Maybe 2007 should stand out as the year in which the issue of climate change finally made it to the public debate. And this is, unquestionably, a good thing. Now, let’s not fool ourselves, this may have been due to fortuitous causes more than any other reason, even known as we do that we have been suffering its catastrophical consequences for a long time now.

Climate change: the unwelcome guest. To start with, if the discussion of the issue has been put forward, it is not due to the declared will of some “enlightened” leaders, of the sort that are abundant in developed countries, who have cared little for the issue. The most remarkable case is that of the most contaminating country, the United States. All American governments, Democrats as well as Republicans have refused over and over again to sign the Kyoto Protocol, which by now has become but a mere approach to the problem, since the initiative has been widely surpassed by the very same problems it tries to control.

It has not been because of the will of the large media that this question has grown wings. It rather turned up suddenly in their agendas and faced with the accomplished fact, the large chains have known how to take advantage of it and have started to sell it as “catastrophe content”, which obviously sells wonderfully. Asking the media to create conscience about the issue, beyond a simple “recycle your plastic” or “separate organic from inorganic waste” would be infringing the reason of being of these global multimedia, who are completely functional to the system, so they will do nothing at all to harm it, least of all for a matter as serious as this one.

It wouldn’t be right to overlook Al Gore’s opportunistic film in these considerations, who, as we all know, has been a mediocre American politician, who after having failed in being elected President of his country has wanted to try out his luck in the movies. And it seems he’s doing a lot better than in politics.

We can’t recognize that this film has aroused the attention of many people about the perils of climate change. But it also –expressly- ignores the considerations about the real causes of the problem. Besides, its exhibition has made obvious this man’s double standard: how much did Al Gore do while he was Vice-President of the power that contaminates and destroys the world the most, in order to avoid reaching where we are now? How much did he help Humanity so that it wouldn’t suffer the catastrophes it has had to endure since then, and which are directly caused to a great extent by the irresponsible action of his Nation? Nothing. Simply nothing. Now it is easy to “holler” (of course, without offending any of the interests on behalf of whom he ruled) through the movies.

Calling things by their name. Well, while all of this is going on, the main cause of this great problem that Humanity faces today and that endangers its future is still being evaded, it is still left aside. The governments of the central countries, the big media and even a film do nothing more than to stop at the symptoms of the disease and prescribe alleviating measures to that everything will remain unchanged.

Environmental movements, in turn, do not tire of speaking about environmental regulations, environmentally friendly forms of production and many other things of the sort which are certainly necessary, but by no means sufficient.

We cannot continue to play the game of the dominating interests striding along with the change in the facade while the inside of the house is falling apart. It is time we start calling things by their proper names. Climate change is the direct and total consequence of the economic, social and political organization that rules the World: the almighty capitalism that does not content with plundering man, its voracity also imposes the predation of the planet. Of course, until there is nothing left.

The capitalist phase of devastation. Naturally, those who rule the World and those who serve them spreading the message of the unique thought that supports them, do not stop to brag about the degree of development Humanity has achieved until the present thanks to the imposition of the capitalist system “urbi et orbi”.

Nevertheless, they do not brag about the fact that it is this model and not another one who is condemning almost 1500 million men and women (one fourth of the world’s population) to live in the most complete misery and with a life expectancy that does under 29. And 1,500 million more are relegated to suffer poverty and with not much more hope than the former, not of life expectancy or any other kind. They do not brag either that it is this system and not another one, the one who assigns millions of times more resources to war than those which would be necessary to stop hunger and the curable diseases that devastate thousands of millions of poor in our days.

But the best part is that they loathe to see that this model be qualified with an adjective that synthesizes and defines to the millimeter its first and ultimate essence, because when we talk of capitalism, in any language, in any part of the World, we talk of brutal capitalism. It’s that simple, The very nature of the system makes it insatiable and avid, like the wildest of animals after its prey.

