Radical changes in individual and collective behaviour may be required to mitigate the impact of climate change over the coming decades. Drawing on a new book, Gregory Claeys argues that a utopian outlook can provide the impetus for transitioning to a more sustainable way of life

Claeys, Gregory

English

LSE Research Online

Utopianism	for	a	dying	planetRadical	changes	in	individual	and	collective	behaviour	may	be	required	to	mitigate	the	impact	of	climate	changeover	the	coming	decades.	Drawing	on	a	new	book,	Gregory	Claeys	argues	that	a	utopian	outlook	can	provide	theimpetus	for	transitioning	to	a	more	sustainable	way	of	life.Few	observers	of	the	ongoing	process	of	environmental	degradation	will	have	failed	to	note	that	the	past	summerseems	to	have	been	a	turning	point	in	our	consciousness	of	the	crisis	we	face.	Extreme	temperatures	throughoutEurope	and	much	of	the	rest	of	the	world,	the	worst	drought	in	history	in	China,	widespread	water	shortages,	andspiralling	energy	costs	and	shortfalls	in	food	supply	now	offer	a	grim	picture	of	the	likely	future	to	come.Those	who	follow	scientific	narratives	will	have	seen	the	widespread	abandonment	of	any	likelihood	of	keeping	to1.5°C	warming,	even	within	this	decade.	To	those	minded	to	join	up	the	dots,	forest	fires,	melting	glaciers	andicecaps,	record	temperatures	in	the	Arctic	and	elsewhere,	spell	out	one	narrative:	we	have	reached	a	turning	pointin	our	battle	against	nature,	and	we	are	staring	at	imminent	defeat.To	the	doomers,	in	one	corner	of	the	ring,	despair	freezes	action,	and	a	sense	of	chilling	remorse	is	supplanted	bynumbness	which	denies	the	possibility	of	any	reprieve.	To	the	denialists,	in	the	other,	none	of	this	is	real,	andabundant	profits	await	those	willing	to	continue	the	exploitation	of	nature.Sober	readers	will	point	out	that	such	results	could	have	been	predicted	(and	were)	long	ago.	We	have	known	fordecades	that	the	process	known	as	global	warming	was	a	near-inevitable	result	of	industrialisation.	But	we	doubtedits	severity	and,	bombarded	by	downright	lies	and	widespread	disinformation	from	the	fossil	fuel	industry,	we	choseinstead	to	embrace	the	comforting	thought	that	our	high	(northern)	standard	of	living	need	not	be	upset	by	a	fewdegrees	of	further	heat.Our	leaders,	awash	with	the	cash	generated	by	the	industry	and	consequently	enmired	in	corruption,	willinglyconnived	to	deny	every	worst-case	scenario.	To	the	denialists,	business	as	usual	is	the	slogan.	And	that	meansjobs	and	prosperity	for	everyone,	which	we	all	want.	And	so,	in	our	reluctance	to	acknowledge	the	facts,	and	ourown	role	in	their	making,	we	conspire	together	to	ignore	the	coming	maelstrom.	Yet	this	is	the	most	pressingproblem	humanity	has	ever	faced.	Every	other	problem	is	relatively	insignificant.	No-one	will	escape	itsconsequences,	including	billionaire	Mars	fanatics	and	prepper	bunker-diggers.A	third	alternativeThere	remains,	however,	a	third	alternative	to	capitulating	before	looming	catastrophe,	and	simply	sticking	ourheads	in	the	ground,	closer	to	the	natural	resources	whose	exploitation	is	its	cause.	Most	campaigners	for	radicalresponses	to	environmental	degradation	acknowledge	that	a	small	window	remains	to	turn	around	what	willotherwise	become	a	rapidly-unravelling	catastrophe.Ending	fossil	fuel	extraction	within	this	decade,	while	warming	would	still	continue	for	some	time,	could	enable	us	toavoid	its	worst	effects,	and	to	level	off	global	temperatures	before	the	earth	burns	up.	A	transition	to	renewableenergy	sources,	to	wind	and	solar	and	wave	power,	is	viable	and	realistic	even	within	slightly	more	than	a	singledecade.	Around	80%	of	Europe’s	energy	could	be	renewable	by	2025,	for	instance,	eliminating	virtually	all	coal	andgas.Renewables	are	now	vastly	cheaper	sources	of	power	than	fossil	fuels.	The	immediate	savings	would	be	vast,	andthe	long-term	benefits	immeasurable.	For	at	stake	is	nothing	less	than	the	threat	of	the	collapse	of	civilisation,	andthe	extinction	of	humanity	itself	as	temperatures	rise	above	3°C	and	our	planet	becomes	one	vast	Sahara.The	destruction	all	around	us	at	a	warming	rate	of	1.2°C	will	bring	us	to	this	end	if	we	remain	on	our	current	course.It	indicates	that	the	entire	global	warming	narrative	of	a	“sustainable”	increase	of	1.5-2°C	has	been	false,	andmisleading.	So,	we	need	to	achieve	warming	of	below	1°C.	