The climate is changing, with increasingly dramatic consequences. To combat global warming, countless studies and urgent appeals have pointed out that we need to change the way we think – and the way we consume. Everyone can do their bit by reducing their personal carbon footprint. But is this the right approach? Have we really understood the causes of environmental degradation, asks sociologist Simon Schaupp? In his book Stoffwechselpolitik – Arbeit, Natur und die Zukunft des Planeten (translated as Metabolic Politics: Work, Nature, and the Future of the Planet), he expands the discussion, offering fresh and thought-provoking insights.

For Marx, labour is the “metabolism” of any human society with non-human nature. In the process of work, nature is transformed into substances useful to humans, such as food or building materials. What is created through work has an impact on nature and the environment, for example in the form of emissions or waste. Work is therefore more than the production of goods and services. This is Schaupp’s starting point. He believes that thinking about climate and environmental degradation solely in terms of consumption is a major oversight. Although he does not explicitly mention design, his analyses make clear that an adequate political response to the crisis is not possible without a critical view of work as a transformative force of nature.

Metabolic Balance – How Nature Influences Work

Wie sich die Organisationsformen von Natur, Arbeit und Produktion gegenseitig beeinflussen und wie der Stoffwechsel mit der Natur auf die Arbeit zurückwirkt, zeigt sich an markanten historischen Formationen. So setzten die Sklaven die auf den Plantagen grassierenden Krankheiten gezielt gegen ihre Kolonialherren ein, und die erste Fließbandproduktion wurde nicht bei Ford, sondern in den Schlachthöfen von Chicago eingeführt, weil das schnell verderbliche Fleisch eine beschleunigte Produktion erforderte. Ein weiteres Beispiel ist der „fossile Klassenkompromiss“ der Nachkriegszeit aus billiger Energie und Massenkonsum. 

Nature Is Not a Passive Entity

It becomes clear that industrial policy is inherently environmental policy. Nature is not just a passive ‘context’ for industrial activity; it has a degree of autonomy, shaping the conditions of production through factors such as resource scarcity, natural disasters and more. Resisting complete subjugation by capital, nature continually influences the course of labour and the development of the productive forces. Schaupp introduces the concept of increasing uselessness as a crucial framework for understanding the social conflicts arising from the ecological crisis. He suggests that as climate change progresses, significant parts of nature and humanity will lose their usefulness. Schaupp remains sceptical about the prospects for a ‘green’ transformation, questioning whether a consumption-based social compromise can realistically underpin a green political agenda. He argues that such a harmonious transition to sustainability is highly unlikely. Instead, he foresees that the politics of futility – whether through policies of displacement or transformation – are more likely to be the catalyst for change in society.