Inaction by governments in the face of climate change is often attributed to a lack of political will or a denial of the seriousness of the situation, but as Mark Alizart argues in this provocative book, we shouldn't exclude the possibility that part of the reluctance might be motivated by cynicism and even sheer evil: for some people, there are real financial and political benefits to be gained from the chaos that will ensue from environmental disaster. The climate crisis creates its winners – individuals who orchestrate environmental chaos and bet on the collapse of the world as they bet on declining share values.
In the face of this veritable 'carbofascist' coup targeting humanity, modifying our behaviour as individuals won't suffice. We must train our critical attention on those financial and political actors who speculate on catastrophe and, in the light of this, we must rethink the strategy of ecological activism. Alizart argues this is a war to win, not a crisis to overcome.
Note & Acknowledgements
1 A New Front
2 Short the World
3 Reichstag Megafires
4 ‘So They Knew…’
5 Carbofascism
6 Act Up for the Climate
7 This is Not a Crisis
8 The Green Army
9 Gaia Must Not Be Deprived of Her Hopes
10 The World is Ours!
Endnotes
Mark Alizart is a writer and philosopher who lives in Paris.
"Everyone will find much to disagree with in Alizart's short new book. I certainly do. But that's not the point. The point of his non-fiction novella is to provoke, and to force one to consider certain disturbing possibilities. In that objective, he undoubtedly succeeds."
– Rupert Read, author of Parents for a Future: How Loving Our Children Can Prevent Climate Collapse