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Our Simmering Planet: What to do about global
warming?
By Joyeeta Gupta
Zed Books, 2002, £9-99 (pbk)
Reviewed by Amrita Huggins
JOYEETA GUPTA’S grimly titled guide to global warming and
climate change explains in a clear and concise way the science and politics
surrounding one of the planet’s most hotly debated environmental issue.
Analysing a wealth of statistics and studies mainly derived from the IPCC
(Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change), Gupta reviews the evidence for the
existence and extent of global warming and concludes – as even the majority of
the world’s politicians have been forced to – that climate change is a
reality. Very little debate there.
The most important questions are concerned with who is
responsible and who will suffer. How can we prevent calamities such as rising
sea levels and climate instability? Are the present proposals for cutting
greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions enough?
Much of the book explains the history of climate change
talks, beginning in 1979 with the first World Climate Conference. Several
meetings followed in which countries began to establish loose aims and targets
for reducing GHG emissions. It was not until May 1992, in Rio de Janeiro, that
the snappily named ‘United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change’
was adopted by 186 countries. In July of last year, the same countries, minus
the US under the new Bush administration, agreed to the Kyoto treaty which
should be ratified by 2005.
Having first studied economics in India, Joyeeta Gupta
focuses strongly on the differing attitudes and interests of the ‘developed
North’ and ‘developing South’ – or the industrialised capitalist
countries and the neo-colonial world. She explains some of the political
background since the 1940s to the current world situation: the setting up of
capitalist organisations such as the World Bank, International Monetary Fund and
World Trade Organisation; and how they contributed to the continuing
super-exploitation of the neo-colonial world through trade tariffs, foreign
debt, aid with strings attached, and structural adjustment programmes. The
implication that globalisation is merely another form of economic colonisation
is all too clear. Nevertheless, the author shies away from drawing any further
political conclusions, let alone suggesting any solutions.
In an attempt to clarify the endless debates, Gupta
simplistically views the nations involved as entities in which the populations
are united, sharing the same goals and interests. She does not examine the
complex political reasons, and changing balance of forces, behind the various
attitudes and positions on cutting emissions. For example, George W Bush did not
reject Kyoto merely from arrogant ignorance or an ideological attachment to the
‘American way of life’ but because of intrinsic ties to big business. In
contrast, 72% of the US population polled by the Worldwide Fund for Nature
showed a willingness to accept emission cuts of 20% by 2005.
To depict the issue of climate change as revolving round the
squabbles of a few government ministers is, in one sense, accurate. Apart from
the token involvement of a few non-governmental organisations, the debates and
decisions – as per usual within capitalist ‘democracy’ – are down to the
heads of state and are heavily influenced by both national industries and
multinational corporations.
However, increasing numbers of young people are challenging
the current system and seeing the need for change through political action –
the latest EU summit in Barcelona saw the biggest anti-capitalist demonstration
to date, with half-a-million workers and youth taking to the streets. The
environment, together with world poverty and corporate takeover, is high on the
agenda for the anti-capitalist and anti-globalisation protesters, many of whom
see these issues as being intrinsically linked to the capitalist system itself.
Informative and accessible though it is, Our Simmering
Planet leaves the reader as a passive spectator. Idealistic hopes for a
"structured dialogue to induce social learning, mutual respect,
understanding and forgiveness", are not enough. We simply can’t afford to
leave it to corrupt politicians to oversee the future of our planet, any more
than we should sit back and watch them cut back and privatise public services.
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