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Title: The Environment
Author: Workers Solidarity Movement
Date: November 2007
Language: en
Topics: environment, crisis, climate change, green anarchism, environmentalism, peak oil, population, nuclear, Genetic Modification, position paper
Source: Retrieved on 15th October 2021 from http://www.wsm.ie/content/environment
Notes: Introduced at November 2007 Conference. Amended May 2010

Workers Solidarity Movement

The Environment

“The environmental crisis we are living through, encompassing

unpredictable climate change, resource depletion, pollution and species

extinction has primarily been caused by industrial capitalism. The

origin of this crisis, and the ways in which the effects have been

managed point to a real lack of democracy in society. False solutions to

this crisis dominate debate. These include market-based cure-alls,

“green” party electoralism, “power of one” style individual action and

state regulation and taxation.” WSM position paper on the Environment as

introduced at November 2007 conference (this paper replaced our old

“Environment and Animal Rights” Position Paper, last amended at the May

2010 conference.

---

Perspectives

The environmental crisis we are living through, encompassing

unpredictable climate change, resource depletion, pollution and species

extinction has primarily been caused by industrial capitalism. The

origin of this crisis, and the ways in which the effects have been

managed point to a real lack of democracy in society. False solutions to

this crisis dominate debate. These include market-based cure-alls,

“green” party electoralism, “power of one” style individual action and

state regulation and taxation. While capitalism may very well survive

this crisis and learn to manage its effects, this will undoubtedly be at

the expense of the vast majority of people who do not possess such

means. To avoid this, and to guarantee genuine long-term sustainability,

requires fighting for revolutionary change. In the WSM, we seek to

involve ourselves in environmental struggles in order to spread our

ideas and tactics and thus to help bring about such change.

1. Crisis

We live at a time when the environmental conditions and resources that

humanity relies upon are being depleted and adversely disturbed. Climate

change, pollution, and habitat destruction impact on the lives of

countless people worldwide. This crisis is not inevitable, it has been

caused by the particular nature of production within capitalism. The

profit motive forces companies to keep their costs to a minimum. This

leads to production practices that are directly harmful to both workers

and the natural world, which in turn effects working class people

locally and elsewhere. The need for capitalism to expand has resulted in

much unnecessary and socially useless production as well as goods being

produced with built-in obsolescence.

Global shipping, carrying 90% of goods, accounts for 5% of carbon

emissions per year. In some cases local production may result in higher

emissions even when the entire transport chain is taken into account.

Capitalism actively suppresses environmentally friendly practices and

technology, working against efficient public transport for example.

2. False Solutions

As described, the crisis is caused by the nature of production within

capitalism. At present, debate and proposed solutions to this crisis do

not recognise this fact, instead looking to the market, the state and

the individual to provide solutions.The market cannot solve

environmental problems. Trading pollution quotas and other such

practices do nothing to tackle the fundamental reasons for the

crisis.The state, with or without the presence of Green Party members in

government, may attempt to legislate and tax to ensure environmentally

responsible behaviour. This likewise ignores the causes, merely

tinkering at the edges of the problem. 40 years of such lobbying for

state regulation has done nothing to prevent the current situation.

“Green” consumerism and lifestyle changes merely creates further markets

for capitalism. It blatantly ignores that it is the capitalist system of

production and not individual actions that has caused the environmental

crisis.

3. Solutions

Humans are part of the natural world. During our development we have

both deliberately and accidentally altered that world. So have other

species. The environment is a dynamic system created and recreated by

the organic and inorganic processes that act on it. With the industrial

revolution that transformation escalated as capitalism expanded without

regard for the negative impacts of industrialisation on the environment,

an impact that on a local basis has already produced zones no longer

capable of sustaining humans at the densities that was once possible. We

can never escape the environment entirely and therefore it is in our

interests to ensure that the environment remains capable of sustaining

human life at least at the levels it currently can.

Human needs in relation to the environment cannot be reduced to the

need for food and raw materials even if these are essential to life. It

is also a need for leisure space and recreation. Beyond that in order to

preserve the complexity and diversity of remaining ecosystems, the

consequences of the destruction of which cannot be fully understood, we

need to preserve significant areas of ‘wilderness’ where human impact is

minimal and carefully managed. Achieving this requires creating a system

of democratic control over human activity both at the level of

bio-regions and the planet as a whole. Capitalism cannot deliver this

situation. An anarchist revolution, creating a free and democratically

organised society can do so.

