Novara FM: The Right Is Getting Real On Climate. Can We? w/ Ajay Singh Chaudhary
May 30, 2024
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Author Ajay Singh Chaudhary discusses the right's shift on climate, focusing on exhaustion of people and planet. Topics include strange alliances due to climate change, potential in global peasant struggles, and turning collective exhaustion into a politics of rest and recuperation.
The shift in climate politics towards a conflict between workers and capital globally challenges traditional narratives and emphasizes power distribution.
Complex interconnections in climate responses, exemplified by the unintentional global warming acceleration due to reduced aerosols in marine fuels, necessitate nuanced environmental policies.
Right-wing climate realism prioritizes strategic advantage and self-preservation over immediate mitigation, prolonging urgent action on climate change and posing risks to global sustainability.
Deep dives
Politics of Climate Change and Global Division
The politics of climate change is shifting from a divide between the global north and south to a conflict between workers and capital globally. RJ Singh Choudhary's analysis highlights this shift, emphasizing the role of workers worldwide. The traditional narrative of sacrificing prosperity for sustainability is challenged as the fight focuses on the distribution of power and resources in the face of climate crisis.
Aerosols and Climate Acceleration
The reduction of aerosols in marine fuels by the International Maritime Authority in 2020 led to an unintended acceleration of global warming. This example highlights the complex and interlinked nature of climate responses. The discussion around risk and uncertainty in climate science underscores the need for nuanced approaches to environmental policies.
From Wretchedness to Exhaustion: Understanding Climate Politics
Examining the transition from Fanon's 'Wretched of the Earth' to the 'Exhausted of the Earth' concept, the podcast explores the emotional and social effects of accelerating climate changes. Linking the experiences of workers in the global north to those in the global south, the urgent need to align objective interests for global solidarity is emphasized. The discussion challenges traditional philanthropic approaches and calls for a deeper understanding of the interconnectedness of labor, economy, and climate issues.
Impact of Right-Wing Climate Realism on Climate Action
Right-wing climate realism adopts a sober approach to climate change, focusing on maintaining power and wealth in the face of predicted catastrophic scenarios. This perspective views climate change through a lens of strategic advantage, accepting potential widespread devastation as long as personal wealth and power are preserved. The discussion highlights the calculated risk some sectors of capital are willing to take by prioritizing self-preservation over immediate mitigation efforts, leading to slower and less urgent action on climate change.
Exploration of Minor Paradise and Sustainable Alternatives
The concept of the 'minor paradise' suggests exploring neglected paths that offer sustainable and socially beneficial alternatives to traditional capitalist growth models. By considering abandoned opportunities for societal transformation, such as state-run social services and innovative urban planning, there is a potential shift towards a more efficient and equitable economic system. This vision challenges the notion that continuous capital accumulation is the primary goal of leftist climate politics, emphasizing the need for redistributive policies and global solidarity.
The right have ditched climate denial and found something worse. They’re doubling down on the exhaustion of people and planet alike, making us run ever-faster just to stay in place. Can we turn our collective exhaustion into a climate politics of rest and recuperation? That’s the urgent question Ajay Singh Chaudhary asks in The Exhausted of […]
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