SOCIALISM CAN HEAL THE PLANET

Extinction Rebellion have come to Scotland when the North Bridge in Edinburgh was blocked by protesters. Numerous arrests were made by police.

Activist Dr Anna Fisk, a lecturer in theology and religious studies at the University of Glasgow, said: “We're doing this because business as usual is killing us all. We’re in a climate crisis and we want governments to take action as if it’s an emergency. We’ll be causing this disruption today and will continue to do so until they take the action needed.”

Socialism in its critique of the environmental movement directs criticism towards the economic structure of society – capitalism - and its profit-seeking, competition, endless growth, exploitation of humans and nature. Socialists need to act as catalysts who brings environmentalists closer to a socialist solution. If we fail, there may still be a future but the impacts of climate change will be devastating full of conflict and violence. It is difficult to overstate the detrimental consequences of climate change. The situation continues to become ever more extreme, violent and unpredictable. And it would be naïve to expect that the enlightened self-interest of capitalists will automatically protect the planet. 

Socialists must learn to fuse our social and economic goals with climate politics and climate justice. New ideas will be debated and developed. And a world rebuilt. The youth of the world are now showing they’re weary of government inaction, the platitudes, promises and lip service paid to the climate crisis. It is time to re-shape society. 

The climate movements are increasingly learning that we require fundamental change, goals and objectives that will seriously challenge the business-as-usual approach. If any hope exists to create a stable world of the future, it is based upon ending capitalist greed, corruption and aggression.

 The solution is to strive to transition to a sustainable steady-state socialist economy. 

We’re about the future.