Abolition

Some time ago western civilization faced a crisis of unprecedented proportions. A crisis that had profound impacts on the future of the world. A crisis driven by Western Europe and North America, but that impacted the fate of millions in Asia and Africa and the Caribbean.

The politics were bare knuckled. Opponents asserted change would have devastating economic consequences. Proponents emphasized the moral imperatives.

Opponents claimed that change would destroy the economy, putting thousand - no millions - out of work. They said “they too were concerned, but the changes must be carefully considered and phased in gradually”. They said special exemptions must be made to ensure existing industries don’t shoulder an unfair burden. They sought to delay implementation and to exempt or create exceptions for certain industries.

Opponents funded challenges to the science and the economics. They funded public relations claiming proposals would disrupt food supplies, advantage competing nations, reduce the standard of living of the average person, devastate coastal port cities, and threaten the nation’s security.

Opponents urged caution, further studies…half-measures in their increasingly transparent attempt to preserve the status quo.

It was the definitive political battle of its time.

The political and economic elites – fat on the excesses driven by the status quo - resisted most strongly. They sought to continue to get rich on the subsidies. They hoped to continue amassing enormous fortunes from permissive policies. As officers and directors of companies they made money from the continued exploitation. As shareholders they demanded continued double–digit growth. 

But slowly over a generation, the tide changes. Opponents resisted bitterly. First with denials, then tacit acknowledgement followed by pleas for further study, then non-binding solutions, then half-baked legislation filled with exceptions.

But the people – led by a few heroes – couldn’t be ignored.

Their grassroots movement for change was driven by churches, intellectuals, activists and concerned citizens. They held rallies, signed petitions, boycotted products, gave sermons. Slowly politicians followed. First with rhetoric, later with legislation targeting trade, ultimately with an outright ban. 

After decades of sweat and blood, they succeeded, slavery was abolished. First in France, then in England (and its empire), finally in the U.S fifty years later.

The world economy didn’t collapse, western civilization didn’t disappear. The Europeans and the British Empire ruled the world for another 150 years.

The similarities to global warming are illuminating.

Climate change deniers cite arguments similar to those espoused 200 years ago by pro-slavery forces. As with slavery, it is the political and economic elites, particularly in Canada and the U.S., who resist the changes needed to forestall a climate collapse the hardest. They have the most to lose.  In the short term they are benefiting most from the massive emissions produced by over consumption and inefficiencies in our carbon-driven economy.

But our generation can learn from the Abolitionist movement. We can learn how to build a strong, diverse, politically formidable movement. We can learn how to influence money flows from bad actors towards good. We can learn how to better engage churches and tap into peoples desire to be moral. We can learn to persevere against seeming long odds.

Our challenge is huge. Life as we know it is threatened unless we radically alter our consumption. We must fundamentally transform how we relate to the planet. Like former slave owners we must transform our way of life. How we feed ourselves, clothe ourselves, build houses, organize our communities, and travel. It won’t be easy. Sacrifices will be necessary.

Many of today’s oil companies, developers, car manufacturer’s, and corporate farmers are the plantation owners, slave traders, sugar and rum merchants, and shipping magnets of two hundred years ago. They are the ones getting rich by not being accountable for the millions of tons of carbon dumped annually into the air we breathe. Many of them fund the climate deniers. Many of them try to sow fears of economic disruption. Many of them say the challenge is too great, that addressing the problem is too costly, that incremental change is all that is possible. All because they fear losing their privileged status.  

But we know better. To succeed we must overcome their self-interest and force them to make the changes needed to reduce our carbon emissions.  Like Abolitionists, we know that figuring out new ways to produce our food, manufacture our products, resource our industries will be hard. But we know it can be done—it must be done.

Like Abolitionists, we will persevere, but we can not wait a generation for action. 

As they were in abolishing slavery two hundred years ago, our European partners are ahead of us. They are taking concrete action on capping and reducing green house gasses while we continuing talking and studying. We need to catch up fast. 

Like a revelation the atmospheric science can help save us carbon-sinners. As the old spiritual Amazing Grace reminds us we were lost, but now are found, blind and now can see.

Reversing global warming is not just a moral imperative. It is not solely based on our concern about our less fortunate brothers and sisters that live in the Artic, in Africa or Asia or on low lying islands. It is not just about our immortal soul. It is not just about saving the Inuit, the Polar Bear, people on the low-lying Maldives Islands, in Bangladesh or in drought stricken Africa. 

It is about us. It is about the survival of our species. It is about our future, our grandchildren’s future.

So lets get to it!