The root of the climate crisis [is] the dominant economic logic of our time: extractivism to feed perpetual growth rooted in ever increasing consumption.
This is kind of her central thesis. Is it true? Does it make sense? I liked her ability to see the environment and social justice not as competing priorities but on a level the same thing. As the ex president of Greens Against the Environment it's interesting to me.
And just the idea that taking every tree in the forest, or every skerrick of oil from the ground, and taking every second of breathing time from your workers are based in the capitalist idea that you have to keep expanding, keep grinding out the last drop, in order to maximize profits.
And that the mentality behind grabbing indigenous rainforest in Brazil, and grabbing women by the pussy are underpinned by the same philosophy: that powerful people are entitled to do whatever they are able to do, that if they screw over other people they are being smart and working the system, and that you deserve whatever you are able to take, and if someone is not able to stop you, then they deserve whatever it is you did to them. This is the philosophy that underpins Trump's presidency, but in underpins a lot more too.
Anyway there was some stuff I eyerolled about in the book too, and some stuff that I felt she was light on substance on, but I found it unusual and interesting that she connected a lot of these dots. It's a paradigm shift that I think is useful, and that sidesteps the "issue competition" that can be a distraction from productive conversations. Ok let me know what you think here or in messages, I'd be interested.