What we haven’t enhanced enough, especially in these last years, is that capitalism, with no opposition or controls, has gone even farther, it has reached a superior stage in its evolution: a this point we are living what we should dare call the capitalist phase of devastation. Yes, the rampant capitalism of the latest decades has reached a superior stage of its development, today it isn’t enough to exploit Man, it is also necessary to plunder the Earth. This huge desire for profit, of ferocious competence and uncontrolled consumption that the system imposes, which never stops, not even before the devastated human life, is the same one that with its voracious logic plunders, one after the other, all the natural resources until the World, in all directions, becomes a lifeless desert.

The new form of neocolonialism: transnationals. We have to admit it, the capitalist system has become much more efficient in these last years. At the beginning, the model ensured the property of vital natural resources through the colonial conquest, or puppet regimes, like the ones we endured in Latin America, for instance. But the claims for political independence of the subdued peoples made these methods unviable and capitalism changed the strategy: it put all its weight in the global imposition of the neoliberal system to unconceivable extremes (many times even through force and bloodshed, by means of dictatorships) that after the fall of the “real socialisms” had the road all to itself.

Starting there el main role in this game was held by the large transnationals (obviously backed by the central powers behind them) who faced with the consumption boost and the also growing shortage of basic resources must –by means of globalization- go directly to the places where they are still available in the Third World Countries.

And we, with supposedly “progressive” or “left-wing” governments continue to open doors and roll out the red carpet to welcome all those transnational corporations through the now “blessed” foreign investment which, takes away all our resources until they are exhausted. But, what is worse, our governments give them all sorts of extra benefits that national companies have never had.

Of course, our governments say on their behalf that only through foreign investment it is possible to achieve development. Thus they are ignoring more than two centuries of similar experiences, which have brought nothing but more poverty, more backwardness and more delays to our peoples. A capitalist development model is not even feasible for the emerging economic powers (China, India, Brazil). These economies have been growing at very high rates for many years, it is true, but the so long hoped for development that must include the entire population and definitely improve their living conditions (it’s the least we could expect in this case), never comes, nor will it come, with this model. We forget what history teaches us and we make the same mistakes over again.

The things that are worth living for are not sold in any market. Obviously the other side of this coin is the uncontrolled consumption that the system itself encourages and favours. In this state of things, the richest population in the planet squanders uncontrollably non-renewable resources and the ultimate finality of their own lives seems to be reduced to fulfilling their individual yearnings with anything that has a commercial value.

Therefore, we must ask ourselves: When will the uncontrollable consumerism of the First World be limited? Consumerism that squanders the increasingly scarce resources of energy, while it pours into the atmosphere the majority of the green-house effect gases. Here’s just one example. Every coming year, more powerful motorcars are built that require a larger amount of fuel per kilometer. These cars usually run enormous distances every day in order to carry only the driver. What is done to prevent this senseless waste? Absolutely nothing. Because if something was done about it, it would be an attempt against the holy individual satisfaction of the consumer (who found happiness driving his van-shaped mini truck), and it would infringe the immaculate corporation spirit of the large motorcar and oil transnationals that must keep on selling and increasing their benefits at no matter what cost.

Unfortunately, if we go on being part of this consumption machinery, even if we don’t want to, and from the strongest opposition to the system, we are still validating it, we are being the vehicle of uncontrolled profit, we are pushing for a World that isn’t ours, for a World that is not the one we want for our children.

Some day we might be able to change our mentality and reformulate our values. That will be the day when we will definitely understand that the things that are worth living for, are the ones that are not sold in the market nor in any stock exchange. We should start to preach with the example with no further delay.

There is nothing left, then, than to assume our responsibilities. We must be aware and more than anything, we must make conscience: the World’s clock is running and has already started the countdown. We owe it all to capitalism that was born feeding on the blood of the slaves, on the blood of the oppressed, on the blood of the workers, but now, more voracious and insatiable than ever, also needs the blood of the Earth, and it will stop at nothing until it is left dry. We cannot allow this to be the destiny of our World. Only socialism and the New Man can save the future of Humanity, and also that of its generous land. Our children and our grandchildren deserve a fairer place to live in. In this World, of course, not in any other.
José Miguel García
jomigarcía@hotmail.com