SIULI RAY delves deep into the misdoings of capitalism and calls for a strong alliance to arrest the ecological catastrophe.
Human civilization is standing at a crossroads. The security and development of mankind are endangered on a planetary scale due to the ecological devastations dictated by the world capitalists. Ecology and capitalism stand at antithetical junctures. The capitalists have abused nature, depreciated it to fulfil their narrow parochial interests, absorbed the resources of the earth, dumped wastes and unwanted remains with environment.
The offshoots of capitalism are many and far reaching. Industrialisation, modernity and social change are creating multidimensional problems like global warming, ozone column depletion, destruction of global commons, rising sea levels, over fishing, destruction of coral reefs, extinction of species, destruction of forest, desertification, loss of biodiversity, rise of toxicity in the environment, discharge of toxic and radioactive wastes to the river water and oceans, increasing health hazards like asthma, bronchitis, lung cancer, depleted agriculture, lack of clean water, the thinning of ice cap, retreating of glaciers ,excessive rainfall and so on.
The above are the result of the development drama pursued by the developed world. But it was most unfortunate that the developing countries and the least developed countries had to face the backlash alike without being a party to the exploitation. With the increasing pace of Globalisation, the local and the global ecology are confronting the catastrophe. The industrialised countries had destroyed their forest resources quite a century ago and now they are indulging in deforestation of the neo-colonial countries which have contributed to the ecological horror.
The nation-states are losing their control in the “borderless world” and trans-national companies and market forces are posing a serious threat to the ecological stability. The resources of the local communities are found difficult to be protected as the states are sometimes found unwilling to interfere in favour of the indigenous communities and become a partner of the multinationals in this process.
With the growing concern for “environmental crisis” a glaring “North-South division” has been speculated in the environmental debate on different forums. There are disagreements and discord on the nature of the ecological crisis that the planet is passing through, strategies for arresting the degradation and fixing responsibility for the same. The developed world perceives the underdevelopment of the third world as the reason for the environmental damage while the countries of the third world argue that the hectic industrial progress of the imperialist powers and western civilization are responsible for it. The climate change, greenhouse effect, ozone column depletion are the western problem. The horrifying ecological crisis that the world is suffering from is due to their culturally flawed policies and inherent problems of the development paradigm followed by the developed world.
GLOBAL INITIATIVES
Acute poverty, economic stagnation and environmental degradation are the viruses that have robbed the planet of its beauty. The anarchic, oligarchic regime has realised that the catastrophe demands a collective global intervention. The United Nations had offered its leadership in addressing the ecological crisis from time to time. Various international conferences and summits were arranged at regular intervals for finding solution to the problems of global warming, stratospheric depletion, increasing pollution, climate change and so on. Let us have a glance at some of the significant initiatives.
1. Stockholm Conference of 1972
In 1972, the United Nations Conference on Human Environment was held at Stockholm from June 5-June 14, 1972 and was attended by representatives of 114 nation states. The Conference affirmed that the world has just one environment and enunciated that ‘the man has the fundamental right to freedom, equality and adequate conditions of life in an environment of quality that permits a life of dignity and wellbeing , and he bears a solemn responsibility to protect and improve the environment for present and future generations.’ The Stockholm Conference was a landmark in the field of international relations as the conference was successful in kindling the international concern for environmental crisis.
2. Montreal Protocol
The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete Ozone Layer was signed on September 16, 1987 and entered into force on January 1, 1989. It was ratified by the countries whose combined consumption of ozone depleting substances represented two-thirds of the estimated world total. The Protocol aimed at reducing the emission of substances which harm the ozone layer. The Montreal Protocol was amended four times and the list of ozone depleting substances was expanded. The Montreal Protocol had two important features. A Multilateral Fund was set up under the auspices of Montreal Protocol to provide concession and extend grants to the developing countries. In addition to it, the Protocol provided for the transfer of ozone friendly and environmentally safe technologies to the developing countries.
