To Stop Climate Collapse, We Must End Capitalism

Intelligence Squared

Arts, News, Society & Culture, News Commentary

4.2 • 1.1K Ratings

🗓️ 21 February 2020

⏱️ 67 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

According to some scientific predictions, human civilisation could completely collapse by 2050 if we don’t take drastic action to stop climate change now. So is capitalism responsible for the impending climate crisis, and should we abandon our economic system before it’s too late? Or is capitalism actually history’s most effective way of solving our problems - including the pressing challenge of climate change? Arguing in favour of the motion "To Stop Climate Collapse, We Must End Capitalism" were Guardian journalist and polemicist George Monbiot and Extinction Rebellion's Farhana Yamin. Arguing against the motion were Chair of the Energy Transitions Commission Adair Turner and sustainability adviser Tony Juniper. The debate was chaired by BBC journalist and broadcaster Ritula Shah. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/intelligencesquared. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Maybe 30 or 20 years ago a Saudi might have said I'm Muslim and I'm Arab and I'm Saudi
0:06.9	Now they might say I'm Saudi and I'm Arab and I'm Muslim
0:09.9	You know they're trying to radically refashion their country and they need help from the best experts in the world.
0:15.0	Do you want to have your country's people be disqualified from that because of some essentially antiquated point of view about how countries work together.
0:23.4	In recent months it can feel like Saudi Arabia is intent on buying the world.
0:27.8	It's bought up much of golf, sports teams, many of the globe's best soccer players to its
0:32.4	own domestic league, and it owns huge chunks of many of the biggest companies on the planet.
0:37.5	But Saudi Arabia is not just on a shopping spree.
0:40.5	The ones insular oil-rich Kingdom is transforming into a major diplomatic and military
0:46.0	player, a pivotal actor in the energy transition and looks set to post high-end cultural events
0:51.6	like the FIFA World Cup.
0:53.0	You know, they know that buying a football club immediately brings you a
0:57.2	billboard into a global game that allows you to completely reposition
1:01.9	yourself or rebrand yourself.
1:03.4	It feels like we're entering the era of the Saudi project.
1:06.6	But what exactly is the kingdom trying to achieve and will it succeed?
1:10.4	Coming soon from Intelligence Squared, the Saudi Project is a new podcast series seeking to answer some of these questions and more.
1:17.5	Britain does have choices. It's not either-or situation. We either indulge Mohammed bin Salman or boycott of Mohammed
1:26.2	bin Salman. There is a third choice.
1:28.8	Search the Saudi project wherever you get your podcasts.
1:45.5	Is capitalism or economic system driving us towards climate collapse or is it a system which can provide the incentives and the solutions to avert climate catastrophe? That's the theme of this week's debate is we're going back to January 2020.
1:49.2	When we staged the motion to stop climate collapse, we must end capitalism.
	...

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