Draining the Swamp

It might seem odd to use such an environmentally un-friendly title for an article about global warming but stay with me on this.

The time was the early days of the twentieth century. France had just abandoned their attempt at building the Panama Canal. The US had decided it was going to give it a try and had purchased the land and equipment from the French. But the same problem that had plagued the French was causing problems with the US workers. Disease was rampant. Specifically the problem was yellow fever and malaria. If the canal was going to be built these diseases had to be brought under control.

The US had settled on what, at that time, was a controversial cause of the diseases. They had concluded that the diseases were being spread by the mosquito. If they were correct then eliminating the mosquito would eliminate the disease. They then proceeded to take various steps, which included draining the swamps around the construction area. The Americans were right and in doing so they reduced the mosquito population, stopped the diseases, and built the canal.

Today we face a greater challenge. Global warming and environmental degradation threatens to wipe out majority of all species and endangers human civilization. Like the early twentieth century scientists we’ve identified the delivery mechanism of the global disease: Carbon Emissions generated from human activity. The mistake we make is to assume that “human activity” means that industrialization is the source. Industrial activity is not the source of global warming but is only one more step along the path to find the source. What is the ultimate source of global warming? In a word: capitalism.

The expansive nature of capital (i.e. private investment) demands that corporations perpetually seek greater and greater profits for their investors. This requires slashing the costs of production. One way to do so is to use the cheapest, oldest, and as a result, dirtiest technology. In addition, rather than naturally seek out improved technologies, author Naomi Klein has documented how capital has learned that there’s massive profit to be made in disasters (see “Disaster Capitalism” in Harper’s October 2007). Environmental degradation is good for profit.

Global warming is the sickness. Carbon emission is the disease. Cheap and dirty technology is the carrier. Ultimately capitalism is the source. It’s time to drain the swamp.