press, they do not have the freedoms that they claim they do. Why are all of the largest news agencies so right wing? Because they are all agencies, controlled by bosses. News privatised.

“..what I know is that many things would be better than capitalism, better for our environment, better for our planet.”