An anarchist revolution will not only eliminate the principle cause of

environmental degradation but will allow the effects of environmental

damage to be managed rationally. Producing according to human need

rather than for the sake of profit will eliminate over-production and

will stop or seriously limit harmful production processes. Rational

organisation of society will stop much of the inefficient and wasteful

use of resources that is endemic to this society. Democratic control of

society will mean that the effects of environmental harm are managed in

the best interests of all humanity rather than affecting most those

without the money or power to deal with them.

4. The WSM and the environmental movement

Our role as anarchists is to spread anti-capitalist ideas and

strategies within the environmental movement and bring an environmental

perspective into the struggles and mass organisations we are involved

in. We need to combat those who argue for compromise with the capitalist

class and the state or those who argue that the interests of individual

groups of workers can be held above the need of the global working class

for an environment that can sustain human life.

That sections of the environmental movement that sees a solution

through capitalism and the state must be marginalised as the rest of the

movement adopts an anarchist analysis, organisation and strategy.

Tendencies that seek to make workers, particularly in the global south,

carry the cost of cost of the environmental crisis must likewise be

marginalised. Our general approach is that where industrial or

agricultural practises are critically damaging ecosystems the fighting

for the end of such practises must include fighting for compensation for

the workers, including those who work the land, who depend on them for

their livelihood.

We want an environmental movement that is genuinely progressive, that

is organised on directly democratic lines, that acknowledges the root

causes of the crisis, and that uses direct action as a strategy.

Current Issues

5. Climate Change

We note that the overwhelmingly consensus among climate scientists is

that the release of massive quantities of CO2 once locked away in a

variety of fossil fuels is causing significant changes in climate

through increasing the quantity of the sun’s energy retained by the

earth.

We note that this has become a major issue of concern for the

capitalist class as reflected in the COP process but that the

configuration of actually existing capitalism is making it impossible

for our rulers to collectively agree never mind impose the

implementation of a set of planet wide rules that can limit future

emissions to a level that does not threaten drastic consequences to the

peoples of the world.

We note that much of the damage to date has been done by a small

minority of the powerful imperialist states and that any solution needs

to address this historic legacy. Within these state the decision not to

control carbon emissions as the danger became apparent was made by the

capitalist class alone, workers are not permitted to decide how the

industries they work in are run.

We note that the known existing deposits of conventional fossil fuel

are already greater than the quantity that can be used without the

release of such quantities of CO2 to cause disastrous climate change.

We reject arguments that Climate Change can be addressed through

market mechanism either at the global level through carbon trading or at

the individual level through consumer choice.

Therefore as short terms measures

We oppose any future fossil fuel exploration that is not based on

using less CO2 producing fuels (like gas or conventional oil) to take

more producing ones (like coal or unconventional oil or peat) out of

production as part of the process of shifting energy production to

carbon neutral forms.

We oppose all extraction of unconventional oil and coal deposits and

the closure of all power stations that make use of these deposits. We

argue that any consumption taxes introduced to shift energy consumption

patterns should be revenue neutral in relation to the working class and

to the global south.

Public transportation, including long distance transportation, should

be free of charge where based on low or 0 carbon release power sources.

Workers in transportation should fight for such a transformation.

Transportation, including long distance transportation, should not be

the preserve of the wealthy alone.

We struggle to build a movement based on achieving climate justice on

a global level, a movement that by necessity must transform economic and

political relations on the planet. That is a movement for a classless

society based on direct democracy and production according to need.

6. Peak Oil

Fossil fuels, especially oil and gas, are finite. However, the vast

quantities that remain in the ground are more than sufficient to result

in runaway climate change if they are extracted.

We reject the scaremongering of groups who predict an immediate

collapse in society or a chaotic transition to a post oil society. We

also disagree with the idea that imposed measures to manage manage

increasing energy costs will be necessary or desirable, we oppose

authoritarianism in every circumstance.

Instead we argue for class-based participatory decision-making. The

destruction of the state system and the ending of capitalist control

over production will liberate resources that can be redirected to their

communities of origin to meet the many challenges of energy transition.

7. Food Production

Food production and processing remains one of Ireland’s biggest

industries. It is controlled by and concentrated in fewer and fewer

hands, focusing on competition and short-term profitability rather than

society’s needs and long-term sustainability.

This occurs within a framework of the global neo-liberal agenda that

promotes an agricultural model based on monocultures and shipping food

over huge distances, thus using vast quantities of oil, gas and water.

It threatens not only our health but also our soil, air, water,

woodlands and natural habitats.

Instead of this, we seek a coordinated system for food production and

land management in Ireland. Decisions should not be made on the basis of

accumulating capital but of producing healthy food while maintaining

soil fertility, natural habitats and biodiversity.

