Climate, Energy, Imperialist aggression wars and the danger for people and nations
Bali
Seeking for a new Kyoto after the bankruptcy of the first one
Ten years after the famous Kyoto agreement, 192 countries participated in an international conference, in Bali, from 3-14/12/2007, concerning the climate change. The international “scientists’ community” is crediting this situation with certainty, by now, to anthropogenic causes and more specifically to the pollution by hydrocarbons that cause the greenhouse effect –global warming.
It is worth noting that from Kyoto 1997 to Bali 2007, despite the commitment of 173 countries to reduce significantly the pollution by the hydrocarbons combustion until 2010, the pollution has increased and it will increase quite a lot in the future. Even the E.U. that has invested all these years in its ecological profile and utilizes it in its imperialist rivalries, couldn’t manage to reduce pollution, despite its “anti-pollution” policy (that allegedly implemented according the Kyoto credit system), in more than 2% while it had committed to reduce it to at least 8% until 2010.
Initially, according the Kyoto credit system, the objective was to reduce the pollution as it was registered in 1990 from 25%-40%.
Naturally, the spokesmen of the imperialist countries, wisely acting, not only USA and China but also Japan etc – without actually afflicting the European imperialists- left out of the agreement the figures and kept the general-vague appeal for reducing pollution. The agreement on the “new Kyoto” has been postponed fro two, after 2012. Meanwhile the US, particularly if the “bad” Bush buzzed off, then they have all the qualifications to lead the global campaign for the planet’s salvation. What Bali actually added to last year’s G8 summit in Davos and Al Gore’s campaign and - the along and antagonistic to Kyoto – US initiative, according some skeptics, in last September with the 16 developed countries, is the preservation and the consolidation of terrorizing the peoples for the coming end of the world – doomsday, without any substantial result in reducing pollution. Instead pollution increases and the real concern and war of the imperialists are the control of hydrocarbons.
All these saviors of the planet along with thousands scientists under their service –who probably a year ago wouldn’t have been so adamant on what is actually going on with the climate – today argue categorically that the climate change is the result of anthropogenic causes. Meanwhile they present a series of models, either regional or local predicting a serious climate change unless - allegedly – serious and immediate measures are taken.
We are not questioning-doubting the huge environmental problems of the planet. We actually believe that the struggle against the plunder of natural sources is a first priority issue. The only problem is that we find it hard to abide by their models. We don’t question their predictions but we refuse to applaud guys like Al Gore or the NGOs of the capital that get Nobel-prize for their contribution in disorientating and diverting the peoples.
However the peoples know who and why get the Nobel Prize. Particularly the peoples in the Balkans can not forget. It takes ages for uranium to stop affecting us.
The peoples often experience the tragic consequence of nature’s devastation without having until now any serious climate change. Water pollution of rivers or potable water resources, the destruction from over-exploitation and over pumping or even dams are only a few examples of plundering nature that has already cost the life of millions people every year (from diseases and thirst) while in the near future this problem will worsen even without any climate change and become more and more tragic. And this tremendous problem that occurs from the greedy function of the system of profit does not concern the polluted rivers in China and India. It exists in every country, in our country as well, in every river like Assopos that kills people for years because of the pollution from local factories that throw in it chromium or lakes that die along with birds and fishes that live in them.
Are we all to blame?
It is necessary for the people to acquire “ecologist consciousness”. But we believe that no matter how little water we use when we brush our teeth the problem of water supply in cities-monsters won’t be solved. The rivers will keep on drying and poisoned. Even in case there is a need to reduce the use of water in big cities this should start from the thousands acres in the gardens of the bourgeois suburbs and the golf clubs. These “sensitive souls” should stop provoking the suffering workers and toilers in the workers districts of big cities where the cement and the unbearable deprivation of nature along with brutal exploitation turn their lives into hell.
So, what we reject from the well known bourgeois “ecology” that has met days of glory globally with festivals like Bali is the attempt to vindicate the guilty capitalist system by transferring the guilt from the perpetrators to the victims; in this case the people.
It is crystal clear that the people must act. But their prime task is to struggle against nature’s plunder by exposing the guilty ones and imposing overthrows to their policies through the well known way of mass people’s struggle which has class colored and is not multicolored and harmless.
Last summer, we witnessed in our country the great disaster from fires. It is the same policy that burnt these vast areas which is continuing to try to reform the article 24 of the constitution in order to declassify forest areas; that has devastated the countryside and peasantry. Just think that we are talking for a rise of 0.7 C degrees in regards with 200 years ago and instead of taking measures against fires they keep on buying weapons, monitor cameras and other equipment like barbwire for demonstrators.
In the end are they fooling us or is there something else?
It is obvious that they are fooling us and the responsibility of the well paid think-tanks on the account of the imperialists is very serious. Bali – the new “Kyoto” – was proved nothing much and the old Kyoto is expiring in a while without any substantial outcome. Particularly in the “ecologically sensitive” Europe the reduce of pollution by less than 2% during the last ten years was the result of transferring polluting industries in other countries than E.U. where they pay less in workers salaries. It is double profit. However the European capital since Kyoto 1997 actually contributed in making the so called green economy more substantial.
