Climate change and our economic systems

THE EDITOR: The annual average concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2), the most significant anthropogenic greenhouse gas, increased to 405 and 408 parts per million (ppm) in 2017 and 2018, respectively.

The total concentration of all greenhouse gases, including cooling aerosols, reached a value of 454 ppm in CO2 equivalents in 2019 – an increase of more than four ppm compared with 2016, and 37 ppm more than ten years ago.

The concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere before 1960 was less than 300 parts million. Now it is over 400 parts per million (US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration).

This is a concentration not seen since at least three million years ago – long before humans existed. This environment degradation was produced by communism, capitalism and socialism.

The scientific evidence suggests that if this continues it will make the Earth uninhabitable to humans in about 100 years. The Earth has had five mass extinction events all linked to climate change, whether caused by asteroids or natural phenomenons.

This situation was created by the philosophy of profit (maintain the system) over people. This is common in socialist, communist and capitalist economic models.

We cannot stop the global economic system because about 80 per cent of the world population depends directly on it. Before the industrial revolution of the 17th century the situation was reversed.

We cannot continue with any present economic model; we can only tame the capitalist version with government regulations – and the socialists with more individual rights.

The new economic system will have to insure that all humans can live without the struggle for material survival which breeds crime and disorder.

The socialist myopia is to think that government officials will not become the one per cent that oppresses the people, especially the poor.

Private property is important but not owned by only the few. All present economic systems create a Pareto distribution where 80 per cent of the wealth is owned or controlled by 20 per cent of the population.

This is not by talent alone, whether its Huawei (Chinese technology company) or Google (US technology company). Government support made them successful by diverting resources from the many to the few.

An economic system must be the kind which comes from the word kin (relative) – treat everyone as a blood relative. It is never just to let children go hungry or to let talented people not develop because they are not connected.

BRIAN ELLIS PLUMMER

via e-mail