The talk derived from his 2011 book about the expanding consequences of extreme weather, which is partly fueling the violence and conflict in Africa, the Middle East and threatening Europe. He identified the catastrophic convergence of extreme weather, neoliberal policy, and Cold War militarism, as responsible for the failure of many states. That, and the uninformed arrogance of US planning elites who, since Bill Clinton, have been intoxicated by the license that the absence of a great power rival offered, and were unconcerned when their interventions resulted in chaos, death and destruction. Though it may not be so, China sees that result as intended, as it has blocked it's opportunity to expand trade and economic development in Africa and the Middle East.
In addressing climate change, "we have the technology", he says, "to de-carbonize Capitalism", if the elites that are blocking the transition can be threatened through mass action to get out of the way. "We don't have much time, several decades, but all the key pieces are in place to mitigate the disaster we face."
The Q& A addresses the campus based divestment movement, the rebellion against toxic air in China, the power of the Clean Air Act, and State purchasing power, the "Big Green Buy", to finance the transition to a renewable economy.
Global Voices Lecture Series, the Center for International Studies, the Program on the Global Environment, and the Seminary Co-op Bookstore
Christian Parenti, teaches in the Liberal Studies Program at NYU, is a contributing editor at The Nation, and is the author of four books, the most recent being Tropic of Chaos: Climate Change and the New Geography of Violence (Nation Books, June 2011). He has a PhD in Geography and Sociology from the London School of Economics.
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