Thomas Guénolé is a political scientist and essayist. He teaches ecology at IESEG and geopolitics at EM Lyon. He is notably the author of
The Unfortunate Globalization
(First, 2016).
His latest book,
The End of Beans
, has just been published by Plon on February 2, 2023. (256p., €19.90)
FIGAROVOX. - Your book
The End of Beans
has just been published.
It is entirely devoted to the ecology of concrete solutions.
Why did you write this book?
Thomas
GUENOLE.
-
The birth of my daughter, in 2020, upset my priorities, my values and my opinions.
It's common when you become a father.
Overnight, I became more moderate and cautious on all topics, out of concern for protecting my child.
And at the same time, I became much more ardent environmentalist, not to leave my daughter a hellish planet.
From where this book of ecology of the solutions: methodically, humbly, I massively documented myself, I went to question the best experts, and that gave this book.
Your book takes the opposite view to what you call "the ecology of despair".
Yes, I've had enough of all these panicked speakers who, from television set to television set, shout that we're all going to die without offering the tail of a solution.
The situation is serious, of course.
But yelling fire is useless, it only keeps the terror going.
What we need are people who calmly come up with concrete solutions to put out the fire.
The message of my book is therefore to say no to the ecology of panic, and yes to the ecology of solutions.
The ecology of howling panic has gone on long enough, now make way for the ecology of concrete solutions.
Isn't France already exemplary, it is often said that it rejects only 1% of humanity's CO2 emissions?
This figure is true but incomplete.
It only counts the CO2 emitted on French territory.
It therefore forgets the CO2 emitted by our imports: for example, smartphones produced in China and purchased by French consumers.
However, when we count the CO2 of our imports, France is clearly in the red.
Blaming the ugly multinationals while buying a new smartphone and new clothes every two years is crap.
Thomas Guenole
And then, above all, the situation is too serious for us to allow ourselves to wait for the neighboring country to make efforts first.
All the countries of the world, even those which are already exemplary, must increase their efforts.
The gravity of the ecological situation demands it.
What did you think of COP27, the international climate conference held at the end of 2022 in Sharm el-Sheikh?
Like my colleague and friend François Gemenne, I am relieved that on this occasion there was no serious setback in the consensus of the international community on ecology.
Because it's always a risk.
For the rest, it was obviously appalling: while the Titanic took on water, the mountain gave birth to a mouse.
For a COP to really be of use, it must launch a “Marshall plan for the planet”.
This is what I propose at the end of my book.
Like the Marshall Plan after the Second World War, it would be a gigantic international program of major works, but this time to carry out the massive transformations made urgent by the ecological situation: to replace, completely and globally, oil with carbon-free energies in ten years , For example.
Lately, in France, the debate on ecology has revolved a lot around the guilt of multi-billionaires, private jets, the 100 largest multinationals… What do you think?
Pointing the finger at the overconsumption of multibillionaires is a way for the left to marry the ecological question to the question of inequalities.
But in reality, objectively, one can very well be “ultra-rich” and work for concrete ecological solutions: this is not automatically incompatible.
For example, LVMH, the group of multi-billionaire Bernard Arnault, is one of the most exemplary groups in the world in terms of CSR, it is a factual observation.
In addition, as Aurélien Barrau explains, if you enclose ecology in anti-capitalism, you harm the cause of ecology, because you deprive yourself of all your potential allies who are pro-capitalism.
That is, the majority of voters and almost all of the ruling classes in almost all countries of the world, by the way.
Incidentally, betting on the overthrow of capitalism to solve the ecological question is betting on a statistically improbable event to solve a certain problem.
Like Mr. Spock in
Star Trek
, I worship logic, so I can't buy into that kind of reasoning.
As for multinationals, as André Comte-Sponville explains, they are neither moral nor immoral: they are “amoral”.
In other words, they are there to make a profit and the rest is secondary.
However, to make a profit, they must comply with consumer expectations.
And consumers, today, put value for money very far ahead of the issue of ecology: it only takes a Black Friday to realize this.
So, yes, it's true, 100 multinationals are responsible for 70% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
But it is by being at our service, by responding to our own hierarchy of priorities.
Blaming the ugly multinationals while buying a new smartphone and new clothes every two years is crap.
Far too many ecologists practice “all or nothing”: either you agree with me on absolutely everything, or you are not pure enough and you are part of the problem.
It's counterproductive.
Thomas Guenole
In other words, rather than drawing up lists of culprits, I prefer to propose concrete solutions, in the hope that enlightened governments and enlightened multinationals take hold of them.
It's less romantic and less popular on social media than more radical, more intransigent postures, but I think it's more constructive.
By the way, you who broke up with Jean-Luc Mélenchon in 2019, where do you stand today politically?
I do not support any party, any political figure, I do not work for any political force, and I do not militate for anyone.
I believe I have traveled around the world as a politician.
All this is behind me, this page of my life is turned.
How do you position yourself in relation to other personalities who intervene in ecology? Greta Thunberg, Jean-Marc Jancovici, Gael Giraud…
Far too many ecologists practice “all or nothing”: either you agree with me on absolutely everything, or you are not pure enough and you are part of the problem.
It's counterproductive.
On the contrary, it is by building the broadest possible coalitions that we will resolve the concrete problems of the ecological catastrophe.
I therefore prefer to underline the agreements rather than the disagreements.
I agree with Greta Thunberg when she says that we must read and listen to expert scientists in ecology.
I agree with Jean-Marc Jancovici when he says that we need both a massive ecological transition of our energy mix, and much more sobriety.
I agree with Gaël Giraud when he says that major works of total ecological transition of the
What are the main solutions offered by your book to stop the global ecological catastrophe?
Removing CO2 from the atmosphere, thanks to a massive international reforestation program, modeled on the UN's REDD+ program but much stronger.
Create a World Organization for Ecology, as the World Trade Organization already exists.
Give it powers of international regulation, inspections and sanctions, like the IAEA for the nuclear program of such and such a country.
Read alsoAnti-rich actions: these environmental activists who are reinventing the class struggle
Generalize teleworking for all white collar workers, at least 2 days a week, every week.
Massively increase the warranty period of disposable products, in particular clothing and smartphones.
Fully develop wind and solar power, of course.
Completely replace gasoline-powered transport with electric transport.
Copy and paste everywhere the German recycling model, the best in the world.
Replace industrial and chemical agriculture with agroecology and agroforestry.
And then, this subject that fascinates me: generalizing “green urbanism” in large cities.
All of this, and many other solutions explained in the book, is possible and can be done right away.
So let's stop the ecology of despair: let's move on to the ecology of voluntarism!
Thomas Guénolé, The End of Beans, ed.
Plon, 2023, 256p., €19.90 Editions Plon