Naomi Klein interviewed at the World People's Conference on Climate Change and the Rights of Mother Earth, Cochabamba, Bolivia

Canadian activist and author of The Shock Doctrine - The Rise of Disaster Capitalism, Naomi Klein, was asked by Bolivia TV for her views on the climate change disaster facing the planet last night. Klein, who was voted 11th in a poll of the world's top intellectuals, is currently taking part in the World People's Conference on Climate Change and the Rights of Mother Earth in Cochabamba, Bolivia. The conference was organised by Bolivian president, Evo Morales, after world leaders' monumental failure to reach an agreement on global warming in Copenhagen last year. Unwilling to leave the fate of the planet in the hands of politicians, the World People's Conference is aiming to give a voice to grass roots activists and populations effected  by climate change worldwide. 

In a relatively short but info packed interview, Klein commented on the following topics:

THE FAILURE OF COPENHAGEN

Klein put the blame for the summit's failure squarely on the shoulders of Barack Obama who, soon after receiving his Nobel Peace Prize award, came to the table at Copenhagen "only to overturn it". Rather than embracing the democratic principles he so enjoys preaching, he tried to get away with doing a closed door "global" deal  with only 5 other countries at the table. Klein characterised this deal as a "Devil's agreement". The terms of the US agreement failed to reduce carbon emissions to levels that would stop global warming, allowing global destruction such as the disappearance of Bolivia's glaciers to continue unabated. To recompense affected countries, a "bribe" would be paid to force acceptance and adaptation to the devastating environmental changes. Unsurprisingly, the deal was rejected by the vast majority of nations not party to the secretive talks. 

CIA & PENTAGON PAPERS

Klein then went on to talk about the increasing concern of the US government, particularly the military, with regard to the potential consequences of climate change on US immigration and general world stability. CIA and Pentagon papers, Klein said, alluded to fears of a flood of immigrants to the US, a consequence of displacement caused by the  effects of global warming. The US reaction to this "threat" would be to turn the country into a fortress, Klein added. The number of wars around the world would also rise as the US and other powerful nations competed for the planet's increasingly scarce resources. 

EXPECTATIONS FOR THE WORLD PEOPLE'S CONFERENCE


Climate Debt
Klein fully supported affected countries' claims to compensation from the world's biggest carbon polluters. The idea was simple, if you break something you should pay for it. However, she added that compensation was not enough, polluting countries had to reduce their emissions as well. 


Climate Tribunal
She then highlighted the importance of enforcement of climate agreements as a key topic being debated at the conference by citing her own home country as an example. Canada, she said, was a "climate criminal". Since signing the Kyoto Agreement, its emissions had increased by 35%. Without a climate tribunal with the power to enforce climate regulation, the whole exercise was futile. 


Protection of "whole ecosystem"
Klein concluded that any successful climate policy must protect the complete ecosystem of the planet. Humans should also be considered a "natural" part of the ecosystem. 

UPADATE:

Bolivia's fight for survival can help save democracy too, 

by Naomi Klein

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Evo no MAS? An analysis of Bolivia's local elections, 4th April 2010

Elections for mayors and governors across Bolivia have just concluded. Movimiento Al Socialismo (Movement Towards Socialism), the party of President Evo Morales, made gains across the country but it was a far cry from his sweeping 63% victory in the presidential elections just 4 months earlier. There were no major surprises in the passionately anti-Morales east, which was won by the traditional opposition parties, the only exception being Pando. The much more illuminating results were those from Evo’s traditional strongholds, El Alto and La Paz.

El Alto is a bastion for Evo and MAS. It’s a sprawling, disorganised and densely populated city that looks down on La Paz from the edge of the Antiplano. The ever growing population of El Alto is primarily made up of the decedents of migrants who left the countryside to earn a better living in the city and they are constantly being joined by new migrants doing the same. It’s poor, it’s Aymaran, and it’s Evo through and through. Well, until tonight that is. 90+% of El Alto backed Evo in the December 09 presidential elections but this time the mayoral candidate for MAS, Edgar Patana, got just 36%, winning by a margin of just 4%. Evo’s party doesn't have a majority in the local government that propelled him to two-thirds control of the national parliament. Analysts from the opposition channel, UNITEL, took this rejection as a sign of Evo’s failing policies. But this is grossly misleading.

Four months ago, Morales’ main presidential opposition was an old school right-wing politician, Mafred Reyes Villa, widely assumed to be corrupt and who, in the eyes of the Morales faithful, represented Bolivia’s tumultuous past. He fled to Miami days after losing the election to escape corruption charges. These latest elections have seen the emergence of a new opposition that, thankfully, is a completely different breed to the likes of Reyes-Villa. Runner up for mayor of El Alto with 32% of the vote was a twenty something newcomer to the political scene Soledad Chapéton. Like her fellow candidates, she’s a local Alteno. But unlike her older male MAS counterpart, who rested on his laurels assuming an easy victory, she campaigned from house to house, putting forward a fresh and credible message that resonated with those who voted for Evo last December. She’s definitely one to watch in the future and her appearance on the political scene is a sign of a healthy democracy in Bolivia.

Similarly, in La Paz, a new socialist party is offering a serious alternative to Evo's MAS. The incumbent mayor of La Paz, Juan del Granado’s Movimiento Sin Miedo (Movement Without Fear) was popularised after a very public falling out with Evo Morales. MSM overturned the opinion polls and won the all important mayor’s office in La Paz. Despite being no spring chicken, the charismatic and popular del Granado is already being tipped as a potential presidential candidate in 5 years time. The new mayor, Luis Revilla, was simply much more credible than the candidate shipped in by Evo. His candidate, Elizabeth Salguero, had no experience, barely knew La Paz and according to people close to her, didn’t even like cities! Pacenos didn't appreciate Evo forcing this highly inappropriate candidate upon them.

Evo’s response to the disappointing results and the emergence of new political foes was positive. He affirmed the formation of political parties as a constitutional right of all Bolivians and welcomed the appearance of the new challengers. Bolivia’s democracy has been strengthened by Evo’s new constitution. Controls now in place make election fraud extremely difficult. His government recently passed much needed anti-corruption laws. However, having laid the foundations for a healthy democracy, it remains to be seen whether Evo can work constructively with the new parties, especially MSM, given the bad blood with its leader. He's not scared of bringing in new (especially female) candidates into the party and may consider trying to poach Soledad Chápeton as a shortcut to solving his problems. But many analysts point to the lack of new leaders in his party as evidence that Evo doesn't want serious challengers to emerge. A common complaint from the Evo faithful is that, although they trust him, they don't trust the people around him. His middle class supporters dislike his increasingly confrontational and belligerent style. If Evo wants to regain the support of his traditional base, he needs to listen to what the Bolivian people have told him via these elections.

***Update 9th April 2010

My El Alto contacts insist that Soledad Chápeton's strong performance in the election was more a protest vote against the unpopular MAS candidate, Edgar Patana, than evidence of her popularity

© 2010 by The Veins of Latin America