3. UN Earth Summit
The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development was held at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil from June 3-June 14, 1992. The Conference resulted in the Rio Declaration, Convention of Climate Change, Convention on Biodiversity, Forest Principle and Agenda 21 which was the blueprint of sustainable development. The charter contained various principles and work plans for protecting the environment for present and future generations. The declaration enhanced the role of women, youth and indigenous people in environment and development. Their active participation was required for achieving the goal of sustainable development.
The Convention on Biodiversity concentrated on three broad objectives which included the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity, and fair sharing of products of gene stocks.
The framework Convention on Climate Change was held at Rio and representatives from 153 states signed the Convention. The Convention acknowledged the change in the earth’s environment and its adverse effects were a common concern to mankind. The ultimate objective of the convention was to achieve stabilisation of greenhouse gas concentration in the atmosphere.
The summit was significant because it was the first time that the developing countries were treated equally on the issue of climate change by the developed world.
4. Kyoto Protocol of 1997
On December 11, 1997, an attempt was made to legally reduce the greenhouse gas emission of 5.2% below 1990 level by 2008-2012. The European Union under the Protocol was required to reduce the emission by 8% below 1990 level, the USA was required to reduce the emission by 7% and Japan by 6%. It was an undeniable fact that the developed world was primarily responsible for the poisoning of the atmosphere by greenhouse gases. So the heavy burden was put on the shoulder of the 37 industrialised countries to stabilise the atmosphere. As many as 137 developing countries participated and ratified the protocol. But it was genuinely very unfortunate and undemocratic that the USA, which seems to teach the gospel of democracy to the nook and corner of the world, walked out of the agreement as signing the document would compromise their economic development. Although the agreement came into force on February 16, 2005 it could not garner the support and assurance of a global player like the United States of America.
Capitalism has an inherent anti-environmental face. But it is noteworthy that all the conferences and summits enumerated at above were the result of the initiatives taken by developed countries. This time the imperialist G-8 countries that were solely responsible for endangering the global environment to such a vulnerable stage had understood the gravity and morbidity of the situation. The damage they have caused to the planet is irreversible. The G-8 countries are taking these initiatives with a sense of guilt of their century old misdoings and for securing a green space for their future generation. It is nothing than a mockery that after exploiting the environment for centuries, they are holding summits for awarding environmental justice to the world. In the course of industrialisation the developed countries had polluted the environment so they should take the initial steps rather than forcing the developing countries to cap their industrialisation in the name of sustainable development.
Human Development is fundamentally a matter of enhancing freedom and human choice. Economic Development is definitely an important goal to be achieved. No country can prosper without an economic leverage. But perceiving development only through the parlance of capital should not be encouraged. Development is meant not only for the elite and prospered. It should also include the poor and the economically disadvantaged. The industrialised North would also have to rethink of those people whose survival depends directly on the environment. They are suffering from shortage of food, malnourishment, lack of clean drinking water, and degeneration of the traditional plants as an effect of environmental pollution. These people would also have to be accommodated in the development paradigm by rectifying the horrifying ecological crisis.
The environmental crisis which the world is witnessing helplessly is transnational in character. This demands universal participation which cannot be achieved by the efforts of a single country. This is a question of attaining social justice. The platforms or the world forums should not be used for raisings fingers. The developed world should give up their “bossy big brother” image and come to terms with the countries of the third world for searching a common solution to the multidimensional problem. Economy should not outweigh the environmental concern. A moral revolution is advocated that would kindle the fame of green thinking within the civil society.
A time has come when a strong alliance and accord is needed within the global civil society so that it can effectively protest against the powerlessness of state power in arresting the ecological catastrophe. The non-governmental organisations can contribute significantly to this process. They can serve as a watchdog and raise their voice for the exploited. The business groups should also be included to give a wider dimension to the concern. The common rank and file should be imbibed with the ideology of Green Politics which distrusts conventional capitalism and places ecological and environmental goal on high premise.
The United Nations declared June 5 as World Environment Day and April 22 is observed as Earth Day in order to pay homage to the beauty and bounty of the earth. But is this all that we the civilized can do against the siege and barbarism which was committed against the planet for centuries? Humanity is waiting for the imperialists to answer.