Written by
Allan Todd
The term
‘Anthropocene’ refers to the start of a new geological epoch which, according
to most leading Earth System scientists, has now replaced the Holocene. It means
geological strata deposits will now be, for the first time, massively dominated
by those of recent human origin - especially the release of carbon and other
greenhouse gases as a consequence of increased burning of fossil fuels - as
opposed to those due to natural changes.
Most
scientists see the real start of the Anthropocene as beginning after the ‘Great
Acceleration’ in fossil fuel use from 1950 onwards.
During the
1990s, research projects on the Earth System, and on the nature of past climate
changes, revealed that some past climate changes often came rapidly, after
certain key ‘tipping points’ had been passed. This evidence of past ‘ecological
volatility’ has allowed scientists to establish that, in the geological past,
relatively small changes/stimuli have driven great - and sometimes abrupt -
qualitative changes in the very delicately-balanced Earth System.
In 2007, a
study began to identify which of Earth’s processes are most important to
maintaining climate stability. The first results, published in 2009, dealt with
the relatively-stable climate history of the Holocene epoch, during which
humans developed agriculture.
Nine ecological processes - or ‘Planetary
Boundaries’ - were identified as having maintained the safe operating space for
humanity over the past 12,000 years.
The
conclusion was that for 3 of these planetary boundaries - climate change,
biochemical flows (especially nitrogen pollution), and biodiversity loss -
Earth was already in the danger zone, and for 3 others was nearly there. In
2015, further research showed that the danger zone for land-system change had
also been passed.
Some Earth
System scientists argue that the emergence of the Anthropocene epoch is down to
the activities of the entire human species. Others - like Ian Angus - place the
blame on the particular economic system which has come to dominate global
economic and political developments since 1945.
Those who
take the latter view argue that the vast majority of these negative changes
result from capitalism itself - and especially post-1950 capitalism which has
been driven by what they term ‘Fossil Capitalism’’. Certainly, the changes in
Earth System trends since 1950 produce remarkably similar-shaped graphs to the
main socio-economic trends during the period 1950-2010:
Ecosocialists
in particular see the Anthropocene not just as a biophysical phenomenon, but
also as a socio-ecological phenomenon. In particular, it is associated with
capitalism’s drive for profit and accumulation - even if that profit comes from
unsustainable growth. However, whilst global capitalism tries to expand
infinitely, the Earth is not infinite.
From the
beginnings of industrial capitalism 200 years ago, it was clear to contemporary
observers such as Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels and William Morris that
capitalism had anti-ecological characteristics. However, the rift in the
Earth’s carbon cycle was considerably widened by the invention of the internal
combustion engine and then the aeroplane at the turn of the 19th Century. and
20th. Century - because this led in turn to a rapidly-growing market for
petroleum.
Both US oil
and chemical corporations were given a huge boost after 1945 via the Marshall
Plan for European reconstruction. The Standard Oil Company, the biggest US oil
company, benefitted most of all. This, and the discovery and exploitation of
massive sources of cheap crude oil in the Middle East triggered off what became
known as ‘The Golden Age’ from 1950 to 1973.
It was this
which made the Great Acceleration possible: between 1976 and 1973, the world
consumed more commercial energy than had been used in the entire period from
1800 to 1945. History since 1950, as far
as the Earth System perspective is concerned, has largely been an account of
the expansion of fossil capitalism into every aspect of life and every part of
the globe.
The gross
inequalities arising from global neoliberal capitalism are not just economic -
they also relate to unequal exposure to the dangers of climate change and its
resulting extreme weather events. Globally, 99% of weather disaster casualties
are in developing countries, and 75% of them are women. The Global South
suffers far more than the Global North, and within the South, the very poorest
countries are hit hardest.
Even within
the North, the same climate-change inequalities hold true - as was shown by the
impacts and aftermaths of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, or Hurricane Sandy in
2012. No billionaires numbered among the casualties in the North, no corporate
owners or executives in the South have to witness their children dying from
malnutrition.
The first
signs of serious climate-change impacts can be seen in the increasing numbers
of people displaced by droughts, water-shortages, desertification and
starvation. Incredibly, these mass displacements - and the much worse effects
of climate change still to come - have led the US in particular to identify
global warming as a ‘threat to Western security’!
In 2003, the
Pentagon commissioned a study relating to abrupt climate change - the
conclusion was that wealthy nations such as the US would need to build ‘virtual
fortresses’ to avoid consequences such as skirmishes, battles and even wars
over increasingly scare resources such as energy supplies, water and food. In
particular, borders would need to be militarily defended against ‘unwanted
starving immigrants’ from poorer countries seeking places of greater
safety. That is the stark scenario of
the environmental apartheid which is already emerging.
This book, by
Ian Angus, was published last year, and is an essential read for all concerned
about climate change - and especially so for all ecosocialists.
Allan Todd is
member of Allerdale & Copeland Green Party and a Supporter of Green Left
& the Ecosocialist Network
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