The horror story of a green world

or “Don’t Say I Didn’t Warn You”

The following excerpts come from an article called “Who gains from the green economy?” by Preeti Mangala Shekar and Tram Nguyen. It was recently published in COLORLINES - The national newsmagazine on race and politics.

The authors depict a New World, a just world of brotherhood and equal opportunities. A world that will emerge thanks to global warming.

Climate change is the 21st century’s wake-up call to not just rethink but to radically redo our economies. Ninety percent of scientists agree that we are headed toward a climate crisis, and that, indeed, it has already started. With the urgent need to reduce carbon emissions, the clean energy economy is poised to grow enormously.

Naturally, things will have to change.

“An authentic green economics system is one that would mark the end of capitalism,” notes B. Jess Clarke, editor of Race, Poverty and the Environment. And one that would ensure labor rights and organizing, collective ownership and equality are all at the heart of it, he adds. “The real green movement has not started yet.”

Getting scared yet? Just wait. There’s more.

We have to recognize that we are at a particular stage of history, where the choices are not capitalism versus socialism, but green/eco-capitalism versus gray/suicide capitalism. The first industrial revolution hurt both people and the planet, very badly. Today, we do have a chance to create a second ‘green’ industrial revolution, one that will produce much better ecological outcomes. Our task is to ensure that this green revolution succeeds-and to ensure that the new model also generates much better social outcomes. I don’t know what will replace eco-capitalism. But I do know that no one will be here to find out, if we don’t first replace gray capitalism.

So, in case you have wondered what all the climate fuss is about - here’s the answer. Is this the kind of world you want to live in?

Read the entire article in COLORLINES and weep.