The Ecosocialist Resources column is published at irregular intervals. It features links to new articles, reports, talks and videos that are relevant to Climate & Capitalism’s mission and goals.
Inclusion of a link does not imply endorsement, or that we agree with everything (or even anything!) the item says.
If you read or write an article that might be appropriate for this column, please post your suggestion in the Climate and Capitalism Facebook group.
- Let Them Eat JunkA new book explores the economics of our food system … Arbeiter Ring Publishing is pleased to announce the release of Let Them Eat Junk: How Capitalism Creates Hunger and Obesity by Robert Albritton Why are half the people in the world malnourished, while so many in the West are over-fed? Capitalism may promise cheap, nutritious food for all, ...---READ-->>
- UK gov't advisors call for a new society“The market was not undone by rogue individuals or the turning of a blind eye by incompetent regulators. It was undone by growth itself.” From the Sunday Herald By Rob Edwards The economic system is broken, and attempts by governments to fix it by kick-starting growth and consumerism are “delusional” and “pathological”, the Westminster and Holyrood governments will be warned ...---READ-->>
- Ecosocialist International Network: What's Next?The Ecosocialist International Network meeting in Belem was a success – what do we do next? This article by Joel Kovel aims to initiate an international discussion on that question. (Also available in PDF format: click here to download) The E.I.N.: Chapter Two: What Is To Be Done? By Joel Kovel (Mostly, this is going into the June issue ...---READ-->>
- Hansen: Coal-fired power plants are factories of deathCoal is the single greatest threat to civilization and all life on our planet. Coal is the dirtiest fuel. The trains carrying coal to power plants are death trains. By James Hansen Dr. Hansen, one of the world’s best-known climate scientists, is Director of the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, and Adjunct Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Columbia ...---READ-->>
- Some criticisms of the Belem Ecosocialist DeclarationDaniel Tanuro, a certified agriculturalist and eco-socialist environmentalist, writes for “La gauche”, (the monthly of the LCR-SAP, Belgian section of the Fourth International), and Inprecor. This article was submitted to the discussion of the Belem Declaration, which the Ecosocialist International Network distributed at the World social Forum in Brazil in January. His comments were published ...---READ-->>
- The Age of StupidDerek Wall reviews a film that delivers ‘a powerful warning of the stupidity of ignoring climate change’ From Morning Star and Another Green World The Age Of Stupid is a film that every one of you should watch – it’s powerful stuff. It is set in 2055 with Peter Postlethwaite ...---READ-->>
- A guide to false climate change solutionsHoodwinked in the Hothouse” – a short yet comprehensive survey of climate change non-solutions Only a few years ago, some companies were saying climate change wasn’t a problem. Now, as its impacts become apparent, many of the same corporations are suddenly scrambling to claim leadership on the issue. Desperate to avoid regulation that may hit their ...---READ-->>
- Hansen: Protests and direct action needed to stop emissions“The democratic process is supposed to be one person one vote, but it turns out that money is talking louder than the votes.” By David Adam Guardian, March 18, 2009 Protest and direct action could be the only way to tackle soaring carbon emissions, a leading climate scientist has said. James Hansen, a climate modeller with Nasa, told the Guardian ...---READ-->>
- Monbiot: We cannot afford to surrenderIt will be difficult and expensive to keep climate change to a minimum, but the alternative is unthinkable By George Monbiot From the Guardian, March 16, 2009 Quietly in public, loudly in private, climate scientists everywhere are saying the same thing: it’s over. The years in which more than two degrees of global warming could have been prevented ...---READ-->>
- Scientists Issue Six Blunt Warnings on Climate ChangeFrom the Final Press Release issued by the International Scientific Congress on Climate Change: Global Risks, Challenges & Decisions held in Copenhagen this week. Key Message 1: Climatic Trends Recent observations confirm that, given high rates of observed emissions, the worst-case IPCC scenario trajectories (or even worse) are being realised. For many key parameters, the climate system is already ...---READ-->>
- Indigenous Activists to U.S. Senator: ‘Tar Sands Are Killing Us’First Nations activists affected by the Alberta Tar Sands take their story to John Kerry, and picket Canada’s pro-Tar-Sands Environment Minister By Kate Harries Indian Country Today, March 11, 2009 TORONTO – Dene, Cree and Metis activists from First Nations affected by Alberta tar sands development made themselves heard in Washington as Canadian Environment Minister Jim Prentice was making ...---READ-->>
- Is Nuclear Power a Safe Solution to Climate Change?It’s been claimed that the French experience proves that nuclear power can be produced safely. but recenly existing plants have developed leaks, and construction of a ‘Third Generation’ reactor had to be halted. From the United Nations Environment Program 2009 Yearbook Since the mid 1970s, France has pursued a strong policy of nuclear power use and by ...---READ-->>
- 'We are facing the worst case scenario'“We can forget about the 2C. We are now facing the situation where we have to avoid a 5-6C rise in temperature.” by Jonathan Leake and Tricia Holly Davis Times (UK) March 10 2009 Surging global greenhouse gas emissions mean the world now faces likely temperature rises of up to 5-6C this century, according to the scientist leading the ...---READ-->>
- Global Warming: Right Here, Right NowGlobal warming is not a distant prospect that might affect our grandchildren at the end of the century. The damage has already started … Anyone who opens a newspaper has read about the devastating heat wave and fires in Australia. And you’ve probably seen news of several studies that conclude that global warming and CO2 emissions ...---READ-->>
- Carbon Trading: the God that FailedBy Simon Butler Green Left Weekly, March 7, 2009 The free market has got us into this mess, and the free market will get us out of it. This nonsensical idea is at the heart of all carbon trading measures, the Rudd government’s Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS) included. Nicholas Stern, the economist asked by the Blair government ...---READ-->>
- Trade Unionists Discuss Climate Change“This is the fundamental struggle to defend the future of our class as well as the future of our planet.” By Liam Mac Uaid The second Campaign Against Climate Change Trade Union Conference brought together one hundred and sixty trade unionists and climate change activists. This was down on the three hundred who attended last year. Obviously ...---READ-->>
- The Facts About the Alberta Tar SandsIn Canada, both the governing Conservatives and the opposition Liberals are trying to shrug off National Geographic magazine’s recent photographic expose of the massive devastation caused by mining the Alberta Tar Sands. Facts just don’t matter if they might undermine profits. Alberta Tar Sands Facts – Judge for Yourself From West Coast Climate Equity Both of Canada’s major ...---READ-->>
- Concerning the Scientific Knowledge of Canadian PoliticiansCanada’s Conservative Party has the largest number of seats in Parliament, so they are the current government. The Bloc Quebecois is one of three opposition parties: it favours sovereignty for Quebec. This is a Canadian Press article, dated March 3, 2009. OTTAWA — A Bloc Quebecois proposal to recognize Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution as the ...---READ-->>
- Socialist Green Coalition Launched in South Africa“Red must be green and green must be red.” By Norman Traub and Terry Conway From Socialist Resistance, March 4, 2009 Well-known South African activist Trevor Ngwane addressed a fascinated public meeting in central London on March 1, explaining the launching of the Socialist Green Coalition. He introduced the discussion by talking about the election of an ANC-led government ...---READ-->>
- Karl Marx, Ecologist“Even an entire society, a nation, or all simultaneously existing societies taken together, are not owners of the earth. They are simply its possessors, its beneficiaries, and have to bequeath it in an improved state to succeeding generations.” by Simon Butler from Green Left Weekly, February 21, 2009 As the world economy spirals down into its deepest ...---READ-->>