NaomiKlein

I always tell people that the most important thing they can do is join groups of other people taking action. And that action depends on where they can have the most influence. If they’re university students, that may mean divestment. If they live somewhere in the path of a pipeline, it may mean stopping that pipeline. If they’re a brilliant economist, it may mean working with colleagues on policy approaches that movements can champion.

What’s important is to break out of the mindset that climate change can be tackled by invidual action. Those actions are important when they model change, but they do not substitute for organizing.

Harper is doing his level best to enshrine that polarized system, so getting him out is important. Electoral reform to bring in proportional representation would be a huge help.

I also think a strong, brave CBC helps. I only wish the current CBC wasn’t making it so fucking hard for us to defend.

climate change denier

I made a decision not to debate climate change deniers about the science, but I’m happy to talk to anyone about policy responses. I think it just fuels the false perception that this is a real debate within the scientific community. I also think it’s a lot more important and useful to engage people who don’t deny the science but opt out of the whole issue — because that’s actually most people.

As I write in the book, climate change denial is about the need to defend a worldview. It’s nearly impossible to convince people to abandon their core worldview.

I do talk about the need to shift our industrial ag system to an agro-ecological one in the book. And I agree that a meat-based diet is unsustainable. I just don’t see how you enforce vegetarianism : ) And as I’ve said earlier, focusing on individual consumer behaviour, whether it’s changing lightbulbs or going vegan, is just not going to get us there.

Thanks for sharing! The book does discuss the clash between short-term economic growth, which is at the centre of capitalism, and climate action. Some reviewers have chosen to emphasize the parts of the book that only challenge neoliberalism. In truth, the book challenges both.

But it will never be enough for hyper-sectarian Marxists, and I’m cool with that.