[lbo-talk] Global warming 'past the point of no return'

[Gar Lipow]

On 9/16/05, Carrol Cox <cbcox at ilstu.edu> wrote:
> 
> 
> Gar Lipow wrote:
> >
> > You want to be careful on this. It ha been known for some time that a
> > feedback mechanism has set in and a great deal of  global warming has
> > been locked in. But such cycles are not infinite. It is not
> > neccesarily too late to stop global warming while we still have a
> > fairly decent agricultural capability - if we start soon.  The warmer
> > the air temperature the more vapor capability, the more water in the
> > air, the less in liquid form available for human use.
> 
> There is no evidence _at all_ that such a start will be made as long as
> capitalism is the dominant world social structure. That is, we have to
> assume that for at least another 50 years the "input" into global
> warming will continue to rise. It is simply beyond the capacity of
> capitalist states to maintain present rates of carbon production, let
> alone reduce those rates.
> 
> Carrol
> ___________________________________

I agree that capitalism is the cause. I refuse to be so hopeless as to
take the  position that we have to await  world revolution to make
changes in capitalist behavior. World wide the left is weak, not even
existing in many changes.  I see no reason to believe this  is
inevitable or unchangable.  Get a strong left movement, even one that
is not strong enough for revolution, and you can extract all sorts of
concessions from capitalism. It has been done before.     I don't see
much reason for optimism. But I don't believe any of us are
all-knowing enough to give up hope either.