Double profit
The new UN secretary is quite revealing when he noted in an article of his that the green economy world we are now entering is not only clearer, prosperous and safer. If we handle right the fight against global warming will set the foundations for, a friendly for the environment, transformation of global economy that will rather eject than hinder the economic growth and development as many leaders fear (Kathimerini-Greek newspaper -5.12.07).
The question for the next period is whether the inter-imperialist rivalries and alliances will be expressed in the level of green policy and ecology. The imperialists may have a lot to unite them but they also have a lot to divide them. As we noted and as Harlow Watson emphasized, the US spokesman in Bali conference, USA may not be committed with Kyoto credit system but it moves along…
We cannot say whether there will be a settlement in a new Kyoto after 2012 or in this case whether the US will play the leading role. We cannot say if the advanced technologically western countries manage to come to a deal on the so called green economy and create such conditions in a way that there will be space only for them. If they manage this the next question is whether green economy is capable to control the “under development” China.
All these issues comprise a significant aspect of the inter-imperialist rivalry in economy and energy level along with the well known rivalry for the control of oil resources and transportation, which as long as there is no shortage of them, they will be the main energy source, under capitalist conditions. We mention the capitalist conditions because mineral fuel isn’t irreplaceable.
Various things have been said in this “ecology” chapter regarding the period of socialist building in Soviet Union, so we have to say this. Capitalism rejects the knowledge and experience of centuries utilizing only what brings profit to a few hands. Only a small proportion of energy is produced by renewed energy sources. All evaluation predict that there will be an increase in hydrocarbons consumption, therefore originates the constantly intensified war for the control of their resources and transportation.
Nuclear energy: the way out of port-modern ecology
The plunder of nature by the capital and imperialists compose a threat for the planet because they rule it. The capital is only interested in profit and there is nothing good for the future as long as it isn’t overthrown by the peoples.
The civilized and ecologist west is facing the need not to depend on oil and natural gas exclusively, in regards with energy sources and hence to avoid extortions from those who own and control them. Although it is predicted that the consumption of hydrocarbons will increase they are seek alternatives. What is out of question is cost increase. Obviously the capitalist-imperialist system would choose the option that would bring more profit. Therefore, what they do is vindicate and work old and new nuclear stations.
The Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant is no longer a problem and new nuclear power plants are about to be built in Albania, Turkey, Egypt etc in our region. Everywhere the great energy players, mainly the US, Russian and European imperialists take advantage of the favorable atmosphere and proceed to “ecologist” nuclear investments. These investments are within the frames of Ban Qi Moon green policy, Kyoto credit system and new Kyoto-Bali for the salvation of the planet. We cannot say how profitable the investments on nuclear energy power plants are in the stock market. But it is a fact that pollution increases, the Kyoto credit system wasn’t effective and there is nothing new with Bali.
Meanwhile in series of countries new nuclear energy power plants are built and work, the plunder of nature is being intensified and real danger emerges. Still, we are in the front door of green economy.
In the peculiar dealing of imperialists an anti-pollution profitable technology is developing according the Kyoto credit system and yet pollution increases. Within these frames bio-fuel is being promoted that could provide super-profit to oil and car industries along with super-profit from the increase in oil prize.
Bio-fuel is an ambiguous issue. The first question is whether their cultivation, elaboration and combustion are less polluting than i.e. natural gas. Definitely the cultivation of bio-energy plants paves the way to import genetically modified seeds and plants with unknown danger for the future. Meanwhile the rain forests in Latin America and South East Asia suffer and get annihilated by human induced deforestation (besides paper production, timber, land for cultivation etc) in order to cultivate plants for bio-fuel production. No one was concerned in Bali – the 192 governments’ conference – about this deforestation. They also don’t give a dam about the starvation they bring about to whole nations and people who are unable to buy cereals since they became too expensive and there is and will increase their shortage due to their replacement in cultivation by plants for biofuels.
In the end it is crystal clear that capitalism is only interested in the profit it can acquire from its investments. This is a fundamental truth necessary for the nations and people who have undertaken the task to defend nature that is in grave danger by the capitalist system. Therefore we should not accept without criticizing the system’s propagation. We have a reason to say so. Unfortunately, there are political forces that have adopted campaigns launched by the capitalist-imperialist system like the expansion of democracy i.e. in the Balkans, accepted without criticism the propagation about globalization and they are already astonished ready to swallow the new campaign about human induced climate change, global warming, and environment pollution which is not simply propagation but it comprises dangerous imperialist methodical handle.
Definitely we should mind the development since it is not impossible- particularly after the elections in the US- the new clothes of the king to be green.
Nevertheless, the king is naked. The attack of the capitalist-imperialist system is apparent and total. In each case this attack raises concrete points and we must judge them, without being carried away by the tricks and the propagation of the system. For, where the people in India, Brazil, our country or anywhere else defend the environment they live in the multicolored activists of the various NGOs loose their role and the Left and the line of mass struggle acquire the leading role. Certainly this is a difficult and dangerous period in also this struggle front of the people.
Generally, people’s resistance and struggle against nature’s plunder premises and is interrelated by the consolidation of people’s struggle for peace and their rights in the perspective of the system’s overthrow and not in consolidating the illusions of its improvement.
