Climate Change and Magical Thinking

Naomi Klein, in her new book This Changes Everything, argues that billionaires like Richard Branson are not living up to their big green promises.

In Part 2 of her interview with Wendy Mesley, Klein refers to Magical Thinking as the stories we tell ourselves about what is going on, which, however, inevitably prevent us from doing what needs to be done.  Specifically there are three myths dead center in her cross-hairs: (a) the market will save us, (b) billionaires will save us, and (c) technology will save us. We need regulation, or rather to take back regulation, which, if I’m not mistaken, is what neo-Liberalism is all about.

Case in point: Media friendly and wealthy businessman Richard Branson is evidently a hypocrite.  Klein explains that in 2006, he made a splashy announcement at the Clinton Global Initiative that he would divert all profits from his airlines, trains etc. into developing fuel that didn’t emit carbon.  That amounted to about $3 billion over the next decade.   It’s eight years post-announcement now, and just $300 million were pumped into the effort, nowhere near his pledge.  But I suppose that even if we were to believe the sincerity of Branson’s original intent, it is proof, in Klein’s mind, that we cannot leave climate initiatives to the market, a charity model, or the goodwill of business. It’s not going to get us there. If we want businesses to stop polluting, we need the government to tell them not to do it.

But polluting pays and government is reluctant.  That's the rub, isn't it.