My weekly comment column in the daily Plymouth Herald (18.6.24) remonstrating against the silence and denial of all parties standing at an election devoid of debate on the acute seriousness of climate change. I am beside myself with angst and anger at the sheer stupidity and ignorance of candidates so self-obsessed and party-disciplined as to refuse to see what’s happening all around. Don’t give me any lip about caring for the future if you’re not acting, right now, against climate collapse.
Leaders are Protecting the Status Quo
It is in the nature of parliamentary democracy for politicians to argue over day-to-day promises. A couple of pence tax-deduction, more doctors, or so many new homes to be built are references to the continuing crisis of enforced austerity being experienced by the “working poor” (as at least seven million of us are so labelled).
The manifestos and “contracts with the people” all speak of reforming Capitalism when in reality, the entire economic and social system is in a depth of crisis that threatens all stability and, indeed, existence. The ruling class cannot and will not allow reform of their system that is so destructive. The demand to a speedy end to fossil-fuelled production actually represents the demand for the end of Capitalism.
So beneath the empty pledges of careerist individualists tied to the machinery of the Capitalist State lies a deeper ideological intent. The “masses” may be demanding real change, but the politicians are there to protect the status quo.
They insist there can be no real alternative to the current system of capitalism. Whilst the richest 1% become richer still, we, the working class, are expected to believe “there is no money”, “the exchequer is bare”, “it will take two parliamentary terms to turn things around”.
We are already required to vote on the basis that what we have is the best that can be hoped for, and anything better is so far away as to be pie in the sky. More of the same is all we should expect.
Except things are not going to stay the same. Their “stability and growth” is the real pie-in-the-sky. In truth, the next ten years will see such changes as to make today a halcyon dream. Real change is coming, courtesy of the natural environment.
Last week the Secretary General of the United Nations, António Guterres, warned of the deepening climate and ecological catastrophe affecting all nations across the world. He spoke of “planetary destruction” and stated that Governments across all wealthy nations have not kept their previous pledges. Global warming emissions from fossil fuel gases have risen to a new record level last year at a time when they must be halved by 2030 to avoid the worst climate effects.
“It’s we the Peoples versus the polluters and the profiteers,” he said. “Together, we can win. But it’s time for leaders to decide whose side they’re on.”
The speech was a rallying call by a UN leadership concerned that the climate crisis has slipped down the list of priorities. This “slippage”, bordering upon denial, was then proven at the June meeting of the powerful G7 group of countries, where world leaders including the UK Prime Minister repeated the same broken pledges, as if we should believe them this time.
In the real world, record breaking heatwaves were causing death and crop destruction from southern China, through India and North Africa to the southern states of America. 52C was recorded in Delhi, human beings were collapsing amidst water rationing of thirty million people, and monkeys and birds were seen falling from trees, dead from heat exhaustion.
Climatologists in the USA and Europe confirmed evidence that the Gulf Stream is slowing, producing extreme and unpredictable weather patterns. In the UK, despite harvest failures this Spring, the mainstream parties in the election continue to cut their previous pledges on addressing the climate emergency.
Parties of the Right have published manifestos that deny the threat of climate change and call it all a conspiracy.
Working people are worried about the observable changing weather patterns and seasons. We want protections from the threats of flooded homes, transport disruption and high food prices. And our children are most concerned at the very obvious “6th Great Extinction” of insect and animal life taking place as a result of the pollution and heating of our oceans and lands.
Next weekend, against all the political denial and obfuscation, tens of thousands will be marching in London, calling-out to all political candidates to take this overarching issue seriously. ‘Restore Nature Now!” is our serious demand uniting conservationists, environmentalists, climate activists and trade unionists for immediate action to stop environmental destruction. Cut fossil fuel emissions and invest in the living environment!After all, why would anyone vote for extinction?