In his book Tropic of Chaos: Climate Change and the New Geography of Violence, journalist and scholar Christian Parenti travels across time and space to show how climate change has exacerbated problems which already exist—problems created by Western militarism and neoliberal economic restructuring around the globe.
Published by Nation Books in 2011, Tropic of Chaos describes the “catastrophic convergence” of poverty, violence, and climate change, and how the Global North, particularly the United States, holds much of the responsibility.
Last week, Parenti published a controversial op-ed in the Huffington Post in which he called out 350.org and climate activist Bill McKibben’s Do the Math campaign. The popular campaign aims to pressure universities, pension funds, and churches into divesting from the fossil fuel industry, but Parenti argued that a divestment campaign, while great for mobilizing the masses, isn’t going to hit the industry where it hurts.
We spoke to Parenti about his arguments against the Do the Math campaign, Tropic of Chaos, his response to Hurricane Sandy, and why pressuring and working with the government should be the climate justice movement’s top priority. Tonight, Parenti will speak at NYU, and you should check it out. Read more…
