Apathy Vs. Climate Change Mitigation
Mary Robinson, former president of Ireland (pictured) has a powerful new motivation: saving the planet, and even the dire warnings of this week’s IPCC report aren’t slowing her down.
From the article linked above: She has anticipated the IPCC report by writing a book-cum-manifesto, Climate Justice: Hope, Resilience and the Fight for a Sustainable Future, published this week. It tells stories of farmers and activists, mostly women, who tackle climate change in Africa, Asia and the Americas. They are examples of positive change that Robinson thinks can help turn the tide.
The title to the article linked above reads: Mary Robinson on climate change: ‘Feeling “This is too big for me” is no use to anybody.’
Sure, there are forces that tend to drive advocates out of business, starting with the United States federal government, which vehemently denies climate science, has withdrawn from environmental leadership, and is doing everything in its power to destroy any possibility that our civilization might somehow deal with the catastrophe that our scientists tell us is coming at us with horrific force and near absolute certainty.
But Trump and his lapdogs aren’t alone. Brazil is on course to elect a president who wants to open the Amazon to agribusiness. Climate Home News reports that Jair Bolsono (the presidential front-runner) is campaigning on a platform of abolishing Brazil’s environment ministry, exposing the world’s largest rainforest and its indigenous owners to criminal gangs of loggers and miners.
In terms of sheer destruction, he really does make Trump look like a piker in comparison:
No more Paris Agreement.
No more ministry of environment.
A paved highway cutting through the Amazon.
Indigenous territories opened to mining.
Relaxed environmental law enforcement and licensing.
International NGOs, such as Greenpeace and WWF, banned from the country.
A strong alliance with the beef lobby.
All this sounds daunting, but not if you’re Mary Robinson, who remarks, “I don’t think as a human race that we can be so stupid that we can’t face an existential threat together and find a common humanity and solidarity to respond to it. Because we do have the capacity and the means to do it – if we have the political will.”
We all need to hope she’s right.
Craig,
Jair Bolsono is indeed a frightening prospect as President of Brazil ! Narrow minded and the product of the worst kind of military education.
His opponents portray him very exaggeratedly, but even his supporters and he himself express very reactionary and extreme views.
What is especially disheartening is his remarkable level of support among young men 16-25.
His populism is rabid, but sincere. Where populist are often showmen, playing to the crowd with outlandish claims , but privately lacking the inclination or ability to implement extreme policies, Jair Bolsono is frighteningly capable of carrying out the most extreme of policies.
Craig, you are correct to be very concerned at the possibility this man could soon be in complete control of such a precious world asset as the Amazon.
Jair Bolsono’s closeness to radical (reactionary) elements in the Brazilian military is also worrying, any attempts by the judiciary or Brazilian Congress to thwart or impeach Jair Bolsono may result in brutal suppression from the military or security forces.
President Trump may discover himself saddled with a ‘friend’ more bothersome than any enemy!
Brazil is a huge nation with enormous social problems, leftist policies have reduced the once improving economic miracle to a standstill and corruption has once again become rife.
The answer politically is for a strong conservative, responsible centre right government, not an extremist populist like Jair Bolsono.
Despite claims by opponents to the contrary, the populist President Trump has displayed a profound sense of respect for the US constitution and the function of Congress. His strategies are fairly limited and simple to understand.
President Trump also understands the limits of Presidential power and influence. In contrast Jair Bolsono, accept no bounds and believes it his his mission to shape his nation in accordance with his own beliefs.
If Jair Bolsono gains power he has the ruthless determination, sincerity and administrative ability to implement his agenda. He has all the potential to become another “strongman” in the mold of the 1930’s fascist dictators.
It’s terrible that there are people like that in the world. How could someone be so careless as to destroy such an amazing Eco-system.