When we worry about our consumption, we slow down the introduction of renewable forms of energy, writes Salusjärvi.
Even though the news year has been dark, there was still a great deal saved for the end of the year. The historic plan to limit global warming to one and a half degrees was watered down. The border is now being drawn wider on the fly while measures are being postponed. The climate meeting in Egypt was a clean stomach.
The problem is not the slowness of development, but the direction. The global oil and gas cartel shows no signs of reducing emissions, on the contrary. They bet with good odds against emission restrictions.
The International Energy Agency (IEA) recently published a report on the habitability of the Earth for all life.
Energy companies have succeeded in blocking international regulation by waving the flag of individual freedom. Calculating one’s carbon footprint has become a modern-day trade-off, the logs of which are collected by energy companies. Everyone wants to choose the clean world shown in the ad. It is shown to us as our own choices: we believe that as consumers we can make the changes that are needed in the world.
The role of consumption is of course significant, but we can only consume the things that are produced. And only those things are produced that are profitable.
Regulation and control of production, i.e. international agreements, are missing. When no decent progress is made in the climate meetings, we as consumers are left with no real options. Even low-emission commodities ultimately protect the flow of capital that flows into the pockets of global mega-companies.
This is how the world ends, not exploding but quietly dozing off in the cabinets where politicians are muttering formalities and preparing social media updates from their conference trip.
The media does not write about climate meetings, because there is nothing to write about. We drink coffee and shake hands, take photos and sign irrelevant papers. Let’s hope for the best.
The credibility of decision-making also begins to fall when goals are neglected. Maybe the next meeting will reach an agreement on a three-degree increase. Before that, industrial production has grown so much that in the light of the numbers, even this is optimistic.
*Aleksis Salusjärvi*
*The author is a literature and literacy professional who teaches primary school youth that the world is run sensibly and fairly.*
The column can be discussed on 29.12. until 23:00.