Capitalism's structural failure to address climate change: Military spending dwarfs renewable energy investment
By
Brian Green
Summary
This opinion piece argues that capitalism is fundamentally incapable of addressing the climate crisis. It highlights the massive gap between the $5-6 trillion needed annually for renewable energy investment and the current $2.1 trillion spend, while noting that $2.7 trillion is wasted on military spending. The author contends that the capitalist class prioritizes the arms race over environmental investment, and that this isn't market failure but capitalism working as designed. The article is the first in a series on global warming by Brian Green.
Source
bskyCapitalism's structural failure to address climate change: Military spending dwarfs renewable energy investmenttheleftlane.mediaKey quotes
· 4 pulledTo get to net zero, annual investment in renewables needs to be in the range of $5 trillion to $6 trillion.
Currently the spend is just $2.1 trillion.
But catastrophically, the capitalist class is prioritising the arms race, which is why military spending exceeds spending on the planet.
This isn't market failure – it's capitalism working exactly as designed.
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