Toward Solutions
A. Real Solutions and Other "Solutions"
| "In America, those who control the government and populace-- the ruling class-- profit most from the existing arrangement, and hence desire to keep basic causes hidden. The ruling class dominates public ideology, manipulating information to forestall and contain radical analysis. The fact remains that basic solutions reside only in the obviation of basic causes, and this means that there must be structural change in our political-economic system." --Thomas Detwyler, 1979, "Energy, Environment and Social Change" |
1. Real solutions
Basic solutions to environmental stress are found in correcting basic causes. This is a truism, but it is too seldom observed or applied. Though large, fundamental changes are required, achieving such profound change is very difficult and often formidable.
It is easier to make small reforms. However, small reforms are often the enemies of great ones, as self-satisfaction and inertia set in. For instance: recycling of beverage containers is painted as being supremely virtuous, so forget about the more fundamental answers of source reduction and reuse.
Real solutions must promote steady-state and sustainable relations between humankind and nature, and honor the ecological goal to minimize long-term environmental threats (discussed earlier).
2. Capitalists' antagonism toward solving environmental problems
Capitalists as a class have two strong short-term economic incentives not to solve environmental problems.
First, corporate capitalists want to avoid the environmental costs of their operations. Hence, they make every effort to externalize those costs-- that is, impose them on nature and society at large. "Environmental economists" often prescribe-- and place faith in the prospect-- that corporations internalize the costs of environmental degradation. Despite such talk for more than a generation, little headway on this has been made. In a capitalist system this is not surprising. With tightening control over politics and public sentiment, capitalists have successfully resisted most measures that would erode their profits.
Two decades of experience have vindicated the following prognosis (except that capitalism has cleverly delayed-- certainly not solved-- some crises relating to energy use):
Capitalist economics, especially in its present advanced form of corporate capitalism, is incapable of solving the energy and environmental crises. The heralded potential of capitalist economics to 'internalize' costs of energy and environment, thus solving crises, is hollow. Focus on such technical 'solutions' neglects... reality and also averts attention from values and practices that, although vital for survival, are inimical to the capitalist system. --Thomas Detwyler, 1979, "Energy, Environment and Social Change"
Second, as environmental problems persist, capitalists can harvest profits from selling goods and services for "clean-up" work (as well as to environmental victims). That is, so long as problems continue, they can sell remedies. Thus, in a capitalist system, prevention and basic solutions to environmental stress, are neglected in favor of merely treating symptoms (as discussed earlier in the course).
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| We're Very Sorry, Inc. |
3. Conventional wisdom or business-as-usual "solutions"
Over time, conventional wisdom or business-as-usual "solutions" often worsen environmental conditions, as they stimulate vicious circles (or what in system dynamics is termed positive feedback). Vicious circles are inherently unstable and eventually must collapse. See Diagram 1 below:
Diagram 1: The conventional wisdom or business-as-usual "solution"-- actually a vicious circle-- general model. (A plus sign between variables indicates that the first variable affects the next in the same direction-- that is, an increase in the first causes an increase in the second, or a decrease in the first causes a decrease in the second. A negative sign between variables indicates that the first variable affects the second variable in the opposite direction-- that is, an increase in the first causes a decrease in the second, or a decrease in the first causes an increase in the second.)
In this model, environmental stress stimulates the dominant human actors to treat stress symptoms (or proximate effects) with whatever has conventionally appeared to work. Treatment is limited to symptoms because short-term views and the seeking of private profits nearly always preclude basic treatment. Upon treatment of the symptoms, the level of immediate stress declines, and the degree of concern about the problem also subsides; this leads to further actions of the sort that initially caused the problem! In this vicious circle the short horizon, narrow economic criteria, and self-interest that guide the dominant actors stimulate the build-up of environmental crisis.
The dynamics of the conventional wisdom or business-as-usual vicious circle can be seen clearly in an example from the car culture (Diagram 2):
Diagram 2: The conventional wisdom or business-as-usual "solution"-- actually a vicious circle-- car culture example.
Real-world experience bears out the above example. (Optional: see "The more roads we build, the more traffic we create," in the Seattle Times, 24 January 1999 [800 words].)
4. Liberal or technofix "solutions"
Another variety of vicious circle is the liberal or technofix "solution". See Diagram 3 below:
Diagram 3: The liberal or technofix "solution"-- actually a vicious circle-- general model.
Here again, the dominant human actors commonly are strongly motivated by economic growth and private profits, and over time these values stimulate further environmental stresses. However, here innovation, especially technological innovation, is important. (Also, the liberal actor may have a somewhat longer-term and broader view of the world than does the business-as-usual actor.) The liberal, sometimes seeing that conventional treatments do not work, proposes new "solutions," which may temporarily alleviate the targeted stress. But characteristically it spawns further environmental problems, because root causes persist. If the new technology stimulates new types of stress, there may be some delay in recognizing them. This delay, together with apparent reduction in the original kind of stress, feeds further liberal and technofix actions; thus, the vicious circle is closed, swelling both "progress" and new environmental stresses.
Again, the dynamics of the liberal or technofix vicious circle can be seen clearly in an example from the car culture (Diagram 4):
Diagram 4: The liberal or technofix "solution"-- actually a vicious circle-- car culture example.
Several decades ago, beverage container recycling (mentioned earlier) was a liberal/technofix "solution" to solid waste accumulation. With time it has become a conventional wisdom or business-as-usual approach.
It may be noted that the liberal model allows continuation of business-as-usual practices. At the same time, the liberal/technofix "solutions" provide new profits and credit for "progress". Thus, both types, taken either separately or together, serve corporate capitalists, at longer term costs to society and nature. (For more information about such "solutions" see Thomas Detwyler, 1979, "Energy, Environment and Social Change," pp. 42-76 in Current Issues V: The Yearbook of Environmental Education and Environmental Studies, ed. by Arthur B. Sacks and C.B. Davis, publ. by ERIC, Columbus, Ohio.)
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Last updated 11 January 2001
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