Ecosocialist Resources, 16
June 14, 2010
Six more additions to our periodically published list of essential current reading for left greens and green lefts
The Spill, The Scandal and the President Tim Dickinson in Rolling Stone
It’s tempting to believe that the Gulf spill, like so many disasters inherited by Obama, was the fault of the Texas oilman who preceded him in office. But, though George W. Bush paved the way for the catastrophe, it was Obama who gave BP the green light to drill. “Bush owns eight years of the mess,” says Rep. Darrell Issa, a Republican from California. “But after more than a year on the job, Salazar owns it too.”
The Ecology of Socialism John Bellamy Foster interviewed by Solidair/Solidaire, republished in MRzine
Corporations are machines for accumulation. It is as simple as that. There is nothing in the nature of rising ecological costs that will alter this in the slightest. The system can profit off of high resources costs (e.g. rising oil prices). Faced with increased costs corporations will undoubtedly shift their things around to ensure continued profitability. But the idea that they will reduce their overall ecological footprints goes against everything we know about the nature and logic of capital.
Climate Deal Blueprint Could Curb US Emissions and Poor Nations’ Growth John Vidal in The Guardian
“They have watered down key parts of the text. It has glossed over the preferences of the poorest, least developed countries. It is deeply biased against them”, said Qumrul Choudhury, lead negotiator for the group of least developed countries.
Pity the poor global oil corporation Alan Maass in Socialist Worker (US)
It’s a little hard to sympathize with poor little BP—or, for that matter, to accept Bloomberg’s claim that corporate officials “didn’t exactly go down there and blow up the well.” Maybe not, but they created a disaster waiting to happen in the Gulf of Mexico—and when that disaster did happen, they did everything they could to obscure how much damage they’d done….
If BP and its defenders deserve any hearing at all, it’s on this one point alone: BP doesn’t operate differently than any major corporation in the U.S. or around the world.
Little progress – Countries still heading for over 3ºC warming Climate Action Tracker Update (PDF)
Despite recent developments, actions pledged globally to date on reductions of greenhouse gas emissions give virtually no chance to limit global mean temperature increase to below two degrees Celsius, according to the latest analysis by the Climate Action Tracker. ….
“The current pledges and loopholes give us a virtual certainty of exceeding 1.5°C, with global warming very likely exceeding 2°C and a more than 50% chance of exceeding 3°C by 2100”
‘Climate Change Social Change’ Conference Australia, Nov. 5-7
The international meeting is being organized to contribute towards understanding and collective action, in Australia and internationally, to address the climate emergency. It is hosted by the Socialist Alliance and Green Left Weekly, and sponsored by Office for Environmental Programs, University of Melbourne. Featured speakers include John Bellamy Foster (Monthly Review), Ian Angus (Climate and Capitalism) and Derek Wall (Green Left Britain)
To see previous installments
of Ecosocialist Resources, click here
Comments
PLEASE NOTE: Climate & Capitalism encourages constructive discussion and debate. Comments that violate our Comments Policy will be removed.
Leave a Reply