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Dialogues@RU is published
annually
by the
Writing Program at
Rutgers, The State
University of New Jersey
Volume Two
Spring 2003
Clean Development to Address
Global Climate Change, Inequality, and Environmental Rights - Page
5
by Kara Scharwath
Although clean investment by means of a public-private partnership through use of the CDM has the potential to address effectively issues of equality, and can provide increased access to basic necessities in developing countries, encouraged use of the market economy to provide these things creates an unsustainable lifestyle. Even if clean investments can tackle the global climate change problem by unlinking development from the production of greenhouse gases, any intensive development creates a lifestyle that has many other negative impacts on the environment. The right to earn a livelihood, which is considered an environmental right, is provided by capitalism; but the lifestyle that results is not sustainable. Collins-Chobanian writes that "the 'need' created in a market economy for people to work in polluting industries that create luxury goods, in order to get a paycheck to buy the necessities of life, is not a fixed need, but one that can and should be changed" (142). The livelihood is needed but the lifestyle is not. Other lifestyles exist that are more sustainable and less damaging to the environment. Through the market, clean development in developing countries can address the problem of global climate change. Even though the basics of life can be provided this way, improving quality of life for people who, in light of equity, deserve it, the consequences of the lifestyle that results from the creation of a market economy will eventually threaten the environmental rights of people. The solution only ensures short-term gain for developing countries, because ultimately a lifestyle based on the creation and subsequent fulfillment of desires will yield negative consequences and will result in threats to environmental rights. In the long run, the Kyoto Protocol and the CDM neglect to really address the needs and rights of people in developing countries.
Furthermore, the market economy puts an increased strain on natural resources and ruins the ability of people to provide their own livelihood through their own sustainable practices. Collins-Chobanian states, "The market economy is fueled by environmental resources, and does not always meet needs, while destroying the ability of many to meet their own needs from such methods as biodiverse, traditional agriculture" (141). The question then arises: How can we rely on continued growth as the ultimate solution to our environmental problems? Unless the problems with the market economy and its associated lifestyle are dealt with, the methods of addressing global climate change that are currently being considered and employed will not produce an improved situation for people in developing countries. These solutions are contrary to the way we need to think about dealing with environmental issues. Are we willing to make the sacrifices these alternative solutions entail?
Works Cited
Collins-Chobanian, Shari. "Beyond Sax and Welfare Interests: A Case for Environmental Rights." Environmental Ethics 22 (Summer 2000): 133-48.
Cooper, Richard N. and Kenneth J. Arrow. "International Approaches to Global Climate Change/A Comment on Cooper. The World Bank Research Observer 15.2 (August 2000): 145-72.
Flavin, Christopher. "The Legacy of Rio." Global Politics in a Changing World . Comp. Richard W. Mansbach and Edward Rhodes. New York: Houghton, 2000. 321-37.
Metz, Bert, et al. "Towards an Equitable Global Climate Change Regime: Compatibility with Article 2 of the Climate Change Convention and the Link with Sustainable Development." Climate Policy 2 (2002): 211-30. Academic Universe. Lexis-Nexis. 17 Oct. 2002 <http://web.lexis-nexis.com/cis>.
Roberts, J. Timmons. "Global Inequality and Climate Change." Society and Natural Resources 14 (2001): 501-9. EBSCO. 17 Oct. 2002.
Tubiana, Laurence. "Global Governance for the Environment: Equity and Efficiency." Governance, Equity, and Global Markets . Comp. Joseph E. Stiglitz and Pierre-Alain Muet. New York: Oxford UP, 2001. 254-7.
Zhang, ZhongXiang and Aki Maruyama. "Towards a Private-Public Synergy in Financing Climate Change Mitigation Projects." Energy Policy 29 (2001): 1363-78. EBSCO. 17 Oct. 2002.
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