This week’s readings have focused on the state policy and its impacts on the environment. The treadmill of production in particular bets explains the relationship between the state and the environment. “The treadmill of production is a system in which we can observe the increasing accumulation of wealth and investments into capital intensive technologies, rising social inequalities and greater ecological withdrawals and additions, all of which are encouraged and facilitated by the nation-state” (48). The treadmill of production was present in many of the argument presented by Simon.
Simon’s presentation addressed various aspects of the readings discussed in class which included imperialism, exclusion, ecological violence and a focus on the state. Simon’s view of the state was very critical by addressing how the state did not exist due to the fact that they could not respond to social pressures, and their lack of choice on policies or forms. Furthermore, he saw the state as a terrain of struggle where social classes presumed the outcome of the state. Since states have evolved since times of Ancient Greece, he explained how the state is in fact a tool to reflect the dominant classes.
Society is always negatively impacting the ecological process, especially in the Third World. His example of his research in India further strengthened this argument due to its production of roses. In a state in which does not have tremendous water supply is now depleting their resources to sustain their economy. However, after a few years of this the environment will be negatively impacted. Next, I was interested to how Simon connected the relationship of the capitalism to the environment. People have to sell their labor power in exchange for wages. Nature is controlled by capital in means of material; all items exchanged must have a use value. To define a commodity it is not determined by the ecological practices therefore this leads to pollution quotas.
Overall, the relationship between capitalism and the environment is not equal. To make profit environments and their resources are being exhausted, people are being demoralized while states are being undermined, and this cycle will only persist and worsen as time continues. As time continues, the Third World will further experience the consequences of the actions in the west. These actions put further stress on the environments of those in horrific situations in the first place.
