For the Greens

A lesson that is to be learned by many eco-activists is that  capitalism will not collapse of its own accord. Until a sufficient number of people are prepared to organise politically for the conscious purpose of ending capitalism, that system will stagger on indefinitely from one crisis to another and even the impending climate emergency will not change business-as-usual

So long as the working people are prepared to resign themselves to the evils of capitalism, and so long as they are prepared to place in control of Parliament parties that will use their power for the purpose of maintaining capitalism, there is no escape from the effects of capitalism. The environment will continue to suffer from the normal operating of the capitalist system. That is the prospect for the people and the planet unless they actively interest themselves in understanding socialist principles and assisting in socialist organisation.

Only when ownership and production have been brought into harmony is there any hope of solving the climate crises. It is just not possible to solve these problems as long as class ownership is retained. No matter how sincere or efficient a government may be it cannot make capitalism work as if it were a rational sustainable system geared to satisfying human needs. Capitalism runs on profits and can only work as a profit making system for the class that owns the means of production. As this class ownership, in preventing production solely for use, is the cause of these problems any attempt to deal with global warming within its framework is bound to fail.

Socialism, on the other hand, will provide the framework within which environment problems can be solved. With the means of production owned by and under the democratic control of the community, there will be no class privileges to stand in the way of production solely for use. With the abolition of the profit motive society can set about solving these problems with the satisfying of human needs without harming the eco-systems as its guiding principle. This is why we say nothing short of socialism will do. It means replacing the violent, savage, cruel and ruthless civilisation of money with another based on harmony and collaboration. If society were to reorganise itself, to distribute the fruits of its labour in a new way, then our concern for money could diminish, and our energies, freed in this way, would find the roads opened towards goals set by higher passions.

Modern technology, organised according to the laws of capitalism has inundated us with useless consumer goods. Capitalism is submerging us with products that are irrelevant to our happiness.