‘CAPITALISM AND CLIMATE CHANGE’ – Claim: ‘Capitalism is accelerating the global climate change consequences’

The sole ideology of the capitalism, with focusing on the profits instead on the sustainable development is responsible for the biggest part of the continuation of the devastating rise of the CO2 levels, which will have far reaching impacts on the whole world. The privatization of the public sector, deregulation of the private sector with lowering the taxes on profits for private companies and organizations are done at the expense of public spending and have the logic which is incompatible with the sustainability and needed actions to tackle global climate issues. What is worse, the World Trade Organization – WTO makes it possible to act against almost all international and national climate actions which were taken to reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases. Private companies are making money and are not paying for the environmental damage done in the process and are serving only the interest of the few .

Naomi KleinThe book gives good examples of the impacts of the capitalism and free trade on the environment and climate. It is focused on presenting the ideology of capitalism, which is based on spending, materialism, debt and causes with the trade pollution to which no one takes responsibility for. The trade and environment are regarded as two separated things, but they have mutual effect and should be regarded as such. The importance of the trade over the environment is seen from various different global trade agreements. Further on, the emissions caused because of the products produced in developing countries and used in West has been six times greater from emission savings of all industrialized countries. The overall emissions are increasing because the companies are moving their production in parts of the world with less strict environmental rules. It is concerning that despite greater public awareness about the climate change consequences the emissions are still increasing with continuation of the use of unsustainable resources. The developed world is blaming developing countries such as China, India, Brazil and others and gives a blind eye on the fact that their private companies under free trade are causing the most environmental damage.

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