2023-06-16 01:22:03
Friday, June 16, 2023, 01:22
Climate change is one of the greatest challenges facing humanity. And that, regardless of the environmental consequences -increase in global temperature, sea level, extreme weather events, etc.-, it will have serious economic repercussions.
“To reverse this situation as much as possible, now it is time to impoverish ourselves or, at least, that the vast majority become impoverished,” warns Santiago Niño Becerra in a Twitter thread.
1/5. We have already commented on it: the climatic and environmental degradation that we are already experiencing and that will continue is not the consequence of a magical curse but of the economic models chosen (note that I am not saying about the System: Capitalism could have chosen other models).
– Santiago Niño (@sninobecerra) June 12, 2023
The magazine Science recently published an article in which various researchers quantified the global economic losses that will occur throughout this century due to climate change: 84 trillion dollars. And this even if the current commitments to reduce CO2 emissions are met.
“It’s not a magical curse”
The Catalan economist recalls that “the climate and environmental degradation that we are already having and that will continue is not the consequence of a magical curse, but of the economic models chosen.”
Niño Becerra makes a point here: he does not speak of the “system”, since capitalism “could have chosen other models”. All those followed since the first industrial revolution “have started from two bases”, in his opinion.
The first, that on earth “there was everything you needed in unlimited quantity, so it was cheap.” Secondly, humanity had another belief that, like the previous one, has subsequently been shown to be profoundly wrong. “That the natural environment was an infinite dump in which to throw the waste at zero cost.”
The Ramón Llull University professor recalls that “since 1870, and especially since 1955, economic growth has been like never before.” However, “for years” there has been a shortage of ‘commodities’ (raw materials of all kinds that can be traded), “and we are getting closer to climate hell.”
“Watch out! Let’s not blame anyone,” says Niño Becerra. In his opinion, “things in the climate have gotten where they have gotten” because “we grew what we grew and how we grew.” Hence, as many other experts in natural resources warn, the only solution is to grow less, or even decrease.
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