N-VA chairman and Antwerp mayor Bart De Wever warns in a opinion piece in De Morgen for the idea that violence is justified in the fight against climate change. “The future of humanity is too important to be left to ideological folly.”
Last week the same newspaper published the point of view of Environmental Sciences student Aaron Van Poecke† Of two climate activists who set fire to several bulldozers and destroyed parts of the Dakota Access oil pipeline in the US, Van Poecke writes: “We need to look at the desperation at the root of such seemingly radical actions in light of the urgency of the climate crisis” .
“Peaceful protest or sabotage”
Doesn’t the destruction of a pipeline pale in comparison to the disproportionate systemic violence to which it contributes?, the student suggests. He also argues that the climate movement will have to scale up its actions quickly, “through peaceful protest or sabotage”.
The tenor that violence is justified in the fight against climate change is repugnant to De Wever. Just like the “ecological doomsay” that the West is “by definition the culprit of everything”.
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The danger of such ideas is greatly underestimated.
“Obviously, we must take the climate issue seriously. But the feelings of guilt and doom stories that are invariably associated with this are unjustified and counterproductive,” said the N-VA chairman in his opinion piece.
He points out that the West has made enormous progress on climate change over the past thirty years. Flanders also gets praise because, according to De Wever, emissions are falling and just about all parameters regarding air quality are improving.
“Nonsense”
“With assertiveness instead of guilt, Europe can encourage other trading blocs to go green,” continues De Wever, pointing out that violence is a criminal offence. “Across our audiovisual culture, it has become an archetype that the ‘system’, run by corrupt politicians and malicious corporations, is doomed to make the planet unlivable. The danger of such ideas is seriously underestimated.”
According to the politician, it is time to actively counter this nonsense. “The future of humanity is too important to be left to ideological folly.”
Read here Bart De Wever’s full opinion piece, in response to Aaron Van Poecke’s position, that you can read here in full†
Also read:
It is already warm and it will be much warmer. Climate experts: “It will get worse and uglier for at least another thirty years” †
356.9 million euros to tackle emissions in the port of Antwerp: BASF and Air Liquide crack subsidy jackpot †
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