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.
- Ecuador’s Oil Proposal: An Important InitiativeA previous post on Climate and Capitalism, from Inter Press Service, introduced Ecuador’s proposal to block the exploitation of oil reserves in its Amazon region in exchange for compensation from the global North.Stuart Munckton is a frequent contributor to the Australian newspaper Green Left Weekly. His comment of the Ecuadorian proposal was posted on Left ...---READ-->>
- Ecology Against Capitalism“An ecological approach to the economy is about having enough, not having more.” — John Bellamy Foster Who says Marx wasn’t green? John Bellamy Foster. Ecology Against Capitalism. Monthly Review Press, New York, 2002. 160 pages. reviewed by William Bowles ‘For the first time … nature becomes purely an object for humankind, purely a matter of utility; ceases to be ...---READ-->>
- Canada Helps Block Agreement on EmissionsAt the Vienna negotiations on climate change this week, Canada played a key role in preventing agreement on goals for greenhouse gas emissions. Over 100 governments reluctantly agreed that cuts of 25 to 40 percent are needed, but set no binding targets. But even that inadequate result was resisted by Canada’s representatives. Press reports … From Reuters: Delegates ...---READ-->>
- Biofuels and the Impending Climate CatastropheBy Pete Ashley From Permanent Revolution, August 18, 2007 As the impending climate change catastrophe grows in scale and urgency, politicians feel the need to be seen to be “doing something”. This largely consists of launching schemes which avoid making businesses drastically reduce their CO2 emissions. One such scheme is George Bush’s sudden infatuation with bio-fuels, growing ...---READ-->>
- How Capitalism “Solves” a Climate CrisisBy Ian Angus There have been many debates, on this blog and elsewhere, about whether global warming can be “solved” in a capitalist framework. Many people have proposed plans to radically reduce greenhouse gas emissions without radical social change. The advocates of such plans are sincere and well-meaning, but they miss the point. The issue is not ...---READ-->>
- Monbiot Says Global Revolutionary Change RequiredFrom George Monbiot’s speech at the Camp for Climate Change in London Aug. 18. George Monbiot is the author of the climate change bestseller Heat, and a columnist for the U.K. Guardian. From UK Indymedia I’m going to start with some bad news, and the bad news is this. Two degrees is no longer the target. And ...---READ-->>
- Savage Capitalism -the Ecosocialist Alternative (Summary)by Ian Angus (Note: the following article was originally posted in three installments. I have merged it into one post to simplify reading and printing) (Update, Sept. 2 2007: I understand that “Savage Capitalism” was approved by the AGM of Socialist Resistance this weekend.) “Savage Capitalism -the Ecosocialist Alternative,” is the main document up for discussion at ...---READ-->>
- Indigenous People in West Papua Fight Biofuel ExpansionThe Indonesian government appears to be intent on a massive expansion in oil palm plantations as a source of bio-fuel. This will involve the destruction of millions of hectares of rainforest and with it the indigenous populations who have lived in and managed these forests for thousands of years. from the Institute for Papuan Advocacy & ...---READ-->>
- Global Warming Threatens the Nile DeltaFrom New Delhi Television (NDTV) Friday, August 24, 2007Alexandria: Millions of Egyptians could be forced permanently from their homes, the country’s ability to feed itself devastated.That’s what likely awaits this already impoverished and overpopulated nation by the end of the century, if predictions about climate change hold true.The World Bank describes Egypt as particularly vulnerable to ...---READ-->>
- Ecuador Seeks to Leave Amazon Oil Undergroundby Kintto Lucas from Inter Press News Service QUITO, Aug 23 (IPS) – The innovative offer by the government of Ecuador to refrain from exploiting its largest oil reserve, in exchange for international compensation for nature conservation, is attracting increasing support. While oil prices are soaring, Quito is adopting the civil society initiative calling for the Ishpingo-Tiputini-Tambococha (ITT) ...---READ-->>
- Police Provocateurs Exposed at Quebec Demonstration (Updated)Almost all of the press coverage of protests against the Bush-Harper-Calderon summit in Quebec this week has focused on a tiny group of “rock throwing anarchists.” Here’s the real story … Photo from Canadian Union of Public Employees. Captions added by Climate and Capitalism UPDATE, August 24: After initially denying it, the Sûreté du Québec (SQ) has admitted ...---READ-->>
- What Will APEC Do About Climate Change? Nothing.The Sydney Morning Herald has obtained a copy of the “Draft Outline of APEC Leaders’ Declaration on Climate Change, Energy Security and Clean Development.” It can be downloaded HERE. (Warning: Although it’s only 8 pages long, this is a 19 Mbyte file. Don’t download it on a slow connection unless you have lots of time.) In ...---READ-->>
- Joel Kovel: The first two steps to ecosocialism“However uncertain the end point, the first two steps on the path are clearly laid out, and are within the reach of every conscientious person. These are that people ruthlessly criticize the capitalist system ‘from to to botton’, and that they include in this a consistent attack on the widespread idea that ...---READ-->>
- Canada: Oilsands Emissions Double In 15 YearsFrom The Edmonton Journal, Aug 5, 2007, via Tar Sands Watch by Duncan Thorne EDMONTON – Greenhouse gases from oilsands production have doubled in just 15 years, driven by soaring United States demand for oil, reveals the latest inventory of the emissions in Canada.The jump in oilsands-related greenhouse gas emissions, mainly from Alberta projects, helped Canada’s overall ...---READ-->>
- Global Warming Makes the Case for Socialismby Zoe Kenny From Green Left Weekly, August 22, 2007 Twenty years ago, a UN special commission produced a report, Our Common Future, that predicted rising CO2 levels would lead to a mean temperature increase of up to 4.5oC within 50 years, which would cause catastrophic climate change. The report proposed that immediate action be taken to ...---READ-->>
- Karl Marx: Our duty to the earth and the futureA previous post quotes top NASA climate scientist James Hansen on the importance of viewing our relationship to the earth as a “usufruct” — a right to use, but also a responsibility to preserve for future generations. If Hansen were a Marxist, he might have cited this quote from Karl Marx, in ...---READ-->>
- Usufruct“Usufruct is the legal right to use and derive profit or benefit from property that belongs to another person, as long as the property is not damaged. In many legal systems of property, buyers of property may only purchase the usufruct of the property.” (Wikipedia) The Real Deal: Usufruct & the Gorilla, by James Hanson, director ...---READ-->>
- Stop the Presses! NASA Error Equals One-Thousandth of a DegreeThe conservative press has had a field day with the revelation that NASA made a calculation error in its annual temperature figures. Multiple columnists have loudly declared that this proves that global warming is a hoax. The Political Animal blog on the CBS News website responds briefly and decisively…. GLOBAL WARMING IS A HOAX STILL REAL…. Remember the ...---READ-->>
- International Ecosocialist Meeting: Update #2Important information for participants in the ecosocialist meeting in Paris in October. This Update includes the location of the event and a Provisional Agenda, as well as information that was previously posted. Purpose: This meeting is a very preliminary first step: we will get to know each other, establish a provisional organizing committee for an Ecosocialist ...---READ-->>
- 'The Future Has to Be Red-Green' An Interview With Derek WallDerek Wall is a writer, an economist, and currently the Principal Male Speaker of the Green Party of England and Wales. He is the author of several books including Earth First! and the Anti-Roads Movement: Radical Environmentalism and Comparative Social Movements and Babylon and Beyond: The Economics of Anti-Capitalist, Anti-Globalist and Radical Green Movements. Republished with ...---READ-->>