Essay On The Relationship Between Capitalism And Environmentalism

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With rising sea levels, CO2 emissions, and global temperatures, climate scientists and researchers alike are left to wonder how the global climate was allowed to progress to its present state, as well as how to stop this progression in the future. The main topic of debate in this paper will be the relationship between the free market and the environment, and if such a relationship even exists in the first place. In assessing the works and positions of both Naomi Klein and Ronald Bailey, I find Klein’s view of the negative relationship between capitalism and environmentalism to be more convincing, overall.
For Canadian author and social activist, Naomi Klein, she holds the position that capitalism is the main culprit, holding us back from …show more content…

My main issue with Bailey’s argument is that he seems to hone in on the few climate scientists and researchers who truly oppose the belief of climate change, and discredit the scientists who do support it, saying their findings are simply flawed. As we have read in many other articles, such as Nanci Oreskes’ piece, we have found that the amount of evidence supporting climate change is much greater than the evidence against it. My other issue is that he claims that radical environmentalists are adopting such views for the sole purpose of attacking capitalism in order to destroy it, rather than for environmental rehabilitation. Although there are, I am sure, a few people out there who may have this thought in mind, I have a hard time believing that the entire sphere of environmentalism is preaching for us to take a greater stance against capitalism in order to become more environmentally friendly for the sole purpose of destroying capitalism altogether. Rather, I tend to adopt a view in which capitalism is thought of as preventing us from becoming more ecological friendly on the scale we need to be in order to put an end to global climate destruction, and that changes should be made in order to allow us to put an end to rising CO2 emissions and other related environmental

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