Carbon rift

Carbon rift is a theory attributing the input and output of carbon into the environment to human capitalistic systems. This is a derivative of Karl Marx's concept of metabolic rift. In practical terms, increased commodity production demands that greater levels of carbon dioxide (or CO₂) be emitted into the biosphere via fossil fuel consumption. Carbon rift theory states that this ultimately disrupts the natural carbon cycle and that this "rift" has adverse effects on nearly every aspect of life. Many of the specifics regarding how this metabolic carbon rift interacts with capitalism are proposed by Brett Clark and Richard York in a 2005 article titled "Carbon Metabolism: Global capitalism, climate change, and the biospheric rift" in the journal Theory and Society.^[1] Researchers such as Jean P. Sapinski of the University of Oregon claim that, despite increased interest in closing the carbon rift, it is projected that as long as capitalism continues, there is little hope of reducing the rift.^[2]

Both deforestation and the emission of greenhouse gases have been linked to increased atmospheric CO₂ levels.^[3][4] Carbon rift theory states that these are the result of human production through capitalistic systems. There are proposed solutions to climate change such as geoengineering proposed in the December 2015 Paris Agreement.^[5] However, some argue that the capitalist mode of production is at fault for the emission of greenhouse gas and that solutions must be found to this issue before climate change itself can be addressed.^[6]

Carbon rift theory shouldn't be confused with alternative explanations for climate change, which attribute the causes of the climate change to factors independent of human activity. Such explanations include the Chaotic Solar System Theory and that increased water vapor is responsible for climate change.^[7] Capitalism and human activity are not mutually exclusive explanations for climate change, because capitalism is a form of organization of human societies.