Humanity stands at a crossroads: on one hand, the threat of ecological disaster, and secondly , the inflexibility of the capitalist system to make structural changes that radically alter situation.
For Jose Arcadio Guzman Nogales (*) globalized capitalism violates the nature and threatens the very existence of the planet. His unbridled economic growth, consumerism and global poverty that generates destroy natural resources and produce waste that exceed the limits of sustainability of the earth.
The serious ecological consequences of capitalism are clear. In agriculture, transnational corporations (ET) on "agrobussines" poison biodiversity with GM crops, chemical fertilizers and biocides (insecticides, herbicides, fungicides), and spark erosion and desertification processes irreversible.
But faced not only the growing deterioration of the soil, forests, water and biodiversity in general, but also the atmosphere.
The big industry "developed" countries has become a real fireplace emission of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other gases that trap heat from the sun and produce the greenhouse effect or climate change. The gradual warming is unprecedented and threatens the global ecosystem, as evidenced in melting icecaps, droughts, species extinction, hurricanes, floods and pandemics. The average temperature of the earth's surface has increased by 0.5 degrees Celsius over the past 50 years, and the latest global report on climate change, estimates that by 2100, the world will heat up more than 5.8 ° C, when the normal is a warming of only 1 ° C per thousand years. The effects of all kinds will be devastating, the only breakdown of the polar ice caps will raise sea level and erase over two hundred coastal cities.
also the ozone layer is being destroyed by chemicals chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) used in the manufacture of aerosol sprays, solvents, foam materials, cooling systems and air conditioning. The thinning of the ozone layer and consequent increase of ultraviolet radiation, have serious effects on human health and the basic forms of aquatic life. In addition, urban growth has led to the emergence of large cities, real concrete jungles, bringing the pollution of rivers, lakes and seas, with human waste, solid waste and heavy metals (lead and mercury).
This is, in short, the dark picture of unsustainable growth that is based on the logic of capital: to get maximum gains in the shortest time possible, regardless of the destruction of ecosystems.
Beyond growth
In 1970, the Club of Rome commissioned a study team at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), research on this issue. The final report presents the impossibility of maintaining economic growth rates, since it goes against the very process of capital accumulation. In a second work, Beyond the Limits to Growth (1991), states that capitalist economic growth have also suffered from the global ecosystem, as there are limits to the use of natural resource, and the ability of planet to absorb waste. The authors of the report to the Club of Rome are now conclude that using resources and producing waste at unsustainable rates. He adds that these rates could be significantly reduced by choosing other means of economic and technological development.
In 1987, the World Commission on Environment and Development published a report entitled Our Common Future in response to the General Assembly of the United Nations. The report highlights the need for interconnections between economic, ecological, social, political, etc., To define sustainable development: one that meets present needs without compromising the future of coming generations. Sustainable development has limits-not absolute-defined by the capacity of the biosphere to absorb the effects of human activities, and technology and social organization. Furthermore, sustainable development requires meeting the basic needs of the population. This will require democratic political systems that enable the effective participation of citizens in decision-making in the air that we must intervene to reconcile nature and society: population growth, food security, loss of species and genetic resources, energy , industry and human settlements.
In other words, it raises not only the theoretical analysis on ecology and development (economic development), but a challenge to political action and change of values \u200b\u200band attitudes of human beings, without which sustainable development will be unachievable.
In June 1992, was held in Rio de Janeiro Conference on Environment and Development, also called Earth Summit. His goal was to get global consensus to promote cooperation between states, in terms of eco-development. To this end, developed a plan of action in the which specifies concrete actions to be undertaken by governments, NGOs and international organizations, also includes technical and financial resources.
But most significant is the fact seek International cooperation to address poverty and environmental degradation, changing consumption patterns in rich countries, promoting international trade poor countries and promoting the health, population planning and urban management. In addition, it calls the main social groups involved in sustainable development that join with their specific policy actions to make it viable. Among those include indigenous peoples, workers and trade unions, business and industry, scientific and technological community, farmers ...
Kyoto Summit
In 1997 he called the largest climate change conference held to date: the Kyoto Climate Summit. There was sought to run the Rio agreements, specifying a legally binding protocol to limit emissions of gases that cause global warming. Overall it was agreed a average reduction of 5.2%. This goal is totally inadequate to curb the climate change process, for which it is essential that only the emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) are reduced globally by more than 50%. The goal, irresponsible and useless, agreed in the Kyoto Protocol, is due in large measure to the role played by large multinational energy and the car, which organized pressure groups, such as the Global Climate Coalition in the U.S. . and the European Table of Industrialists oppose any mandatory reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.
Summit In Kyoto, the U.S. is refused to sign the protocol, and demanded that poor countries will also participate in the commitments to reduce emissions. They did not agree, arguing that industrialized countries are responsible for the greenhouse effect, due to emissions of gases that have occurred since the Industrial Revolution.
As evidenced by the results of the Summit and the subsequent Kyoto conference on climate change, the implementation of the Rio agreements has been a resounding failure. Industrialized countries (the biggest polluters) have demonstrated an appalling ecological unconsciousness, avoiding commitments signed by their governments (green taxes, convention of biodiversity, CO2 emissions, etc.).
Clearly the conflict between the general clamor for lower environmental costs, incorporating the capitalist market correction mechanisms, and resistance from private interests to incur. Thus, at the time to implement procedures that aim to curb the ecological deterioration, he collides with the interests of capital that refuses to include its cost of production "use environment." In contrast, the culture encourages "light" consumerist television impose worldwide.
Therefore, humanity is at a crossroads: on one hand, the threat of ecological disaster and, secondly, the inflexibility of the capitalist system to make structural changes that radically altered the situation. Consequently, it is imperative to consolidate the ethics of sustainable human development, to subdue the predatory capitalism and preserve life on Earth.
(*) in Economics from the Universidad del Valle (Colombia), MA in economics from Mexico Cide. The text originally appeared in the magazine Fonvalle Informa Fund Teachers employed at the University of Valle, Issue No. 18, December 2005, pp. 8-10.
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