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O impossível capitalismo verde

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Por um lado, três mil milhões de pessoas vivem em condições indignas. Educação, saúde, energia, água, alimentação, mobilidade, habitação,… : individualmente, estas necessidades são modestas, mas analisadas globalmente são gigantescas. Satisfazê-las só é possível aumentado a produção material. Incluindo a transformação dos recursos do meio ambiente. Ou seja, aumentando o consumo de energia, que hoje é a 80% de origem fóssil, fonte de emissões de gases de efeito de estufa.

Por outro lado, duzentos anos de produtivismo levaram o sistema climático do planeta à beira do enfarte. Para determinadas comunidades – em pequenos Estados insulares, nas regiões árticas, em zonas áridas, em vales de regiões montanhosas onde as águas escasseiam com o desaparecimento dos glaciares – o limiar de risco já foi ultrapassado. Para evitar que as alterações climáticas acelerem e que atinjam centenas de milhões de seres humanos impõe-se uma redução radical nas emissões de gases de efeito de estufa. E, por conseguinte, uma redução no consumo de energias fósseis necessárias atualmente à transformação dos recursos naturais. Ou seja, uma redução da produção material.

240 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2011

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About the author

Daniel Tanuro

11 books3 followers
Daniel Tanuro, a certified agriculturalist and eco-socialist environmentalist, writes for “La gauche”, (the monthly of the LCR-SAP, Belgian section of the Fourth International). He is also the author of The Impossibility of Green Capitalism, (Resistance Books, Merlin and IIRE) and Le moment Trump (Demopolis, 2018).

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Profile Image for Scout Collins.
674 reviews56 followers
June 24, 2025
3.5 stars

This book is now a little outdated, but many of the concepts are still relevant.
There were some sections where I learned a lot (e.g. about solar energy), others were more review from my degree (e.g. the climate legislation of the late 2000s/early 2010s).
I do think there are ways to reduce emissions without drastically cutting all energy usage and totally going back to no-technology farming (as technology and innovation are a lot better today), but the main important point from the book is we still need to phase out fossil fuels asap.

I read this to take notes and get some information for articles I'll be writing, and there were many important things I found. It served the purpose I was hoping for. Ideally there should be a book out there (with the same message) written for the average person, rather than academics, so this knowledge can be widespread.

Overall, I would recommend this book if you're looking for an academic exploration/critique of 'green' capitalism and an argument for eco-socialism, and you don't mind if there's no information from the last few years included.

My Notes
"In 1999, for the first time the number of environmental refugees was higher than that of war refugees - 25 million" (34)

"With a rise in temperature of about 2.5 degrees C, a significant proportion of terrestrial ecosystems would start to emit more CO2 than they absorb. Global warming would become self-sustaining" (35)

"The fossil fuel sector has considerable economic power that greatly influences political decision-makers. Because nuclear power (56% of research budgets) is of great interest to the military establishment and corresponds to the Promethean fantasy of a source of energy created and controlled by humans." (45)

Solar Energy
Photovoltaic solar panels & solar energy - 44-45

Mouchot: "Aware of the difficulty posed by the intermittent nature of solar radiation, he concentrated on the question of storage. He proposed using solar energy to separate water into hydrogen and oxygen, then storing each element separately before reuniting them and producing an electric current. Thus a century and a half ago a free spirit had anticipated the possibility of an energy system based almost entirely on solar power, with hydrogen and electricity as vectors. His dream was torpedoed by the coal industry where mass production brought economies of scale into play." (46)

"Why was research into solar power abandoned? Partly for reasons of immediate profitability, partly for other, secondary reasons such as a lack of capital on the part of inventors; the increasing power of corporations exploiting fossil fuel; the political support they enjoyed" (47)

"It is agreed that much greater progress is still possible in the field of 2nd generation (multi-layered) cells. Especially those of third generation based on technology known as 'quantum dots' would be double or triple the rate of conversion. Progress is expected not only in the field of silicon-based cells, but also in organic cells which are promising because the ecological impact of making them will be minimal. Progress could be very rapid if the development of renewable energy sources could be made an absolute political priority." (63)
(more examples on p.63 of marine energy Scotland, OTEC Hawaii, mini and micro-hydraulic power stations)

Capitalism
"It is difficult to avoid he conclusion that the capitalist mode of production, in its search for excess profit, is built around energy obtained from fossil fuel in spite of the damage it causes. Furthermore, this mode of production uses these resources in defiance of common sense, thus increasing their social and environmental threat. The media is full of the efforts that each of us ought to make to consume less energy such as using low-energy light bulbs, turning the thermostat down, reducing car usage, etc. Although this advice is of some use, and should be followed as far as possible, it distracts our attention from the fact that the energy system is characterized by structural wastage far more significant than the wastage caused by individual behaviour. The cause of this wastage is the pursuit of profit." (49).

