Green-collar Crime Wave
Here's a short quiz: Who said "Greed is Good"?
a)Gordon Gecko b)Bill McKibben c)both of them
Yes, indeed, c) is the correct answer. In his Mother Jones article (May/June 2008) entitled "The GreenbackEffect", McKibben, founder of 350.org, famously announced that "Greed has helped destroy the planet - maybe now it can help save it". McKibben then goes on to say that "markets are powerful" but need the right information. His proposal: auction off emissions permits to power plants (in effect, pollution permits) while reducing the number of permits each year and returning the proceeds to consumers or using it to develop renewable energy. (Note that this in effect cedes ownership of the atmosphere, part of the global commons, to private industry.)
This "cap and dividend" process , now discarded by our government because they rejected the resulting increases in the cost of electricity, has been adopted in Europe with no discernible results. It was supposed to reduce energy consumption annually but it has actually led to an increase each year. The "cap" part of it was in any case meaningless with regard to reducing CO2 emissions since the quantity of permits to be issued was based on a piddling reduction in emissions of 17% by the year 2030, when the best science and most authoritative scientific bodies say that we need to reduce them by at least 80% by the year 2020 and reach zero emissions by the year 2050.
Notwithstanding this fact, plus the impossibility of accurately measuring emissions or getting an honest baseline from utilities, plus the fact that it would line the pockets of brokers (it already has, including the pockets of Al Gore, who set up his own emissions exchange), the leading environmental groups in this country (Natural Resources Defense Council), Environmental Defense Fund among others) aligned themselves with corporations in the US Climate Action Plan (USCAP) to promote cap and trade. Despite the support of Obama and the Democrats, the whole idea was killed by Republicans, who thus inadvertently did a favor to those environmentalists who, despite heavy pressure from Democrats, knew better than support it.
But the business community has not gone away. In fact its reach now includes McKibben's group, 350.org, which has decided that putting eggs in any basket except the one owned by corporations is useless. His response to those who understand the imperative need to end economic growth and capitalism - the main fuels for climate change - led him to compare them to "some new nature religion that would turn protecting the planet into some kind of Eleventh Commandment." He categorically rejects everything but markets and their owners: the corporations...whose main objective is not to save the earth but to save capitalism. Capitalism can't save the earth. It wants to save itself and in the process will take us all down with the ship.
McKibben's leap over to the Dark Side was most clearly revealed in his organization's letter to the business community notifying them of his 10/10/10 Global Work Party, where the logo read: "350.org/BusinessPartner", followed by their letter of Jan. 28, 2011, " A letter to business people around the world". It begins by assuming that they "care about making (their) business green", educating their employees, recycling or "building awareness-raising into (their) product line".
Then it lays it on thicker. "That's where 350.org comes in - it has potential to engage your staff and customers", suggesting they can plant trees or collect trash or "put information about what 350 means for climate change on your next green product (like Camelbak)." (This is a waterproof canvas backpack water bag used by trendy trekkers on hikes and safaris). More ways of Saving the Earth and Having Fun: sponsor a local350.org event, put a "Business for 350 " logo in your storefront ..or "host a mini-rally (with your log on the banner) like the staff of Keen footwear". This ends with this statement: "The possibilities are endless - THIS IS MARKETING, WHICH WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE GOOD AT" (in italics).
This appeal to the business community defines the words "craven" and "capitulation". It also signals the refusal of 350.org to do grassroots organizing. What is most egregious about 350.org is that while it boasts of hundreds of thousands of supporters worldwide, it has never prepared or articulated ANY POSITIONS ON ENERGY POLICY. Its e-mail alerts stay far away from any meaningful political process such as lobbying or a proposal for alternative legislation. The furthest McKibben has gone was to support Peter Barnes’ "tax and dividend" proposal, as detailed above...yet 350.org supporters in this country were never urged to work for this issue or make their views known to their congressional representatives.
We have heard about White-collar Crime. Now we are witnessing Green-collar crime, which provides an assist from the most visible environmental spokesman in the country for corporate Greenwashing. Although scattered here and there in his writings, the crucial issues of economic growth and consumption are tabled for some time in the future, on grounds that there is not enough time to revamp our economy. But just wait a goldarn minute: there isn't enough time to NOT revamp it. We've only got a few years before the deluge.
We could, with a rational energy plan, cut energy consumption in a matter of weeks or months. Here's how:
1)impose a stiff carbon tax and dividend on fossil fuel, starting at $10 a ton CO2 and doubling each year;
2)end all subsidies and tax breaks to the fossil fuel industry (Obama actually favors this);
3)impose stringent mandatory energy efficient standards and measures on all sectors of the economy (experts calculate 30% to 50% emissions reductions from efficiency alone).
I presented this quite minimal program to McKibben to use as he wished; I got no response. The new slogan of 350.org should be this: "350.org: Our First Order of Business is Business".
written by Lorna Salzman