Capitalism an obstacle to the Mitigation of Climate Change
Capitalism an obstacle to the Mitigation of Climate Change
Climate is said to be one of the most talked about issue in the 21st century which has been greatly politicized. This is because it touches on issues of human survival, sustainable development for all and economic development. Climate change also involves so many parties, actors and other stakeholders, whose priorities on climate change conflict with each other. The survival of man literally depends on the climate. This means that any change in climate affects how man lives today and in the near future. However it is wrong to refer to climate change as the new apocalypse, because climate change is an issue which can be slowed down by man unlike an apocalypse which can happen at any time without any sign or warning. Climate change is a phenomenon which can be dictated through comparing the data on past climatic conditions to the current climatic changes. The only challenge that man is facing in combating climate change is the influence of capitalism in the mitigation of climate change (What is climate change).
The beginning of the 21st century is said to be the warmest period. One of the major causes of climate change is known as the green house gases which are induced by man. Gases such as carbon dioxide which is produced through the burning of oil, natural gas and fossil fuels cause a green house effect. This green house effect results to warm temperatures within the atmosphere. This has led into to so much money being spent for research purposes in order to examine the level at which climate change is actually occurring (NOAA, 2007).
Events such as the collapse of Ice known as Larsen B in Antarctica and increase in sea level have are all been associated with climate change. All these events call for immediate action. If man is able to engage into effective actions climate change can be stopped. However, the impact of mans actions against climate change has to start now in order to see positive results. These effective actions entail sacrifices which have to be made. There are those who may also see climate change as a new apocalypse due to the fact that it affects the whole globe, however it is also a local issue. All countries ought to get engaged programmes address issues of sustainability. In order to have an impact on whole globe countries, have to first begin at the local level especially in cities. This is because cities are where there is high consumption level and waste production due to the high population. Cities in their own capacities can thus be able to plan management of energy supply and waste management. It has also been said that sustainable development has been put into practice through the help of local authority. On the other hand, local authorities can also be able to engage into action through coordinating with other stakeholders such as the national government. Local authorities have more experience concerning environmental impacts and are better of in terms coming up with innovative strategies in reducing the impact on climate change (Bulkeley & Betsil 2003).
Even though the local government have some influence regarding on the emission of green houses gases, the efforts seem to be frustrated by larger multinational corporations. The fact that the local authorities have been operating independently also shows that the local authorities can be weak when it comes to the implementation of policies which contribute reduction of climate change. There needs to be strong cooperation among relevant stakeholders (Bulkeley & Betsil 2003).Large corporate organizations have been very slow in implementing policies that are meant to reduce emissions of greenhouses gases. Governments in Europe and countries like Japan have taken an initiative but few programmes are actually being implemented. In the United States the major obstacle is that the cost in reducing climate change is too expensive. There have thus been various debates regarding the cost of climate change and if the cost is worthwhile. The politics around climate change can thus be related to the issue of money. The reduction of carbon emissions means that most industries which are found in the west will have to make costly sacrifices (Centre on global climate change).
The first step that the west took that showed its commitment in addressing the issue of climate change, is through signing of the Kyoto Protocol in 1997.However, Australia and the United States eventually withdrew. The withdrawal of the two countries frustrated the implementation of the Kyoto protocol where countries were required to reduce the emission of carbon. According to a report on the Kyoto protocol in 1999, there were also economic costs which countries also had to meet. The aspect of economic cost even made it difficult for western countries to comply with the Kyoto protocol. Western countries own many industries that emit carbon into the atmosphere unlike the developing nations. Those who justify the withdrawal of western countries from the Kyoto protocol argue that the desire for economic growth outweighs the mitigation of climate change in the long run. This aspect has led to many world nations especially the western countries in failing to reconcile environmental protection and economic development (Gang 2007).
It is also important to note that even though western countries have seemed to implement strategies and policies that help on the mitigation of climate change. Which can be seen through the implementation of programmes that advocate for green energy or renewable which can be economically and environmentally beneficial. It is still seen from a business point of view. This means that many new innovations are still all about how to make money rather than focusing on the issue of climate change. Such business attitudes may make lead people to eventually forget on the purpose of initiating programmes on renewable development projects. The western countries do not, therefore, look beyond business practice even though they have financial capital unlike the developing countries. The introduction renewable energy may thus be a way of covering up their lack of commitment in dealing with climate and to some extent to fully comply with Kyoto protocol (Corfee-Morlot 2009).
One can thus say that the issue of climate change is all about who contributes to the economic costs that is entailed in the mitigation of climate change. The economic costs mean that many western countries have to make sacrifices which will compromise their economic growth. When it comes to the mitigation of climate change at the local level there are efforts which are made. However, at the end of the day it is a global issue that has to be tackled through international cooperation. On the other hand highly capitalized western countries such as the United States argue that it should not be left with the burden, which may have a significant impact on the United States economy. High levels of capitalism are thus, an obstacle to the reduction of climate change.
Bibliography
Bulkeley, H & Betsil, M.M, 2003 “Cities and Climate Change: Urban Sustainability And Global Environmental.” New York, Routledge.
Corfee-Morlot,J., Kamal-Chaoui, LJ & Donovan, MG. et al, 2009 “Cities, Climate Change and Multilevel Governance”, OECD Environmental Working Papers no. 14 Viewed April 19th, 2012 http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/30/35/44232263.pdf.
Gang, C 2007 “The Kyoto Protocol and the Logic of Collective Action” Chinese Journal of International Politics vol. 1 no.4 pp525-557. doi: 10.1093/cjip/pom008
NOAA (National Weather Service), 2007, “What is Climate Change?”. Viewed April 19th, 2012 < http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/brochures/climate/Climatechange.pdf.>
Washington State Department Of Ecology, n.d. “What is climate change?” Viewed April 19th, <2012 http://www.ecy.wa.gov/climatechange/whatis.htm>
Pew Center on Global Climate Change, 2001 “Climate Change: Science, Strategies, & Solutions” Boston, Brill Academic Pub.