"The situation is so very serious that we urgently need to reduce energy consumption and the production and transport of materials at the same time. The system presents us with not one but two major obstacles: the race for profit and the growth of material production (which inevitably implies the growth of consumption" (65)

Zero-Growth: "reduction of energy consumption implies some reduction of production and transport of materials. This is completely incompatible with the laws of capitalism. The problem of accumulation is even greater than that of the profit motive" (74)
& "Capitalism can if necessary adapt to a plan (it can do so in times of war). It can tolerate governments increasing taxes on company profits for a limited period in order to prevent social unrest (e.g. Roosevelt New Deal in 1930s). But it cannot function without growth." (74)

"Oil revenue can be estimated at 1,300 billion euros per annum. If we consider closely related sectors like the automobile, chemical, petro-chemical industries, aeronautics, naval construction, we can understand what enormous pressure is applied to governments, imposing a form of climate policy subordinated to the maintenance of its own interests. The rigidity of the energy system is often mentioned." (116)

"Participation of producers creates the greatest difficulty. For Kempf, capitalism is not a society for the generalised production of goods, but a 'state of society in which people are supposed to be motivated only by the search for profit and allow the mechanism of the market regulate all the activities which connect them'" (134)

"The introduction of an ecologically-sound anti-capitalist alternative would mean, at least in the beginning, a reduction in mechanisation and the replacement of 'dead labour' by 'living labour'. In agriculture, the ultra-mechanised agri-business system, consuming a vast quantity of fertilizers, pesticides and fossil fuel, would need to give way to a different, more labour-intensive method of cultivation." (143) / "The amount of labour would need to increase in the energy sector... and in personal care, education and other areas... human intelligence and emotions, combined with a 'caring culture' are needed in all fields which hinge directly upon the management of, and interaction with, the biosphere" (143)

Energy
Co-generation of heat & energy
"Instead of letting the heat produced by fuels in production of electricity dissipate into the atmosphere, it is used to heat homes and offices, or in low-energy industrial processes. The fuel saving is about 30-40% in comparison with separate production & also entails a reduction in CO2 emissions." (51)
"However, co-generation is not popular - it represents barely 11% of EU electricity generation... It involves the decentralisation of energy production, the construction of public heat-producing networks in residential areas..." (51)

"Complicated does not mean impossible to resolve. Theoretically, it should be possible to stop using fossil fuels without having to recourse to nuclear energy or living in caves. How? By using the sun as a principal energy source... Fossil fuels are nothing but a reserve of solar energy transformed into biomass and then fossilised." (61).

"The solution does not lie in technical development but in the political will to do everything possible to avoid reaching the climate tipping-point, however much it costs."

Carbon price -"Reduction of emissions driven by a price for carbon are at one and the same time unacceptable from a social point of view and totally inadequate from an ecological point of view" (68)
& "The impact would be great for certain categories of small businesses (farmers, fisherman, haulage contractors) whose economic activity is closely linked to oil" (68)


Nature
"Researchers conclude the main causes of deforestation are the thirst for profit and corruption among local officials" (61)

There is a problem when you lose a species of butterfly - how do you evaluate that in monetary terms? How can the costs of damage which will become evident in 20 years time be evaluated? (66).

"Basing one's arguments on technological potential amounts to saying tat one is committed to stabilising the climate to the maximum extent still possible, mobilising all known means, whatever the cost. Adopting one of the other concepts means trying to stabilise the climate as long as it costs nothing (market potential) or not too much (commercial potential) and as long as it allows businesses to make profits." (66)

Expert report to EU saying EU electricity needs could be met in their entirety by placing photovoltaic solar panels on all south-facing roofs within the EU (66)

Climate change - "stupidity, greed, ignorance of he facts and 'shorttermism' are all factors playing a role... yet such a flagrant and persistent irrationality must have structural roots to be found within the laws of society. Three of these laws are: production for profit, accumulation and competition between capitals (also expressed as a rivalry between states). " (108)

Solutions
"We need an energy revolution which implies a controlled use of natural resources together with a reorganisation of society. This means a strategic plan centered on numerous qualitative and quantitative elements, both in the ecological and social sphere." (110)

"In order to not damage the climate too much, 80% of the known reserves of coal, oil and gas should remain in the ground and never be burnt.

