Episode 83: Causes of the Climate Crisis: Consumers and Politicians, or Capitalist Production?

The co-hosts discuss Brendan’s just-published article, “Should I Turn Down the Thermostat or Overthrow the Capitalist Mode of Production?” The article offers further thoughts on Marxist-Humanist Initiative’s perspective on the relation between capitalism and the ecological crisis, which we discussed in Ep. 59 of RFH. Brendan criticizes two common assumptions about rising greenhouse gas emissions: the assumption that they are caused, directly and indirectly, by consumers’ behavior, and the assumption that global failure to significantly reduce emissions is the result of bad leaders, corruption, and the like. He argues, to the contrary, that the laws of capitalist production are to blame. The quest for limitless profit and the competition that enforces it are driving the rise in rising greenhouse gas emissions, and they are restricting the ability of governments, businesses, and consumers to address the crisis.

The reproduction schemes in the third part of volume 2 of Marx’s Capital, and a paper of Andrew’s on the topic, “Marx’s Reproduction Schemes as an Unbalanced-Growth Model” (which we discussed in Ep. 51 of RFH), are cited during the segment.

 
In this episode’s current-events segment, Ralph Keller joins the co-hosts to discuss the recent coup attempt by right-wingers in Germany.

 
Radio Free Humanity is a podcast covering news, politics and philosophy from a Marxist-Humanist perspective. It is co-hosted by Brendan Cooney and Andrew Kliman. We intend to release new episodes every two weeks. Radio Free Humanity is sponsored by MHI, but the views expressed by the co-hosts and guests of Radio Free Humanity are their own. They do not necessarily reflect the views and positions of MHI.

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