8. Population

Increases in the earth’s population require greater effort to produce

the food and raw materials needed to ensure a happy life for that

population. With any given technology resources are finite and even

though technological innovation often results in expanding available

resources we cannot assume this process will go on for ever. Under

capitalism, where profit is the only consideration, new technologies

very often result in environmental degradation. Further expansion of the

earth’s population makes the task of ensuring a happy life for all with

an environment that remains capable of supporting humans increasing

complex and difficult.

However population growth does not have a linear relationship with the

level of impact on the environment. Under capitalism there are huge

differences in resource use between ordinary people who live in

different parts of the planet due both to relative poverty denying

access to goods and services to many and to the implementation of

different solutions to fill basic needs. The problem is not simply the

level of population nor people’s right to access goods and services but

the way these needs are sold by a system that rates profit and expansion

above everything else. We argue against those who would simplify this

reality to focus on population growth or consumption alone

The world’s resources, properly employed, can sustain the world’s

population and potentially even more. A more equal society with greater

personal freedom would doubtless result in a levelling off of population

figures. Such a society could provide a comfortable life as well as a

sustainable ecological footprint.

9. Nuclear Power

Currently, nuclear power is demonstrably unsafe. Profits and the needs

of the arms industry are placed before safety and the risks are far too

great to justify its use.

Power production through renewable resources such as wind, wave and

solar energy are far more desirable. Increased provision of energy

efficient housing and energy saving initiatives could substantially

reduce the growing demand for power.

10. Biotechnology/GMOs

There has been a rapid development of genetic engineering and

biotechnology. Biotechnology like any other technology holds out the

promise of an improved standard of living but also of potential dangers.

For example advances in fertility treatment maybe of tremendous

advantage to childless couples. Genetic screening can give advance

warning of diseases like cancer.

We do not know if genetically engineered food and medicines pose an

inherent threat because there is no independent, publicly answerable

research into these issues.

The fundamental issue is not technology but who controls it. That does

not mean we uniformly embrace all technology. In general we favour

environmentally friendly technology, for example, wind and solar energy

as opposed to nuclear power.

Under capitalism we oppose the introduction of GM crops, which

cross-pollinate with the natural plant. Their introduction in an

anarchist society would depend on conclusive research and a democratic

debate about the necessity or value of such crops.

Tactics

While there are many environmental issues which are of serious

concern, we do not believe that we can or should concentrate equally on

all of these. Many environmental issues can only be resolved through

drastic social change and so people feel unable to change them and are

not encouraged to act. We want to be involved in struggles that

encourage people to become active because we want to develop a working

class that is confident, combative and capable of organising society for

itself. Working fruitlessly on issues that we cannot hope to change

within the current situation will not bring us any closer to this. We

need to identify those struggles which are capable of developing into

mass movements and argue within these for anarchist ideas and tactics.

In Ireland (as in many countries) the state and bosses have openly

welcomed corporate investment at a high cost to the local environment.

“Jobs or the environment” has been the stark choice forced on many

communities and it is one that we reject out of hand.

However, in so doing, we recognise that the strategy of pitting job

prospects against environment well-being is a valuable tool in the

state/ bosses’ hands, allowing them to weaken and, in some cases, split

the environmental opposition. The problem for us is compounded by the

reality that the environmental movement itself is nearly always a

cross-class alliance with workers’ interests the last and, sometimes,

the least to be considered. Sections of the environmental opposition are

openly disinterested in the economic realities that many of us have to

face, while others are uncomfortable about how to tackle it.

As class struggle anarchists we have an important role to play here.

Our analysis sees the vital link between building an effective

environmental opposition movement and fighting capitalism, particularly

in the workplace. In particular, areas where there is a direct overlap

should be important to us. When there are struggles in the

‘environmental risk’ sector – chemicals, pharmaceuticals and mining/

refining – we should seek to highlight these. It is important that among

environmental activists we break down the idea that workers in these

industries are ‘in with the bosses’ – they are not.

Class analysis should be kept central to our interventions and

propaganda. It is important that we face the argument of ‘jobs versus

the environment’ and be at the forefront in the movement arguing for

ways to address the issue from a tactical and practical point of view –

i.e. what sort of jobs do we want and at what cost etc? Within the

broader movement we should be clear about the all-class nature of

environmental struggles. We should be tactical in our approach – working

within them with our eyes open and only for as long as they advance the

struggle.

This implies a focus on community and workplace campaigns on

environmental issues. Examples of these are the Shell to Sea campaign in

Mayo and the anti-incinerator campaign in Cork. Within such campaigns we

argue consistently for direct action as a tactic although we do not rule

out other forms of campaigning. We encourage education about related

environmental and class issues and the building of links between

campaigns.