World temperatures for the first
half of 2010 reached all-time highs as a result of global warming, a
consequence of the capitalist plunder of the environment. According to findings
from NASA and the National Climate Data Center, this year is on track to
surpass 1998 as the hottest ever recorded.
Since the mid 1970s, leading
scientists have shown that the earth is gradually warming as a result of the
increased presence of various chemicals (called “greenhouse gases”) in the
atmosphere. These higher temperatures lead to melting icecaps and glaciers, a
greater prevalence of disease, more intense natural disasters, and a whole host
of other serious ecological issues.
The driving force behind a capitalist economy
is the requirement, owing to the cutthroat competition inherent in the system,
to maximize profits by any means available. The long-term impact on the
environment is completely ignored. Only a rationally planned economy can both
meet human needs and protect the Earth and its resources.
