While the talk was quite uplifting and inspirational, there was one moment where Mr. Suzuki really lost me. He was going on a tirade against the atrocities brought on by capitalism, financial greed and an overdependence on neo-liberal economics. I had little issue with this part of the talk, but it was his summation of this issue that threw me over the top. He went on to describe economics as the enemy of the environment and that any association with economics would surely be the continued downfall of the environment. It was met by outstanding applause from the apparently naive audience.
I was taken aback not only because I was a young economics student, but I also knew he was wrong and sending a very dangerous message. For decades there has been a perception that economics and the environment are on the opposite ends of the scale. Economic growth will hurt the environment and vice versa. There is considerable evidence against such a view, but Mr. Suzuki was feeding it. And his message was not even solely focused on economic growth, but economics as a whole.
Economics could very well be one of the greatest allies in the fight against climate change and other enemies of the environment, as long as it's used properly. True, the exploitive use of neo-liberal economics and capitalism can be detrimental, but these are simply forms of economics, not representative of the whole discipline.
While economics may only be a part in abating climate change, it will still play a part. Ignoring it and inciting an encouragable public to think similarly is a dangerous game and will only delay abatement. Economics is not the enemy of the environment, but a friend, as long as it's used properly.
I might add that in a recent lecture at Trent University, Don Drummond, Vice President and Chief Economist of TD Bank remarked on a similar experience, whereby Mr. Suzuki criticized economics as a whole. However, after a lengthy discussion with Mr. Drummond, Mr. Suzuki admitted his statements were a little over the top and that economics can be a significant ally.
ReplyDeleteI don't see what the harm is in Suzuki's economy bashing. I mean you're probably right about the whole thing, but there's no way that big Dave didn't have at least a few good points from his professional opinion. I say what's the harm in bashing the economy, it's not like it's GOING anywhere, its not like anything will change as a result of the speech. The economy will still be there tomorrow, untouched.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comment. You're right in that the economy itself probably won't be affected by the Suzuki's speeches, but it is his influence on the public that is the real issue. If he convinces everyone he speaks to that economics as a whole is a bad thing, we might quickly find that any economic policy (regardless of it's positive or negative environmental impact) put forward may be met by a wall of opposition simply because it involves economics.
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