And	this	means	more	dramatic	interventions	than	anypreviously	mooted.UtopianismLSE European Politics and Policy (EUROPP) Blog: Utopianism for a dying planet Page 1 of 2		Date originally posted: 2022-09-20Permalink: https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/europpblog/2022/09/20/utopianism-for-a-dying-planet/Blog homepage: https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/europpblog/The	question	remaining	is	how	to	create	a	movement	towards	this	level	of	sustainability,	at	a	time	when	much	of	ourleadership	(notably	in	Britain)	remain	in	thrall	to	fossil	fuel	arguments	and	donations,	and	energy	shortages	arebeing	used	to	threaten	further	resource	extraction,	and	even	the	introduction	of	fracking,	one	of	the	most	destructiveof	extraction	techniques.My	own	response,	after	following	this	scenario	across	some	forty	years,	is	spelled	out	in	a	new	book,	Utopianism	fora	Dying	Planet:	Life	After	Consumerism.	My	arguments	rest	on	accepting	the	premise	that	the	current	scenario	isas	dire	as	can	be,	that	we	do	genuinely	face	the	prospect	of	extinction,	and	therefore	that	tinkering	with	the	presentsystem	is	a	waste	of	time.	Much	more	radical	solutions,	and	a	much	more	radical	“green	new	deal”,	are	required,which	will	include	a	fundamental	change	in	our	outlook	towards	nature	and	towards	the	consumption	of	resources.A	vast	new	apparatus	will	be	needed	to	introduce	the	necessary	changes	in	energy	production	and	consumption,and	to	ensure	climate	justice,	and	that	a	fair	distribution	of	the	very	substantial	costs	of	the	transition	tosustainability	does	not	fall	unduly	on	those	less	responsible	for	the	incipient	catastrophe.	The	obsession	withconsumerism	will	have	to	be	supplanted	by	greater	self-sufficiency,	voluntary	simplicity,	and	the	satisfaction	ofneeds	rather	than	wants.For	four	reasons	I	have	chosen	to	portray	this	response	in	terms	of	the	long	tradition	known	as	utopianism,	whichdates	from	the	publication	of	Thomas	More’s	famous	Utopia	(1516),	but	stretches	through	to	early	socialism	andKarl	Marx	to	the	early	environmentalist	writers	and	the	deeper	green	thinkers	of	the	1980s	and	later.What	utopianism	almost	uniquely	offers	us	is	firstly	a	demand	that	we	think	about	long-term	futures	rather	than	theshort	four-	to	five-year	economic	and	political	cycles	which	typically	dominate	our	thinking.	Secondly,	utopianthought	usually	envisions	a	vastly	better	future	than	the	one	we	live	in.	Thirdly,	it	involves	a	concern	with	thecommon	good	rather	than	the	profits	of	the	few.	And	fourthly,	it	is	predicated	on	a	vision	of	improved	social	relationsbetween	people,	on	enhanced	solidarity,	amicability,	mutuality,	respect,	and	greater	social	equality.	These	are	thekey	utopian	values,	portrayed	in	thousands	of	ideal	worlds	from	the	Renaissance	to	the	present.Introducing	a	world	defined	by	these	qualities	is	of	course	vastly	different	from	merely	imagining	their	presence.	Thetransition	to	sustainability	will	involve	many	sacrifices,	not	least	by	the	wealthy	who	will	have	to	fund	most	of	it.	Ihave	in	mind	a	world	where	the	cities	where	most	of	us	live	are	made	vastly	more	pleasant	places;	where	auniversal	basic	income	ensures	the	means	of	life;	where	public	pleasures	provide	the	means	of	greater	sociability;where	free	public	transport	alleviates	the	pain	of	temporary	loss	of	some	long-distance	travel;	where	localcommunities	and	local	identity	become	the	means	of	overcoming	that	creeping	alienation	which	has	done	so	muchto	define	modernity;	and	where	an	overwhelming	sense	of	having	averted	catastrophe	unites	us	as	never	before.These	are	attainable	goals.	They	are	not,	by	and	large,	shared	by	our	political	leaders.	But	we	can	now	act	toensure	their	introduction,	and	our	survival.	We	must	wake	them	up.	The	alternative	is	too	terrifying	to	contemplate.And	so	we	must	act	now,	or	forever	regret	our	inaction.	See	you	on	the	streets.For	more	information,	see	the	author’s	new	book,	Utopianism	for	a	Dying	Planet:	Life	After	Consumerism(Princeton	University	Press,	2022)Note:	This	article	gives	the	views	of	the	author,	not	the	position	of	EUROPP	–	European	Politics	and	Policy	or	theLondon	School	of	Economics.	Featured	image	credit:	Gustavo	Quepón	on	UnsplashLSE European Politics and Policy (EUROPP) Blog: Utopianism for a dying planet Page 2 of 2		Date originally posted: 2022-09-20Permalink: https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/europpblog/2022/09/20/utopianism-for-a-dying-planet/Blog homepage: https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/europpblog/

Utopianism for a dying planet

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Utopianism for a dying planet

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