An idea is emerging. Bubbling under the surface of environmental reports and failed milestones. The notion of an environmental government agency, with authority enough to command other government bodies to act in accordance to a crisis mandate. A suggestion floated to the top of the news cycle by Swedish state media. A proposal simmering among pundits. A recommendation promoted by the government itself. An idea that seems like it may bear fruit. Eventually. In a while.
The idea is that the new government agency will be able to, much like the Swedish Public Health Service (Folkhälsomyndigheten) or the Swedish Civil Contingency Agency (Myndigheten för Samhällsskydd och Beredskap, or simply MSB), dictate policy over the heads of counties, regional councils, or even the central government itself. Just like what our Swedish version of Dr. Fauci has been doing since the start of the pandemic.
The Paris Agreement from 2015 was an ambitious idea. A necessity to limit climate change so that human habitation will remain feasible. After a rocky start, with Trump’s ‘Murica tearing up its commitment to the legally binding agreement, and Russia’s initial refusal to join, just about every nation on the planet has signed on by now. Not that that’s enough. Even relatively climate-minded Sweden can’t seem to reach its milestones on the road to carbon dioxide neutrality by 2045.
Bottom line; it’s not enough. Governments can’t shift out of its free market paradigm fast enough. Companies can’t, or won’t, adjust its business models. Consumption isn’t going down. Unsustainable economic growth stays upon its pedestal as the one true God of modern society.
In the light of which, it seems reasonable to introduce an green iron fisted agency that can bring a big stick to the conversation.
But anti-democratic measures to bring a privileged population to heel in the face of a crisis isn’t popular. Covid taught us as much. And accusations of climate change tyranny ferments under the surface of the public discourse. Primarily among the older generations, the Boomers that caused the problems to begin with. Though on the other hand, polls show that among the EU young calls rise for a Green Dictator to show the way to Robin Hood their futures.
But you know what? The climate crisis is a global issue. A national government agency that can snatch the reigns from public officials and force climate change concessions out of politicians and business leaders both isn’t enough. Such a barkskin fist needs to be global.
The point of the UN was always to stand in the way of national governments’ destructive tendencies. To step up and stand in the way when the worst natures of people got in the way of humanity’s future. According to the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, the Doomsday Clock has never been closer to midnight.
People aren’t very good at seeing the end of things. Even when they’re well past the point of no return. We’ve been the masters of the Holocene Extinction for 12’000 years, and we’re just now realising. We’re the coyote standing dumbfounded off the edge of the cliff. We need someone, or something, to act as the better version of ourselves and pull us back to terra firma. And seeing as we’re painfully lacking a Doctor Manhattan to do it, an extra-governmental environmental agency with authority over sovereign nations would be our second best bet.
/Sebastian Lindberg 7/9-2021
WastedWords 