Monopolies are Responsible for Climate Change
But the power still lies with us.
There are just 100 companies that contributed to 70% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions since 1988, according to a report.
ExxonMobil, Shell, BP, and Chevron are among the highest greenhouse gas emitting companies since 1988. These are mainly oil, gas, and coal monopolies that dominate our lives. The remaining are cement and building material manufacturing companies.
Being monopolies, they yield a lot of power and influence. They currently shape our world that is heading towards a doom.
The Monopolists are Not Stopping Anytime Soon
A study by Carbon Tracker study back in 2015 found that fossil fuel companies spent more than $2 trillion over the coming decade by pursuing coal, oil, and gas projects. These projects would be worthless if we are able to ditch fossil fuels in the face of climate change. Their investments show that they are well prepared to counter any climate change movement that takes prominence in the near future.
These monopolies have been pressurizing governments all over the world to not pursue climate change goals. It is not as if we don’t have any alternative to fossil fuels. But it is not in the interest of the big corporations. They are not planning to stop anytime soon because they don’t care about climate change.
You will not be shocked to know that ExxonMobil, the fifth-leading producer of greenhouse gas emissions in the world from 1880 to 2010, has been planning since 2018 to raise its yearly carbon dioxide emissions by as much as 17% by 2025, according to internal documents reviewed by Bloomberg.
Renewable energy solutions are not new. We could have made the switch long back but we didn’t.
We do not need fossil fuels. It is the billionaires and monopolists who need fossil fuels to sustain and grow their wealth. We need sustainable solutions. The billionaires are too blinded by their wealth to be able to see that they are also in the same boat as the rest of us and the boat is drowning fast!
Why Governments Can’t Do Anything
Naomi Oreskes (Harvard University) revealed to the Guardian that many of the big corporate names on the list of top polluters are key funders in the climate change denial movement. With the use of their power and money, they are often able to manipulate the political sphere to their advantage.
The governments all over the world have been protecting these fossil fuel producers while the common people suffer heatwaves, and the poor farmers suffer from hunger due to crop failure. Look at what is happening in India, Iran, and many other countries. Major decisions in the world are being taken to preserve the interests of the top 10% and the interests of the masses are crushed.
How We Can Help
If history is anything to go by, the change comes from the masses. It is the power of the masses that drives the market. We need more and more people talking about sustainability and climate change, the very movements the monopolists are trying to crush through their climate change denial crusade.
Guess who is funding the wealth of top 10%? We are funding it, by buying their products and services!
We have a take a conscious decision to stop all of it. But how?
1. Stop Buying Products from Supermarkets
In supermarkets, everything is wrapped in plastic, produced by big corporations such as Nestle, P&G, Unilever, Coca Cola. Moreover, these products are mass-manufactured elsewhere and are transported to the cities using fossil fuels. I can guarantee that none of these products are good for your health either.
Reduce your dependence on these products. Buy locally made products from small businesses that tag along with a much lesser carbon footprint with them.
Here is how I got rid of plastic-wrapped supermarket products: “20 Ways To Kick Plastic Out Of Your Life”
2. Ditch Fast Fashion
The fast fashion industry is dependent on fossil fuel monopolies to supply them with raw materials. Fashion is nothing but cheap clothing using synthetic fabrics such as Polyester, Acrylic, Nylon, Spandex, and Acetate, all of which are made from fossil fuels.
Here is an article I wrote on how fast fashion is brainwashing you into buying shitty clothes that are neither good for you, nor for the environment.
3. Make Your Houses Eco-Friendly
As I told earlier in the article, cement companies are also on the list of top polluters. Cement production is responsible for a lot of greenhouse gas emissions.
There are sustainable and superior ways to make your house. For instance, read about this Mumbai architect Malaksingh Gill who ditched cement and built houses from sustainable materials available locally.
This website has a lot of information about sustainable solutions. Do check it out (I am sharing it because it indeed is a great resource).
4. Start A Sustainable Business
In my own country, India, there is a revolution happening. People are ditching their corporate jobs and finding ways to help the environment.
You will find inspiring stories of people who are building eco-friendly houses, promoting a zero-waste lifestyle, using completely renewable sources of energy for their houses and cars, and growing their own food.
Then there are people who are converting sustainability into a movement. They are making solid, durable furniture using mud. There is one startup making environment-friendly cutlery too. There are people selling eco-friendly packaging materials. There are small businesses making packaging-free products too.
I hope you also get a lot of ideas from such stories to start something of your own.
5. Ditch The Big Cities
The big cities are nothing but people living in cramped spaces, in high-rise buildings so that monopolistic corporations get a lucrative market to sell their products. They also get access to “human resources”.
Rather, ditch the stress and long working hours of your “job” and switch to smaller towns where you can start your own sustainability movement.
6. Invest in Natural Farming
I don’t mean organic farming. I mean natural farming where you build a tiny ecosystem like a forest. You don’t need chemical or even organic fertilizers, or pesticides.
In India, this concept has been successfully implemented across much of Andhra Pradesh. Read about ZBNF (Zero Budget Natural Farming) by Subhash Palekar. I have given an introduction of the same here in this article.
You can also check out how Billimarie Lubiano Robinson is investing in a barren land to help the planet.
7. Share the Information on Climate Change
Last but not the least, the monopolies spend a lot of money on climate denial campaigns. The big companies also spend a lot to promote their products, constantly bombarding you with their ads. But nobody is funding climate change campaigns to raise awareness about what we can do.
Anytime you come across an article that has relevant information about climate change, and sustainability, especially with actionable advice as to how to help the planet, do share it with your family, friends, and colleagues across every social media platform and messaging app.
Take action. Each action of yours counts, no matter how small it is. As they say —
Little drops make the mighty ocean!
Thank you for reading.
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