Saturday, May 05, 2007

Global Consensus

With yet another international scientific panel releasing a report on climate change, there is no doubt that we are heading down a road of self-destruction as a planet. Politicians everywhere can no longer simply lie and say that will not happen. The new doctrine around the globe seems to be “it will cost too much to do anything about it.” Chinese officials are expressing great concern over any measure to curb green house gas release in that country would slow down their fast growing economy. And here in Canada, our puzzlingly named Environmental Minister again brings out the economic end-time scenario he used just a week ago. This global political consensus seems to be “it is better to die a slow death than die right now.” Sure, global warming will slowly but surely destroy the world’s economy, but to do anything about it may damage the world’s economy; to do nothing is therefore the only thing to do. While the logic of this argument is deeply faulted, it had gained great acceptance in political circles. The reason is quite simple: it has to do with the politicians’ own survival. It is the expressed strategy of the Chinese Communist Party that continuous economic growth is the mean by which they stay in dictatorial power. And threat to this growth is therefore a direct threat to their own existence. As the air, river and lakes of China continue to be poisoned, the government delights on the continuous economic growth and their tight grip on power. Certainly this is an evil of a totalitarian state and not a problem for the enlightened democratic governments. Unfortunately, as Mr. Baird demonstrated, that is just not the case. Our Conservative government has its electoral base in the oil fields and boardrooms. They are beholden to these interests. If to save the world is to threaten these interests, it will be a direct threat to their political lives. They are not really concerned about the world’s health or ours but their own political health. It has become increasingly clear that serious climate problems will be upon us in our lifetimes; but as far as the politicians are concerned, these problems will not be happening within their political lives. This is what they have in common—their self political interest, not at all enlightened.

Wednesday, May 02, 2007

The Art of Forgetting II

Another kind of willful forgetfulness is to see the 'strangeness' in others while ignoring the same thing in ourselves. Take the dog eating thing during the Japan/Korean World Cup of soccer for example. People in North America expressed much horror in hearing that they dared to eat dogs in Korea. Well, that is quite something special to say for someone who fished the overabundant cod into near extinction while growing up on food that is more a list of unpronounceable chemicals than actual nutrition. For the next major sport event, the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the 'how backward are these people' item is the no spitting campaign in China. In Hong Kong, people are talking about it with either glee (“look how silly those people are”) or mock seriousness (“they have to do something about those backward habits”). These people forget that as near as 15 years ago signs posted by the colonial government against spitting, completed with warnings of tuberculosis and hefty fines, were on street corners and restaurants. This is not to mention that Hong Kong is still a rather dirty and very polluted city. To forget the past and ignore the present is very convenient because they can then feel superior to their mainland cousins. Similar things happen here. Television 'news' as wells as newspapers are reporting on the same thing with amusement. It seems to me the sense of amusement is misplaced. As summer is coming up and the baseball season has started, spitting is not at all a taboo but a proud display of manly athletic prowess. Our heroes, may he be an overpaid professional slugger or the can-do-no-wrong hometown high school star pitcher, proudly spit in stadiums and in front of television cameras on floors and wall and into cups and, occasionally, opponent's eyes. We are not abhorred but look with admiration. At least the Chinese spitters are doing it for health and comfort, our heroes do it for suicidal reasons. I am not saying that what they are doing in Beijing is not right, there are definitely much better ways to deal with phlegm, but the enjoyment we got out of it borders on the pathological.

Tuesday, May 01, 2007

The Art of Forgetting

We seem to be have difficulties with our memories, both personal and historical, these days. This malady goes across borders. No matter if it is in North America or Hong Kong/China. It is too easy to do, forgetting. If we can forget what we have just done or we, collectively, were doing in recent memories, we can then easily look down upon and laugh at others who are doing those same things. We, in North America, like to show our concern for the world by expressing great anger over the fast increasing pollution problem in countries like China and India. We conveniently forget that they are just following our examples. Here in the West Coast, for example, the once overabundant salmon rivers were dammed into extinction. And in the East, the largest collection of fresh water on earth was polluted into grounds for toxic fishes and burning rivers. The only reason that the environment improved a little here is because the polluting industries failed and that slowed the pollution. As these industries failed, the production as well as the pollution was exported to countries like China and India. The products are then shipped to feed our consumption. We as buyers demand ever lower prices and in turn the producers overseas are pressed to lower production costs. If we remember all these, we cannot feel superior or even righteous since we are really the true cause of the pollutions overseas. We can feel honestly better about ourselves when we show the countries who are following our footsteps and feeding our desires that not only our past examples are bad but a better and more prosperous alternative is possible. But then, we may have to pay more to feed our consuming addictions and sell less oil. Well, it is always easier to forget than to actually do something that may require short term sacrifices. So, maybe we are not really forgetting but choosing to act forgetful. If that is what we are doing, I, for one, am ashamed.