Do the right thing

Technology & FinanceNo tags

Do the right thing
By JurriaanKamp | Published: December 10, 2009

Do the right thing

So the question is: when can one appropriately use a reference to slavery when it comes to important political issues? Senate Majority Leader, Harry Reid, has invited fierce criticism from Republicans with his comparison of opposition to health care reform with those who opposed the abolition of slavery. Given the outrageous response one could think that a reference to slavery is off limits in political debates. However as Paul Doro writes, politicians regularly refer to slavery to underscore their points. Reid is, for instance, in the good company of former presidential candidates Ron Paul and Mike Huckabee, who recently compared paying taxes (Paul) and abortion (Huckabee) to slavery.

Let me add a comparison: the widespread resistance within governments and industry to seriously tackle global warming reminds me of the resistance to the abolition of slavery. It is the same fear. The economy of the early 19th century was built on the cheap labor that slaves provided. Without that cheap resource, many people saw their livelihoods greatly endangered. Moral values seemingly conflicted with economic needs. Seemingly. Because ultimately, the abolition of slavery triggered one of the most successful economic eras in history: the Industrial Revolution. In 1930, a century after slavery was abolished, humanity had found much better ways to create much more wealth for many more people, although there were obviously still many hurdles—colonialism for one—to overcome. The point is: Fear for the loss of economic gain should never stand in the way of doing the right thing, because the creativity of humankind will always lead to new opportunities and new solutions.

When we look at the way we treat the planet today, we should remember the struggle around the abolition of slavery. Today, the planet provides the cheap resources that fuel economic gain. Morally, that is less repulsive than enslaving another human being, but it is still very wrong. Wrong because it endangers the future of generations to come. Wrong because it terribly pollutes our own societies. Wrong because the effects hurt those most who are already struggling to survive. Wrong because it denies the fact that human beings are not the masters of the universe but part of the fabric of life.

We can fight global warming because we fear the rising seas. However, fear is never a good guide. On the contrary, we should perceive the challenge of global warming as another historic opportunity to unleash an era of unprecedented economic innovation and prosperity. Beyond the fear for change there are so many people and initiatives showing the way to a cleaner, greener, more sustainable, more just and more prosperous world, while adding meaning and fulfillment to our lives. That should be the message to the UN Climate Conference in Copenhagen. To inspire the debate, Ode Magazine is presenting a free digital issue full of innovative solutions to halt climate change.

This is not a moment to move by increments following politics as usual. As Bill McKibben writes: “It’s like nothing we’ve ever faced before—and we’re facing it as if it’s just like everything else. That’s the problem”.

We need big bold steps. We cannot let fear stand in the way of progress. In 1833 the abolition of slavery in Britain was just the right thing to do. Today, we have to change the way we treat the planet in the same radical way. That’s, once again, just the right thing to do.
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