Be informed

These are very hard times. The role of climate change in starting and propagating the Californian wild fires continues to be denied in the USA, despite being undeniable. However, here is a link to an even-more under-reported cause of the fires which links the establishment of a federal forestry system back in the 1930s (actually earlier, but the outlawing of burning arrived later) and the loss of indigenous fire-prevention knowledge and action. Seemingly in the past, California’s indigenous population burned the forests’ dangerous undergrowth to avoid wildfires in the dry season. Evidence shows that trees were injured in the process, but not fatally so.

The Amazon continues to burn, and now the Pantanal Wetlands burn, too. Both have deliberate human causes. The Amazon fires are directly related to our increased consumption of meat, particularly beef. Beef cattle are poor converters of plant protein into meat protein, but that does not stop humanity ramping up consumption at the expense of the natural environment. Bio-diverse rain forest gives way to diversity-free  soya plantation.

An example of this meat-fixation nonsense is the report this week of pig farms in China that have buildings that are 7-storey high! A single farm now produces one-million pigs per year to meet growing demand for pork. The implications for waste and use-and-abuse of anti-biotics are significant. The Economist highlighted this 6 years’ ago!

The Economist is at it again in this week’s special climate edition. The Leader article says that decarbonising energy will “avoid the chaos of unchecked climate change , including devastating droughts, famine, floods and mass dislocation. Once mature, it should be more politically stable, too, because supply will be diversified, geographically and technologically. Petrostates will have to attempt to reform and, as their governments start to depend on taxing their own citizens, some will become more representative. Consuming countries which once sought energy security by meddling in the politics of oil producers, which instead look to sensible regulation of their own power industry. The 21st Century should be less economically volatile. Electricity prices will be determined not by a few big actors but by competition and gradual efficiency gains.” One has to marvel at the Economists’ perpetual belief in – and defence of – capitalism.

The optimist in me, however, says this has a lot to recommend it; the pessimist says, capitalism is the cause and cannot solve the problem. Just look at the pig farm. It’s like a doubling down. Simply, though, capitalism cannot countenance de-growth. I am currently reading Jason’s Hickel’s book (right) of that title. A review will follow.