Climate Change, Human Civilization, and Questions Answered
Dec 29, 2020
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The podcast explores climate change scenarios, including geopolitical conflicts, and humans' place in the cosmos. It also discusses the urgency and skepticism towards addressing climate change, delves into the Cli-Fi novel 'The Ministry for the Future,' and explores the impact of climate denial. Additionally, it examines the search for alien life, the possibility of an interstellar community, and the importance of studying revolutions. Other topics include the extradition of Julian Assange, whistle-blower rights, and the ideologies of the Black Panther Party.
Climate change requires immediate global action and a massive, global, green new deal-like response.
Bold and transformative policies, international cooperation, and collective action are necessary to overcome the limitations of the current political and economic systems in addressing climate change.
Addressing climate change requires a holistic approach that considers the intersectionality of various challenges, emphasizes systemic changes, and embraces the unity of humankind in confronting this crisis.
Deep dives
Importance of climate change and the need for global action
Climate change is an urgent and existential crisis that requires immediate global action. The future scenarios presented in two influential books, 'The Uninhabitable Earth: Life After Warming' by David Wallace-Wells and 'The Ministry for the Future' by Kim Stanley Robinson, paint a stark picture of increasing climate chaos, geopolitical instability, and the urgent need for transformative change. The books highlight the catastrophic consequences of inaction, from escalating heatwaves and sea-level rise to droughts, famines, and mass migrations. They emphasize the inadequacies of current efforts, such as the Paris Agreement, and the urgent need for a massive, global, green new deal-like response. The authors stress the importance of recognizing the limitations of capitalism and neoliberalism in addressing climate change, calling for radical systemic changes and a collective global effort to combat this crisis.
The challenges and limitations in addressing climate change
Both books acknowledge the immense challenges and limitations in addressing climate change effectively. They critique the insufficient actions taken by governments, particularly during the past several years of political inaction and denial, such as the Trump administration's withdrawal from the Paris Agreement. They highlight the need for bold and transformative policies, such as a massive green new deal and international cooperation, going beyond the limitations of the current political and economic systems. The books stress the importance of recognizing the disproportionate impact of climate change on vulnerable communities and developing nations while urging for collective action to overcome political, economic, and social barriers.
The potential for future political and technological solutions
Although the books paint a dire picture of the future if urgent action is not taken, they also offer glimpses of potential solutions. They discuss the need for political will, a global commitment to decarbonization, and a transition to renewable energy sources. The authors emphasize the importance of technological innovations and explore the potential of geoengineering and other strategies to mitigate the effects of climate change. However, they caution against relying solely on technological solutions and stress the necessity of systemic changes, political mobilization, and the active participation of individuals, communities, and nations in shaping a more sustainable future.
The interconnectedness of climate change and the need for collective action
Both books underscore the interconnectedness of climate change with various social, economic, and political issues. They highlight the consequences of inaction, including exacerbating inequality, political instability, and geopolitical tensions. The books argue for a holistic approach to climate change that takes into account the intersectionality of various challenges and emphasizes the need for collective action at all levels, from individual lifestyle changes to international cooperation. They stress the importance of recognizing our responsibility as a global civilization and adopting a mindset that transcends national interests and embraces the unity of humankind in confronting this existential crisis.
Imperialism: Is it the final stage of capitalism?
The question is whether Lenin's analysis of imperialism as the final stage of capitalism still holds true today. While the rise of unipolar US hegemony initially seemed to challenge this analysis, recent developments suggest a return to imperialist competition among multiple powers. This indicates that unipolar hegemony was more temporary than permanent. Additionally, Lenin's optimism for an imminent world revolution might seem to undermine his analysis, since no global revolution has occurred. However, revolutions are complex and ongoing processes, with setbacks and reactions. The fact that imperialism and capitalist dominance continue should not invalidate Lenin's overall analysis of imperialism as the last stage of capitalism.
Our beloved co-host Alyson is out sick for this month, so Breht takes over at the last minute to read some passages from the new Cli-Fi (Climate Science Fiction) Novel "The Ministry for the Future" and the non-fiction book "The Uninhabitable Earth: Life After Warming" as jumping off points to discuss how Climate Change will play out over the rest of our lives, the geopolitical conflicts and ruptures it will cause, and the place humans have in the evolution of the cosmos. After that, we unlock our latest Patreon-only Q and A episode where both Alyson and Breht answer questions from supporters of the show. As Breht mentions in the introduction, the long-promised Red Menace Introduction to Marxist Political Economy is still coming, it'll just have to wait until Alyson fully recovers!
