Global Warming Debate Hides Real Issue
Pope Francis plans to pursue the issue of global warming and climate change has upset some conservatives as noted on a Tea Party blog. They say the Pope is wrong and is joining the leftist point of view. The debate hides a real pollution issue due to free trade. It takes our eyes off the deadly effects of free trade. Al Gore talks about the GREEN EARTH but as a globalist free taders he ignores the enormous pollution caused by dirty manufacturing outside of the U.S. and the heavy pollution caused by long haul shipping and packaging. HANDLE WITH CARE!
Long before Pope Francis, the church in its social doctrine which is part of the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches respect for the integrity of creation. Our earth resources should be used in a moral sound way for the common good of all of society. Free trade economics is polluting our earth.
It is important to note that global warming and climate change is still open to discussion.
But this we do know. Free trade economics has affected the quality of our earth. Many factories have been moved outside of the U.S. to escape environmental standards. The U.S. government itself sponsored the moving of factories outside of the U.S. starting in 1956. It evolved into the Maquiladora factory program in Mexico where there were many reports of babies being born with many physical deformities on both sides of the border due to dirty factories across the border in Mexico.
Furthermore, only about 15 of the largest cargo ships in the world pollute the world more than all the automobiles used in the world. These cargo ships are polluting the oceans - fish and all. And more and more cargo ships are being built to keep up with the demands of free trade . Ports and port cities are heavily polluted with the ships coming and going transferring cargo to long haul airplanes, trucks and trains. Many products come from dirty factories where all kinds of debris and chemicals are out in the open or in uncontrolled dump areas.
Take the energy saving light bulb. It is made in dirty factories in China with mercury out in the open and on the factory floor. It takes 8000 miles of energy for an energy saving light bulb to get to market in the U.S. Extra packaging is needed as it is with most imported goods. There are many contradictions like this.
We also have massive farms that use all kinds of fertilizers that definitely are a health hazard. Besides this, I just read where 150,000 farmers in India have committed suicide because they can not compete with the giant agricultural corporations who are subsidized by governments. This statistic was released my the India government in 2007 and the number is most likely much larger than that.
We also have factory farms where animals and poultry are raised in a production line method causing all kinds of problems with waste.
And anytime I see someone use the term free market, I cringe. In my 60 years in the corporate and business world I never experienced a real free market. Markets are controlled. Big money rules. The investment communities in the free trade economics are divorced from production. They are free from the overhead of workers and their obligations to workers dignity for the sake of maximum profit. Production is moved from place to place anywhere in the world for the sake of cheaper labor and to escape constraints including environmental standards .
The former GE CEO Jack Welsh said he wished all factories were on barges that could be moved anytime the local workers or other restrictions come into play. This is what free trade economics is all about and it is a dirty business in more ways than one. Let us not confuse the issue by just concentrating on the issue of global warming and climate change. Time will tell how much of a connection there is. It is good thing, we have a Pope who is willing to talk about it.