The fact that the neoliberal market economy has almost inevitably led to widespread ecological conflicts and greater environmental injustice is now a consolidated data visible to all. However, not all of us are inclined to recognize it, and there seems to be no remedy. Society assists powerless to the climate change show, and the intensification of calamitous phenomena: floods, tornadoes, desertification, deforestation, fires, acidification of rains and water, loss of biodiversity, just to name a few.
If we scan the last century of capitalism we cannot but observe that the whole thing happened at the expense of the planet and its inhabitants. The policies and interventions implemented in the Western world to compensate and slow down environmental crisis appear insufficient. Climate change is a global phenomenon and the damages are cross-border. In fact, Greenland's dissolution in the oceans has consequences beyond Denmark's national borders. Even virtuous countries capable of feeding their energy needs from renewable sources are not immune from the impacts of the failed alignment of environmental policies in other continents. The gigantic removal of the Amazon forest is a clear sign of the inability of international organizations and agencies to resolve conflicts. There are no alternatives to this nihilistic growth, which translates into the man's oblivion, and economic cretinism. We spend the summers watching the chronicle of the wildfires on Tv, the decay of the forest heritage, and the release of toxic gases into the atmosphere.
Capitalism's means of production provoke the humans' progressive alienation (Entfremdung) along with the destruction of the environment. That is, capitalism also reduces plants, animals, and land to commodities. Let's think of the extinction of species, or the conversion of animals into production machines, or the agricultural colonization, or the mineralization of solid through urban metastasis... Through the myth of technical progress, we manipulate nature and turn it into a Bestand (Martin Heidegger) or a fund available for unlimited growth. From "house of the human race" to mine for the extraction of any profit. The infinite growth in a finite world is a contradiction in terms. However, the incompatibility between the capitalist excessiveness and the finiteness of the planet is evident to the children, who recently decided to publicly protest all their fair opposition. And yet their parents, who are busy paying bills, seem resigned that there is no other possible world. In this perspective of supine acceptance we, condemned to a disenchanted present, are forced to act, and to reverse the order of things, so that the salvation of life, including the human one, has a chance.
The environmental question is therefore directly connected to the capitalist production system, and finding solutions within this development model makes little sense. It is useless to set up battles for the defense of the environment and the territory if the perspective of the struggle is not also anti-capitalist. This irresponsible fanaticism generates environmental and ethical tragedies. The reportage by Francesco Taurisano shows in all its drama the recent wildfire that struck Valsesia, in Italy. Hundreds of hectares of woods lost in few days. The Piedmontese photographer describes us the events: «After years of severe drought, Sessera Valley appears to be stuck in a potentially never-ending wildfire season. The intensity of those wildfires is increasing in size, intensity but more importantly in the frequency in which they’re occurring. For the first time, the Sessera Valley’s was on the spotlight for one of the worst wildfires in decades, inevitably changing the biodiversity of these valleys and destroying the wildlife habitats.
The large fire front was extending for kilometers making almost impossible for firefighters, volunteers, and Canadair to extinguish these raging blazes. In eight days 1.200 hectares of woodland were scorched and researchers are suggesting that we can’t any longer treat fire as something we can manage bur rather as disaster beyond our controls. If this wasn’t enough, also the residents that were not threatened by fire had to contend with the highly polluted and therefore dangerous air quality. We need as a community to be more prepared for such events because they’re going to happen more frequently. On the other hands, we need better planning to build infrastructures responsibly nearby very high fire severity zones. Collectively we need more firefighters and trained people to monitor such areas, that would help to keep everyone safe, reduce fires and maintain biodiversity and wildlife across the peninsula».
In the past years, we have seen native woods becoming timber farms, forests deprived of life, fenced, labeled as theme parks. Studies and research show a correlation between the frequency of fires and the scarcity of local resources. Again we are led to reflect on the impact of growing inequality on environmental conditions. In Italy, for example, most fires occur in the Southern regions, notoriously poorer. With this regards, it's at least questionable the recent decision of the Italian government to abolish the State Forestry Corps. All this makes the management and prevention of fires complicated for obvious reasons. The worsening of climate changes makes it all more serious. As Taurisano wrote «prevention could lead to a revitalization of the economy. Even though forest represents one of the major infrastructures for Italy, it has been neglected by politicians».
Once again, the history brings us back to a higher meaning of public institutions, too often victims of predatory dynamics, demonized, castrated by private fundamentalism that makes sense of community action meaningless. We must look back to our territories, our landscapes, and protect them from any form of abuse, negligence, and ignorance. We belong to them, and they belong to us. To the communities.
© Francesco Taurisano, Val Sessera is Burning, 2019
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