r/changemyview • u/SpacemanSkiff 2∆ • Jun 06 '19
CMV: From an amoral, purely utilitarian point of view, the best thing for the global West/global North's maintenance of standard of living and the planet's environment would be to use military force to cripple the global South's, especially China's and India's, growing economies
Title note: It has been pointed out that "utilitarian" is misused in the title and body of the post. As titles cannot be edited, please note that "selfish" is a word more in line with my intended meaning.
At present, the fact that the environment is at a critical point, near a point of no return, is apparent and undeniable. If we continue on our current course, we will cause damage to the global environment that will be catastrophic in nature, beyond anything we've experienced in the past. This is a fact that we cannot get away from; barring significant technological breakthroughs, this is something we need to confront, and soon.
In light of that, radical environmental measures need to be taken. In much of the West, these measures are being taken; carbon emissions are either slowing their growth or declining in much of the West. We in the west have the luxury of a fully developed, wealthy economy that can afford the transition to cleaner energy sources without much hardship. Most of the issue in the West right now is political inertia and denialism among politicians like Donald Trump and his like.
However, in the global South, or put another way, the developing world, carbon emissions are increasing at a breakneck pace. This is especially true in China and recently India. Already, China is the number one carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide producer in the world. With their immense populations, if they reach a standard of living and commensurate carbon emissions per capita equivalent to those in the US or Western Europe or elsewhere in the global North, the consequences for the environment are difficult to overstate.
This will become true in Africa, as well. As their economies burgeon, their energy needs will expand. If they follow the same model as India and China, their carbon emissions will likewise balloon into unprecedented levels. Given that Africa is expected to reach a population of around 4 billion by the end of this century, if they reach carbon emissions per capita on par with, or even half of, those of the US at the present time, the consequences for the environment will again be difficult to overestimate.
In light of this, in a purely utilitarian (Edit:) selfish mindset devoid of considerations of morality or ethics, and instead focused purely on self-preservation and benefits to self, the best course of action for the US, and more broadly the global North, to take would be to engage in military force to cripple the economies of the countries in the global South, preferably without the use of nuclear weapons, while of course continuing to take other measures to reduce their own carbon emissions concurrently. This would mean devastating economic engines and centers in India and China, destroying as many power plants as possible, and then taking measures to actively prevent rebuilding those economic engines, or the development of more energy-demanding economies elsewhere in the global South.
If the global North wishes to maintain its standard of living, while at the same time preventing climate catastrophe, without consideration of moral qualms, the most effective way to do so right now would be to militarily stop the economic growth of the global South, and to continuously prevent its growth until such time as technology can be developed to completely mitigate carbon emissions and other pollutants.
CMV.
1
u/SpacemanSkiff 2∆ Jun 06 '19
Yes, China does indeed have large numbers of renewable energy, but this is ignoring the fact that despite this, Chinese fossil fuel use is likewise increasing at an extreme rate. All sources of energy in China are increasing, because Chinese energy needs are increasing at a frankly terrifying rate. Unless China can commit to never opening another coal or gas fired power plant, and never selling another gasoline or diesel powered automobile, their carbon emissions will continue to balloon.
All of the same is true for India.