Everyone agrees to the fact that Climate change is caused principally by the burning of fossil fuels. These fuels are consumed by Capital although the industrial development especially during the last hundred years. Powerful Western nations and big capital instead of elimination of harmful use of hydrocarbons are suggesting other green washing technologies as a solution. Still a s small window is open to mitigate climate crisis. However, there are other ecological solutions to address this crisis.
Scientists note nine planetary boundaries beyond which we can’t push Earth Systems without putting our societies at risk: 1. climate change,2. biodiversity loss, 3. ocean acidification, 4. ozone depletion, 5. atmospheric aerosol pollution,6. freshwater use, 7. flows of nitrogen and phosphorus, 8. land-system change, and 9. Food security. According to Climate Impact Research, (PIK), Postdam already seven of the above listed nine boundaries are at red light zone. Ozone layer and fresh water availability will also soon reach a critical tae. Recent untimely heavy rains followed by floods in Kerala, Andhra Telangana, Delhi and Himalayan states indicate that we are nearing the tipping point of global warming.
According to Carbon Major Database ( 2024 ) some 57 oil, gas, coal and cement producers are directly linked to 72% of the world’s global fossil CO2 emissions since the 2016 Paris climate agreement. These fuels are consumed by, thermal coal power plants, transport systems, steel, fertilizer, cement industries, agricultural and military systems. These technological systems are, in turn, embedded in the social and economic systems that we live in, are dominated by capital.
Human civilization started taking shape nearly 6,000 years back, and till the onset of industrial revolution a few centuries back man lived in a “give and Take relation ship” with mith mother nature without disturbing the equilibrium. In India for example, we have more than 1 billion mobile phones and other electronic gadgets in use by population. However, safe drinking water or drugs against Tuber chloresis and several contagious diseases are not accessible to general public. No sophisticated rocket science is required for solving these common problems. Capitalism out of greed for big profits confiscated major resources of nature, recklessly squandered energy to mass produce certain commodities for big profits. This is the root cause of prevailing present climate crisis.
Green Wash Technologies
Global West is suggesting technologies such as Carbon capture and fixation, carbon credits, Netzero, blue and grey Hydrogen production (which in turn are not eco-friendly) and consume enormous energy sourced again from Methane and other fossil fuels. Only Green hydrogen, does not consume fossils in electrolytic process for splitting water to produce hydrogen. Besides solar and wind energies are also used in production of Green hydrogen. Estimated that 2,400 gigatons of CO₂ have been emitted by human activity since 1850, and 950 gigatons remains in the atmosphere after oceans absorb a part of of it.with some absorbed by oceans and land, and about 950 gigatons remaining in the atmosphere after ocen absorption. Capturing Carbon dioxide and fixing it deep in the soil is like attempting to stop sun light by putting a hand against it. Strangely big Capital totally ignores this eco friendly technology and only advocates other technologies for energy production that use only fosil fuels. These are green wash technologies without which do not address root cause of the problem. It is necessary to immediately move away from dominance of energy production by big corporations such as EXON Mobil, Shell, Adani coal, RUSNEFT and others. On the other hand these invasive technologies are designed to slow down the transition away from fossil fuels and green wash the problem. The Climate Justice Fund is obtained after several battles in various past climate summits to help developing South to adopt climate resilient technologies, carbon capturing, forestation and others. However, as shown in the Fig1 below, a major chunk of resources(~ 68 % funds) are being grabbed by major Western automobile and nonconventional energy industries. Island nations in Pacific , Pakistan or other African nations worst affected by drought, floods and submergence received a pittance.
Source . IPCC 2023.
The forthcoming UN climate change summit COP 29 in November 2024 will be hosted by Azerbaijan in Baku. Azerbaijan is a major producer of fossil fuels and this is a cruel joke on humanity.
Monopoly of Technologies
The Technofix paradigm to tackle climate change keeps changing Netzero reduction goal posts periodically and hides ongoing big capital investments for expansion fossil and coal industries. These energy generating technologies are heavily patented and kept away from developing nations. For example, prices of solar panel or automobile e-batteries are so high to reach the consumers in developing nations. Because big fossil ( including coal) producing multi national corporations such as Shell or Adani Green control renewable energy generation either it be solar power or hydrogen. The Green capital is getting possession of community commons – forests, mines, land, water bodies and other natural resources. In turn these corporations are attaching price tags to nature and its resources and trading in speculative commodity share markets. In turn alienating adivasis and other commoners from nature. On one hand, these MNCs are redoubling exploitation of people in the Global South. On the other hand, these Technofix technologies are designed to slow down the transition away from fossil fuels, and to perpetuate the dominance of energy production.
Public ownership of natural resources and means of Production
Workers, petty producers and farmers invest their skills and labour to produce commodities. However, private ownership on means of production enslave these producers and in its greed for bigger profits gradually alienates these producers from places of production. Thats why we must aim to change the ownership of means of production produce, and the way they produce it. Once liberated from big capital public ownership of means of natural resources, production technology holds collective responsibility to guard nature and secure it for future generations. Alternative Eco-friendly Technologies
- Increasing the efficiency of industries by employing solar, green hydrogen energies, conventional practices in order to reduce the use and consumption of costly, scarce, or environmentally damaging inputs. For example replacing coal with hydrogen in steel and cement manufacturing.
- Sustainable agriculture: . By improving locally climate adopted germplasm (of plants and animals) using non invasive biotechnology technologies such as genomic breeding, genome editing and others to get high yields. Unlike big agribusiness marketed Genetically engineered varieties or hybrids these varieties developed using germplasm are less affected by pests and diseases. They do not require high doses of fertilizers, pesticides or ground water. Adoption of integrated natural plant protection techniques, earthworm culture, compost and other sustainable practices in turn rejuvenate soil helth and cause less damage to environment.
- Democratization of UN global climate summits by reducing representation of culpable Western nations and banning major fossil production lobby. Representation of global south and independent public sector scientist bodies should be increased.
- Patenting and other restriction of renewable energy production should be eliminated and make them freely accessible to global south.
- Impose certain climate tax on fosil and other chemical, automobile, aviation industries culpable for pollution. Thus collected money should be used as Climate justice fund to help developing nations most affected by climate change. All the natural resources should be brought back to community ownership and climate fund be allocated for their efficient management.
Any sensible action to restore the normal equilibrium between human society and nature with a vision to preserve the latter for future generations is possible with transfer of ownership on natural resources and means of production to the hands of real custodians of nature with system change to socialism.
Dr. Soma Marla, Principal Scientist(Genomics), retd, ICAR NBPGR,, New Delhi.
