Naomi Klein's 'This Changes Everything' challenges the conflict between capitalism and climate change, arguing that our economic model is at odds with environmental sustainability. The book offers a critique of current mitigation strategies and proposes radical social solutions for a more just and equitable future.
Naomi Klein's 'This Changes Everything' presents a compelling argument that our current economic model of deregulated capitalism is fundamentally at odds with addressing climate change. The book starts by analyzing the problems we face, including fossil fuel extractivism, inequality, and climate change deniers, and then moves on to propose solutions that emphasize social and environmental justice. Klein's critique of current mitigation strategies, such as the cap and trade system, is particularly insightful. She argues that we need to move beyond the false choice between jobs and growth and reinvest in socially equitable business practices. The book also highlights the interconnectedness of climate change, poverty, and development, acknowledging the need for wealth transfers and redistributive climate finance mechanisms. Overall, Klein's work offers a hopeful vision of a future where social mobilization and climate justice movements can lead to meaningful change.
Quick quotes
Klein's argument is that, while the majority of people think climate change is a threat, “we have not done the things that are necessary to lower emissions because those things fundamentally conflict with deregulated capitalism” which is the “reigning ideology” of our time (p.18).
At the heart of the book Klein is supplying society with a challenge: are we on the right path, are we doing the right things for ourselves and for the future, and is this the best we can be?
The solution to global warming is not to fix the world, but to fix ourselves (p.279).