Scott Hunter
Scenes of death and destruction in the Caribbean have filled our screens as Hurricane Melissa has rampaged through the region.
A category five hurricane – the most dangerous with sustained winds of 185 mph – has claimed at least 61 lives across the Caribbean, a toll which is sure to rise. According to the Red Cross, in Jamaica 72% of the population still do not have access to electricity and around 6,000 are still in emergency shelters.
Melissa is another episode in the escalating climate crisis. Climate change is not the sole cause of hurricanes but, as ocean temperatures rise, the increased sea surface temperatures warm the air above and make more energy available to drive tropical storms. Therefore, these storms are likely to be more intense and more destructive.
And it’s only getting warmer. The UN warned in September that world governments have failed to limit global heating to 1.5°C: a key target of the Paris Agreement and necessary to avoid the worst effects of climate change. Although stark in his warning, UN Secretary General António Guterres could only point towards the upcoming COP30 as an opportunity to change course.
COP30 – opening 10 November – will be the 30th annual UN climate meeting. In 30 years, this talking shop of capitalist governments has failed to meet even their own climate targets, so what hope do we have that this time will be different? Previous COPs have been deadlocked by questions of which nations should shoulder the burden of the green transition, and aid for developing economies.
The fact is that capitalist governments will never be able to work together to effectively combat climate change, no matter how many treaties they sign. Capitalism is a system based on exploitation, competition, and is rooted in nation states. Different counties have their own capitalists with their own interests. In a system where nations are competing to make sure their own capitalism comes out on top, no country would voluntarily weaken itself by abandoning fossil fuel production or polluting industries – not when those industries produce profit and valuable material that can be used to give their capitalist class an edge.
The cause of climate devastation is the same as why disaster defences and relief are so often lacking: a capitalist system driven by profit and not by need. What we see as tragedy, others see as an opportunity. Donald Trump has already rushed to offer aid to Jamaica – but who could believe that this offer will come without strings? Fighting for a system that values human life and safety over profit means fighting for socialism. A system where the economy is collectively owned and democratically planned by the working class, all over the world.
