This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. the Climate

Naomi Klein is author of the important critique of “disaster capitalism” The Shock Doctrine. Through meticulous research and compelling story, This Changes Everything describes the essential incompatibility between capitalism and climate stability. Why, she asks, if there is a scientific consensus about the certainty that human activity is causing the rise of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, do we continue to rely on fossil fuels? Her answer: “We have not done the things to lower emissions because those things fundamentally conflict with deregulated capitalism, the reigning ideology for the entire period we have been struggling to find a way out of this crisis. We are stuck, because the actions that would give us the best chance of averting catastrophe — and would benefit the vast majority — are extremely threatening to an elite minority that has a stranglehold over our economy, our political process, and most of our major media outlets.”

Whether or not we are able to use the book in whole or in part with students, This Changes Everything should be read by all teachers. This is an analysis of our world that needs to shape the entire orientation of the school curriculum. As the parts per million of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere creep up year by year, it’s our responsibility as educators to equip our students with the tools to understand the import and root causes of the problem. Reading Klein’s new book clarifies the crisis and also offers outlines for what we should do about it. [Description by Rethinking Schools.]