"Capitalism has taken us down a dead-end and the situation is now critical.
Rational solution:
1. Satisfying real social needs;
2. Reducing global production by reducing length of the working week and eliminating the production of useless and harmful goods. Reducing the amount of transport by a substantial amount (which implies relocation of production);
3. A radical increase of energy efficiency and complete transition to the use of renewables, regardless of cost;
4. The creation of political and cultural conditions for the collective responsibility for production and consumption, through a democratic process
These four aims must be achieved together, on a global scale, and in a very short period of time. The major difficulty is political because these four goals are inconceivable without an incursion into capitalist property. These goals require... radical extension of the public sector, in particular the domains of transport and housing and making basic services free." (124)

"Kempf argues, 'Leaving capitalism behind means recognising other motivations besides individual self-interest; it also means removing the economy - production and exchange of goods - from its central place in society, and replacing it with the organisation of harmonious human relationships'" (135)

"The key question is the interconnection between economic struggles and those for protection of the environment." (135)

"Ecosocialism is a challenge for the convergence of the struggles. The only possible freedom is rational management, on a co-operative basis, of the exchange of matter between humanity and nature... with the prudent consideration of nature's complexities. The only possible socialism is ecosocialism which is a focused expression of the fight against the exploitation of human labour and the destruction of natural resources by capitalism - from now on these two strands are indivisible. Ecosocialism does not stem from a romantic vision of establishing 'harmony' between humanity and nature, but from the conviction that true wealth resides in creative activity, in free time, in social relations, and in the contemplation of the world with wonder." (143)

Criticisms
-Translation at points was a bit clunky, a few formatting/punctuation errors
-The last couple chapters were more boring, less useful
E.g. "This 'pedagogy' does rather smack of Malthus, and Latouche, like Jonas, makes no attempt to conceal this..." (134)


All in all, if you're looking for a book arguing the pros of eco-socialism, why capitalism (of any kind) doesn't work, and want to learn some history about solar energy and climate legislation (pre-2015), I'd recommend this. There were some timeless points that don't change, especially how climate change is more of a political problem than a scientific one in terms of making progress.
Profile Image for Baylee.
886 reviews151 followers
May 4, 2019
Puoi trovare questa recensione anche sul mio blog, La siepe di more

C’è una brutta parola nel dibattito attuale sul cambiamento climatico ed è capitalismo. Si leggono articoli su articoli sulle colpe dei singoli esseri umani prede della frenesia del consumismo più selvaggio, ma raramente se ne trova uno che punti il dito contro il nostro sistema economico, dal quale quel consumismo nasce.

È il motivo per il quale l’universo ecologista mi è sempre stato un po’ sulle scatole, con la sua voglia di farci espiare le nostre colpe a suon di privazioni e con il suo esaltare asceti che vorrebbero farci tornare all’età della pietra. Per molto tempo è sembrato che non ci fosse alternativa (per lo meno nel racconto mainstream dell’ecologismo) tra questi e chi negava che esistesse una questione climatica.

Poi le generazioni Y e Z sono cresciute e hanno portato una ventata d’aria fresca e, perlomeno nei contenuti rivolti a questo target, vedo il coraggio di incolpare il nostro sistema economico per la situazione nella quale siamo. Altrove decisamente meno (basta pensare a come Greta Thunberg continui a dire nei luoghi del potere che bisogna cambiare andazzo, mentre i media italiani si inventano un’anti-Greta e continuano a dire che dobbiamo chiudere il rubinetto quando ci insaponiamo durante la doccia).

In tutto questo, Daniel Tanuro ci offre la sua analisi (molto lucida, razionale e non allarmista, sebbene ci sia poco da stare allegrə) e la sua soluzione, di stampo socialista, che lui chiama eco-socialismo. È LA soluzione? Non lo so. Però in questo momento su questo pianeta c’è parecchia gente molto più sveglia di me: non sarebbe il caso di iniziare a dibattere seriamente su come cambiare il nostro sistema economico in modo che sia più sostenibile, sia per l’ambiente, sia per le creature che abitano la Terra, compresi gli esseri umani?
Profile Image for Ietrio.
6,948 reviews24 followers
November 10, 2019
Just like the preachers of 1500 years ago who had no idea of bacteria and has divine proof of the power of the prayer, Tanuro has no idea of what is going on, but his god, the state, will make everything good for Humanity if we obey his (Tanuro's) rules and stop sinning. It is so impressing to see how people are the same even with all the progress around them.
Profile Image for Paula.
171 reviews42 followers
October 4, 2022
leyendo este libro intentando no caer en el catastrofismo siendo yo la personificación misma del catastrofismo buen reto
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