No climate chaos if we think of the 7th generation

The COP21 climate talks in Paris, which is hoped will mark a turning point in the international response to climate change, crystallises the dilemma of a destructive global economic engine that is faced with an impossible choice.

It cannot prevent nature’s devastating backlash against its unsustainable progress without unravelling the astonishing scale of development that it has generated since the Industrial Revolution.

That dilemma is symbolised by the gridlocked negotiations over the wording of the Paris Accord, the universal agreement on climate change that is due to be adopted by nearly 200 countries this week.

So divisive are the issues that separate the developed and developing countries that the text of the draft treaty at the start of the conference last Monday was riddled with over 1,000 square brackets, reflecting differences in the positions of the parties to the climate change convention.

The following clause in Article 2 of the text, as cited by The Atlantic, illustrates the difficulties facing the negotiators:

“Parties [shall][agree to] to take urgent action and enhance [cooperation][support] so as to (a) Hold the increase in the global average temperature [below 2 °C][below 1.5 °C][well below 2 °C][below 2 °C or 1.5 °C] [below 1.5 °C or 2 °C][as far below 2 °C as possible] above pre-industrial levels by ensuring deep cuts in global greenhouse gas [net] emissions.”

The multitude of conflicts over the terms of the treaty is a clear indicator that the nations of the world have missed the point about the gravest threat to human civilisation in recorded history.

Essentially, the relentless debate has been between a common set of rules for all countries, which is the stand of the developed nations and a “common but differentiated” approach espoused by the developing countries to enable them to meet the basic needs of vast numbers of their populations.

This conflict reflects the inability of the two sides to acknowledge that there is no time left to avert catastrophe for hundreds of millions of victims of extreme weather events, wildfires, sea level rise, habitat loss, food scarcity, insect infestations and other effects  of climate change that are already in evidence.

This is like the occupants of a house that has caught fire spending precious time arguing about who was to blame for starting it, and who should do what about putting it out instead of acting in unison in the crucial time left to save themselves and their house.

The protagonists are so intent on defending their respective positions that they fail to ask the all-important question: What is nature telling us?

The query seems simplistic, but it is useful to note that in the midst of a crisis, when thought processes tend to be chaotic, the best outcomes can be derived by reducing the problem to its most basic elements.

If we allow this line of inquiry to take its course, it may take us to the question: What is missing from our current economic paradigm that has turned the dream of prosperity for all into a nightmare for the entire planet?

We may also remember that the advent of the Industrial Revolution was marked by the invention of new machines and introduction of processes that dramatically improved economic efficiency and productivity.

Unfortunately, this focus on productivity and the relentless pursuit of efficiency has led to the fragmentation of the production process as entrepreneurs became caught in a headlong race to optimise the factors of production. In the process, the creative spirit of the producer became lost in the dull habit of mechanical output.

The craftsman who took pride in turning out a small number of finely worked products gave way to the factory hand who was rewarded according to his ability to assemble the highest number of prefabricated items.

The spirit that animates human effort may seem a trifling element in comparison with the total output that can be achieved by industrialising production, but as the climate crisis teaches us, economic activity bereft of its soul will undermine the basis of life on earth.

However, the current imbroglio in Paris demonstrates that the nations that are assembled there in search of a formula for our survival have yet to realise where to look for a sustainable answer.

Self-inquiry should lead us to examine the lessons of history and open our minds and hearts to the wisdom of ancient peoples.

The Great Law of the Iroquois, an American Indian tradition, may hold a useful precept for our individualistic modern society.  Described as the concept of seven generation sustainability, the principle encompasses the idea of inter-generational responsibility that is pointedly relevant in the context of the climate crisis.

The law states: “In all of your deliberations in the Confederate Council, in your efforts at law making, in all your official acts, self-interest shall be cast into oblivion.

“Cast not over your shoulder behind you the warnings of the nephews and nieces should they chide you for any error or wrong you may do, but return to the way of the Great Law which is just and right. Look and listen for the welfare of the whole people and have always in view not only the present but also the coming generations, even those whose faces are yet beneath the surface of the ground – the unborn of the future Nation.”

Contrast this outlook to the driving force of commerce today, in which businesses remain gripped by the fear of losing the favour of investors with the coming quarter’s earnings report. – December 5, 2015.

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.