In 2015, there was a conference of the executive and head leaders of the world in Paris about the environment and climate change. The leaders came to some conclusions; in fact, 196 pages of conclusions, termed the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement. The agreement was called by many the most important climate agreement ever to be made, an agreement on the far-gone climate of the world and its drastic change that also affects millions and millions more, in the future. The meeting was followed by many environmental organizations and millions all over the world, as the largest and most important climate-change initiative by world leaders possibly ever. But, there is more to the story.
The agreement is comprised of voluntary contributions submitted by 186 countries without any concrete promises for the long-term stability of the planet. This agreement came after 20 years of struggle for anything, though the UN’s look at the dire need to reduce emissions after the noticeably high 2.7-degree increase in global atmospheric temperature proved not to be enough. Many of the claims, discussions, and proposals at the meeting lead to a “green-washing” of reality. There were promises made that were plain unhelpful in the long-run. These agreements won’t physically change anything and save human lives, or even ecosystems. James Hansen, an experienced environmentalist, says “it’s… a fudge without action, just promises". For more information check out: http://www.socialistworld.net/doc/7439.
If emissions continue at the rate they are now, 723 of the 1000 gigatons of the “carbon budget” will be gone by 2030, a number said to be pivotal for a suspected increase in global temperature globally. There needs to be zero emissions as soon as possible to mitigate these effects that will happen not far from today. The global atmospheric concentration of carbon has already reached and passed the tipping point of 400 parts-per-million.
Politicians need to stop covering up and maintaining positivity in light of these changes. It is true that the rich politicians and their immediate friends and family will not feel the effects of climate change, and are not, then most of the world, as they have the means to escape drastic weather. There are still people who deny climate change in the U.S. government, and Trump just nominated a climate change denier to the head of the EPA. Huge and rich oil and gas companies greedily rack up profits while hiding under a green disguise. There needs to be decisive political and state mandating for climate change and green job programs for now, and a struggle hard-fought by massive movements for the environment and green jobs to grow now and force environmental change to save the world.
The day of the agreement, protests started to erupt in France and all over the world, forcing the French government to lift the ban on demonstrations since the recent terrorist attacks there. There is widespread recognition that the world needs to be saved, and the Paris Agreement of 2015 is not the correct method to do so. There is a heightened consciousness around climate change and an increasing distrust in our world leaders to solve the problem. There needs to be transitional demands for a socialist society to achieve a planned transition from wasteful transportation mechanisms and an investment in public transport, energy efficiency, and green energy production and use. This requires capitalism to cease because under the motive of profit by powerful capitalists, they will not give concessions without a fight, as concessions would in some ways (in some ways not) hanker on their profits. And only short-term profits. We need a radical redistribution of wealth and to take power out of the hands of the capitalists, and put major energy industries under public control and with democratic management and oversight. This can be done. Learn how and join us after visiting the Socialist Alternative and Committee for Workers International websites.
