Chavez errs with criminal capitalism in climate change

Venezuela chief Hugo Chavez, is raging about “criminal capitalism,” saying this is what led to vast amounts of rain in his country, causing at least 70,000 of his people to become homeless (Reuters). Capitalism is Chavez's global warming/climate change culprit.

In January Venezuela was worried about not getting enough rain to supply the Guri dam that is the resource for approximately 75 percent of the country’s electricity. (Dallas Morning News) Droughts and record rains are part of Venezuela’s history dating to ancient times. Such are the vagaries of real climate change.

Chavez knows he has a problem with deforestation. The United Nations is praising the country for reforestation, but Venezuela has the third highest deforestation rate in South America. (UAA-Anchorage)

Venezuela also has a problem with mining practices.

Despite the fact Chavez blames industrialized countries for carbon emissions and he buys into the political consensus that those emissions cause global warming/climate change, he isn’t about to part with his oil industry because that is how he feeds his people.

Speaking of the people of Venezuela, about 4 out of 10 live below the poverty line. But Chavez lives in a palace. He’s so kind he let 25 families come stay at his palace during the heavy rain.

Chavez wants the U.S. and other countries to cut back on their use of fossil fuels. His country cut down on fossil fuels by building the Guri dam—thousands of acres of forestland were scalped to build it. We don’t know for sure how many endangered species were affected. Socialist countries don’t nurture a free press.

The CIA World Fact Book synopsized problems in Venezuela—“Current concerns include: a weakening of democratic institutions, political polarization, a politicized military, drug-related violence along the Colombian border, increasing internal drug consumption, overdependence on the petroleum industry with its price fluctuations, and irresponsible mining operations that are endangering the rain forest and indigenous peoples.

A case might be made that it is just as important to feed and shelter humans, the animals at the top of the food chain, as it is for wildlife. For instance, in Somalia a black market in charcoal helps to feed hungry people. Deforestation is not a top priority when you want to keep your family from starving.

At the moment world leaders and climate alarmists are meeting in Cancun. Some are praying to ancient goddesses and others are toasting their cause with some very pricey tequila. Others see the lure of high profits, as the WikiLeaks cables confirm. (The Guardian-UK)

What no one is doing is focusing on real solutions to climate change from a standpoint of taking care of the people. No one is holding second or third world leaders accountable even though these leaders are responsible for the wellbeing of their people and they often control all the resources and wealth in those countries.

What no one talks about is that without climate change, we would have no Great Lakes or desert, no savannas, no mountain peaks. We might not have people either—instead there might be lots of big dinosaurs and mastodons competing for habitat.

Without climate change, malaria might be more widespread as it is in Brazil. Guess what the Centers for Disease Control believes helped cause that malaria? Deforestation.

Put another way, reforestation is a good kind of climate change. It was necessary for the American South to do this after the War Between the States.

Earth as we know it would not be the Earth we know without climate change. You’d think that after thousands and thousands of years in man’s march towards civilization (we’re still working on that), we’d have learned it’s smart to prepare for what nature may deliver. Chavez’s anger is nothing more than politicizing just as hundreds of failed leaders around the world do to make excuses for their shortcomings in managing government.

As for “criminal capitalists,” Chavez might consider history and the lessons in criminality socialism, communism and totalitarianism have delivered as well. As for solutions, weak leadership globally hampers protecting the species at the top of the food chain.

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(Analysis by Kay B. Day/Dec. 6, 2010)