7 Jun 2007

Administering apocalypse?

We have a few short years to introduce radical solutions to climate change; otherwise governmental action will be about administering apocalypse in the face of forest fires, the flooding of major cities, crop failure and millions of environmental refugees.

I talked to 'Hands off Venezuela' last night, it was so well attended we couldn't have fitted any one else and the contributions from the floor were good with a critical discussion of what is working in Venezuela and where there are big environmental challenges.

I think we need in the green movement to step links and support with people across the world involved in local environmental and social struggles, I am very wary of global governance that tells people at the grassroots what to do.

The Latin American left although like all things are imperfect are taking much more interest in ecology.

Incidentally talking of rainforests have this on the politics uk site:


Preservation of rainforests is absolutely essential on ecological grounds. One step would be to end arms exports to nation such as Indonesia and Cambodia which repress local populations in forests and support illegal clear cutting. Eco development must be based on local control and the advice of skilled local experts including figures like Benny Wenda of the Free West Papua movement.
Here

3 comments:

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Anonymous said...

"The Latin American left although like all things are imperfect are taking much more interest in ecology."

You mean they don't give a toss about it... but are happy to hoover up any support going.

Anonymous said...

well, chávez clearly cares about ecology, for example his fight against GM foods. he also stopped a giant coal mine project near the colombian border because of popular pressure. the process is imperfect and there are plenty of contradictions - venezuela is still a capitalist consumerist country - but things are definitely getting better.

here's something from today's morning star:

Green blasts biofuels plan for Latin America
(Morning Star Friday June 8 2007)

GREEN Party principal spokesman Derek Wall slammed the US-backed drive to produce biofuels in Latin America on Wednesday night, explaining that "it can take more energy to grow crops such as palm oil than you actually get out."

Speaking to solidarity activists from Hands Off Venezuela at a packed meeting in the NUJ headquarters in London, Mr Wall extolled the green credentials of President Hugo Chavez, who, along with Cuba's President Fidel Castro, has been a major critic of the biofuel plan.

The "eco-socialist" praised Venezuela's fight against genetically modified crops, its mass distribution of energy-efficient light bulbs and the ongoing project to plant millions of trees across the country.

"Some opencast coal mining projects have also been stopped, but there are still many contradictions, such as the giant regional gas pipeline project which is so important for Chavez's 'Bolivarian' dream of uniting south America," he added.

He described visiting Venezuela during last year's World Social Forum and being impressed by the radical ecology lessons that he witnessed at a newly built state school.

"Even worm bins are on the syllabus!" he exclaimed.

"The government's idea is that you teach the kids and, then, they teach their parents."

Imperialism Is the Arsonist: Marxism’s Contribution to Ecological Literatures and Struggles

Derek Wall ’s article entitled  Imperialism Is the Arsonist: Marxism’s Contribution to Ecological Literatures and Struggles , argues that Ma...