For those that don't know, shipping vessels run on a very very low grade form of fossil fuel called "bunker." 
Bunker fuel is the heavy, dirty remnants left over from the refining process. From crude oil they make gasoline, diesel, kerosene, etc. What's leftover is the cheaper fuel used for these ships.
When you start to think about how many goods and commodities are traded worldwide FROM countries that can produce cheaply because of low labor standards and lax environmental regulations TO countries that consume them. How do they get there? Shipping vessels.
If you want to talk about climate change, you have to examine the profit motives that Capitalism has. IF there is a profit to be made, then Capital WILL seek it out. Regardless of the environmental implications. Goods are shipped internationally not to give us the things we need.
But rather to make profits for Capital that owns them.
Not to mention the biological and zoological implications of dirty ballast water discharge, bringing invasive species from different parts of the globe.
We should be questioning WHY are we consuming all of these goods?
Is it because we need them? Or because the political economic system we live under requires a constant expansion of consumption, regardless of the environmental implications?
Is it because we need them? Or because the political economic system we live under requires a constant expansion of consumption, regardless of the environmental implications?
This also dovetails with my previous thread on planned obsolescence.
Many of these goods are designed to die anyway, so they can ship and produce more, and we can buy them.
Many of these goods are designed to die anyway, so they can ship and produce more, and we can buy them.
The question is, is this all Capitally efficient or is it Societally efficient?
Capitalism necessitates the constant expansion of trade and consumption regardless of the environmental implications for the benefit of a very small group of individuals. For them, it's efficient.
Capitalism necessitates the constant expansion of trade and consumption regardless of the environmental implications for the benefit of a very small group of individuals. For them, it's efficient.
Socialism structures our political economy around what is efficient for the majority of people, financially and environmentally.
By the way, all those screenshots were a live look at the current positions of all global shipping vessels (at least those that are on the books) at marinetraffic.com.
Good morning.
Damn. This was the link.
