David
Attenborough was on the TV with a documentary in what has been
described as a “rousing call to arms” to combat what he called “our
greatest threat in thousands of years”.
In
contrast, Home Secretary Sajid Javid was telling the police to use
the “full force of the law” against Extinction Rebellion
protesters. “They have no right to cause misery for the millions of
people who are trying to lead their daily lives.”
But
the fossil fuel industries can, apparently, place themselves outside the law and
put the lives of billions in jeopardy.
Police
said the demonstrations were peaceful and although demonstrators’ tactic of lying down meant four officers were
needed to make an arrest and that there was no legal justification
for more draconian tactics, such as kettling and mass-arresting
groups.
Can
capitalism ever go green? No,
say the Socialist Party. Rarely
a day goes by when our attention is not drawn to the various issues
of environmental degradation and how the increase in human activity
is impacting on the natural environment globally, foremost climate
change. Capitalism is not a rational system when you consider that
the capitalist class have their own agenda which is totally blind to
the creation of a common interest. The only interest the capitalist
class have is to obtain profits through the quickest and easiest way
possible so that the accumulation of capital continues. Capitalists
by necessity have to compete within the market. If they don't compete
they go under. This rivalry among the capitalist class always results
in consequences in some form or another such as the extensive damage
to the environment. Socialists are hardened by now to meeting the
opinion that the system of production for profit is essentially sane
and efficient. The opposite is true. The profit motive cannot work
efficiently. Capitalism cannot cater for the needs of its people. It
produces waste and it produces want and both are profitable only to
the minority who hold positions of privilege.
Even
if we act now to change the system it may be too late to stop serious
ecological damage. Capitalist business, despite a few token fetters,
has not only been able to waste and destroy in its mindless quest
for the fast buck, but it has also affected the future, perhaps for
generations. Socialism will be stuck with the legacies of capitalism
and it will need every human resource and ingenuity to deal with
them.
Profit-driven
production in capitalism generates huge quantities of waste. It's not
hard to imagine, in a social system designed around production for
use instead of sale, how common sense would be applied to the
mountainous problem of waste. Capitalism can of course address the
problem of waste to some extent, but it doesn't have the power to
stop trying to sell, sell, sell. We however have the power to switch
off capitalism and its energy-hungry displays of consumerism.
Socialism is still on stand-by. We just need to press the button.
One
of the socialist society's aims will be to eliminate waste of all
kinds. All use and re-use of materials will be carefully assessed as
to their most advantageous and least harmful outcomes. Not accepting
the requirement of growth per se, the aim will be conservation and
the achievement of a steady-state with the philosophy of 'do no harm'
– to animal, vegetable or mineral. Quality goods will replace
built-in obsolescence and whole new approach to transport, energy
and infrastructure will bring about a truly sustainable
society. Short-termism
and consumerism as we have come to know them will be replaced by an
understanding of the consequences of ignoring externalities.
Capitalist corporations now largely ignore externalities;
they don't factor the negatives into their equations. Cleaning up
their mess robs them of their profits; the costs in human health and
environmental problems are not their concern. Individuals, being
captives of the current system, are almost powerless to be in any way
effective against the mighty machine. Material and human resources
will no longer be wasted. People will devote their energy and talents
to healing a poisoned planet and devising an ecologically sustainable
way of life.
Meanwhile,
for what’s left of Nature, time is running out. No matter what
cures are proposed, if they do not take into account the basic,
cut-throat nature of capitalism, they are doomed to failure. Only by
changing the social and economic system which generates the
conditions which cause starvation, resource-squandering and pollution
will we ever see an end of such despoliation and such ecological
insanity. Unfortunately, the environmental lobby do not recognise
this simple and obvious fact. They do not attack the system of
production for profit as the cause of climate change. They believe it
is enough merely to regulate the system so as to legislate against
its worst excesses. Members of the Socialist Party are again and
again struck with bewilderment at the way humanity can go on
tolerating a world so out of balance with its real needs and
interests. In the name of commodity production and profit, capitalism
wastes an enormous amount of the world’s resources and its people’s
abilities. We’ve got the technology to reuse, repair and recycle
much of what we throw away, but its use isn’t encouraged enough by
our current system. Before we can find more sensible and practical
approaches to using our resources, capitalism itself needs to get
thrown onto the rubbish dump.
Climate change is happening. Mass
extinction is happening. The time to act is now.
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Number of arrests at latest count 682
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