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1、reVIeWoFtheMonthWhatEveryEnvironmentalistNeedstoKnowAboutCapitalismFredMagdoFFandJohnBellaMyFosterForthoseconcernedwiththefateoftheearth,thetimehascometofacefacts:notsimplythedirerealityofclimatechangebutalsothepressingneedforsocial-systemchange.ThefailuretoarriveataworldclimateagreementinCope
2、nhageninDecember2009wasnotsimplyanabdicationofworldleadership,asisoftensuggested,buthaddeeperrootsintheinabilityofthecapitalistsystemtoaddresstheacceler-atingthreattolifeontheplanet.Knowledgeofthenatureandlimitsofcapitalism,andthemeansoftranscendingit,hasthereforebecomeamatterofsurvival.Inthew
3、ordsofFidelCastroinDecember2009:“Untilveryrecently,thediscussion[onthefutureofworldsociety]revolvedaroundthekindofsocietywewouldhave.Today,thediscus-sioncentersonwhetherhumansocietywillsurvive.”1I.thePlanetaryecologicalCrisisThereisabundantevidencethathumanshavecausedenvironmen-taldamageformil
4、lennia.Problemswithdeforestation,soilerosion,andsalinizationofirrigatedsoilsgobacktoantiquity.PlatowroteinCritias:Whatproofthencanweofferthatit[thelandinthevicinityofAthens]is…nowamereremnantofwhatitoncewas?...Youareleft(aswithlittleislands)withsomethingratherliketheskeletonofabodywastedbydise
5、ase;therich,softsoilhasallrunawayleavingthelandnothingbutskinandbone.Butinthosedaysthedamagehadnottakenplace,thehillshadhighcrests,therockyplaneofPhelleuswascoveredwithrichsoil,andthemountainswerecoveredbythickwoods,ofwhichtherearesometracestoday.Forsomemountainswhichtodaywillonlysupportbeespr
6、oducednotsolongagotreeswhichwhencutprovidedroofbeamsforhugebuildingswhoseroofsarestillstanding.AndtherewerealotoftallFredMagdoff(fmagdoff@uvm.edu)isprofessoremeritusofplantandsoilscienceattheUniversityofVermontandadjunctprofessorofcropandsoilscienceatCornellUniversity.HeistheauthorofBuildingSo
7、ilsforBetterCrops(withHaroldvanEs,thirdedition,2009),andTheABCsoftheEconomicCrisis(withMichaelYates,MonthlyReviewPress,2009).JohnBellamyFoster(jfoster@monthlyreview.org)iseditorofMonthlyReviewandprofessorofsociologyattheUniversityofOreg
