On Fire The (Burning) Case for a Green New Deal

At a press conference in the Vatican, Naomi Klein was introduced by the media team of the Holy See as a “secular Jewish feminist”. Just as the term “feminist” has barely ever been uttered within these ancient walls, Klein, in her book On Fire: The Burning Case for a Green New Deal, demonstrates a rather unique approach to the enormous impacts of climate change and interrelated social crises. The Canadian author, social activist, and filmmaker introduces the “Green New Deal” to her readers as a solution to mitigate the climate crisis and to adapt to it. Her framework gives rise to a process of transformation to change critical infrastructures and to disband from a neoliberal economic system that discriminates against most of us. To accomplish this enormous task, she and her colleagues postulate six key actions: (1) revive and reinvent the public sector, (2) go back to a state- and union-directed economy, (3) regulate corporations, (4) re-localize production, (5) say goodbye to the cult of shopping and (6) tax the rich and the main polluters. From my point of view, Klein’s collection of different subjects knowledgeably addresses important issues of our time. In one chapter, she talks about the hazards and risks of Geo-Engineering: If we are going to allow certain research groups to spray aerosols into the stratosphere for a cooling effect, it could leave us with unintended consequences like an absence of the vitally important monsoon rain in Asia and Africa. Another very interesting point is Klein’s statement about climate and energy justice and democracy. She argues that developed countries have a historic responsibility not just to help disadvantaged groups and nations, but to put them first to show solidarity. The principle of climate justice is known from other literature; it exhibits the central role of ethics being emphasized by this branch of science in numerous publications. During my reading, I missed the appreciation of the role of global agriculture and population growth. Both issues are very important to sustainability and conservation, according to the primatologist and anthropologist Jane Goodall. Naomi Klein’s book provides ideas, inspiration – and hope. But most important, it conveys a deep understanding of climate protection as an opportunity not only to protect ourselves, but to feel connected with the lives of the other 8 billion human beings out there. It all comes back to the underlying question of what kind of humans we want to be.