Political commentary & articles on climate change

[LDC]

A thread for posting links of articles/comments on climate change written by the more anarchist/communist projects and groups. The ACG have written some stuff that's been posted elsewhere, and here's a take from the AWW...

Climate and class struggle… one struggle, one plight? - Angry Workers

This is the first article of a short series we are planning on the hot topic (!) of climate change. This first text is meant as a short introductory piece that sets out the basic perspective of how we understand the climate crisis in relation to the struggle for communism and the role of workers’

www.angryworkers.org

 

[stavros]

Moonbot's piece a few weeks ago in the Guardian, on the subtle corporate whataboutery, is an OK read.

He more or less repeated it verbatim as Frankie Boyle's brief guest on Monday night.

 

[LDC]

Second Angry Workers follow-up piece here Climate and class struggle…in a generally mad world - Angry Workers

 

[LDC]

Thoughts on climate and communism * North East Anarchist Group

We are in a unique and challenging period within the history of humanity, as well as within the epoch of...

northeastanarchistgroup.org

 

[Carl Steele]

Dalia Gebrial's series is really interesting. Episode 1 here Planet B

 

[LDC]

People and Nature on the commodification and possible de-commodification of energy. A long but worthwhile read.

How energy was commodified, and how it could be decommodified

By Simon Pirani[1] Introduction This paper aims to contribute to discussion about prospects for transforming energy production and use. The starting-point is that not only do the technological syst…

peopleandnature.wordpress.com

 

[hitmouse]

While I'm showing off that I have an LRB subscription again, the new article has two issues on Andreas Malm - here's some nonpaywall versions:
A Coal Mine for Every Wildfire: James Butler writes about Andreas Malm’s climate manifestos

Ecological Leninism: Adam Tooze on Andreas Malm’s post-pandemic climate politics

 

[hitmouse]

Was thinking of starting a new thread on climate strategy books, but I suppose using this thread works too. Anyway, this book looks interesting:

The Solutions are Already Here

Are alternative energies and Green New Deals enough to deliver environmental justice? Peter Gelderloos argues that international governmental responses to th...

www.plutobooks.com

 

[LDC]

This has been posted elsewhere but thought worth a re-post as I can't find where it is!

Risk and Revolution | Wen Stephenson

What would it mean for climate activists on the left to take revolution seriously?

thebaffler.com

 

[Humberto]

This has been posted elsewhere but thought worth a re-post as I cna't find where it is!

Risk and Revolution | Wen Stephenson

What would it mean for climate activists on the left to take revolution seriously?

thebaffler.com

A good read that. To quote a part:

In fact, one might just as well ask what is the point, at this late hour, of talking about any alternative political, social, or ecological vision—of any hope that a better world, even a salvaged one, is still possible—without taking seriously the urgent necessity of a radical rupture with business-and-politics as usual. For the climate movement and the broader left to settle for anything less than “mere” political revolution—to resign ourselves to head-in-sand incrementalism while dreaming of an abundant green socialism—is to settle for a global ecocide amounting to genocide for large parts of humanity, primarily in the Global South but not only there; the North will not be spared.

It's an irrational inertia, certainly. I don't think that there is much prospect of the present course carrying us much further because crises and frictions are seemingly inevitable. And looking for any sense of leadership, 'sacrifice' or anything beyond their own personal prestige and wealth from the current members of, and servants of, those who rule us (and the orthodoxies they adhere to) is futile and irrational too.

I don't quite follow that a revolution is the only answer. Only because it's not so likely at this juncture and really, despite the problem being systemic, we're fucked if we turn our backs on trying to persuade enough people to care enough first of all. And, yes, time is needed to turn that around. I'll take some incrementalism in the meantime, if we manage even that.

 

[LDC]

Not sure this is best here, but can't see a broad general climate strategy & analysis thread, so it'll do.

Simon Pirani analysing energy usage and looking at a strategy for what changes are needed and how far reaching they are for how societies are organised. Not enough people doing this kind of thinking and writing to help guide us imo. Lots of useful links in the text to other articles as well.

How to do away with fossil fuel consumption

By Simon Pirani Fossil fuels are used in most of the economic processes that go on every day. Most of the technological systems all around us – electricity networks, transport systems, urban built …

peopleandnature.wordpress.com

 

[LDC]

Shortage of experts and low pay ‘major barriers to UK’s net zero future’

Lack of funding and staff limit climate sector’s impact on conservation and net zero efforts, say workers

www.theguardian.com

I do think this kind of coverage is very unhelpful, gives fuel (ha) to the bunch of people that see it all as a money making scam.

 

[stavros]

Not sure this is best here, but can't see a broad general climate strategy & analysis thread, so it'll do.

The Climate change policies thread?

 

[LDC]

The Climate change policies thread?

That looked like more State and government plans.

 

[hitmouse]

This sort of insurrectionist stuff might not be to everyone's tastes, but I think the final section of Total Liberation is worth a read (probably very influenced by Desert, which I've not read):

Total Liberation

Anonymous Total Liberation July 2019 2nd Edition. Published by Active Distribution & Signal Fire.

theanarchistlibrary.org

That leaves us faced with a troubling combination. On the one hand, industrial civilisation is racing towards massive, irreversible climate change; on the other, there’s surely no force on earth capable of averting this outcome. It seems a new wave of climate movements is emerging at the moment – these could make all the difference. But we also need to be realistic about what can still be achieved. Truth be told, the opportunity to stop climate change has surely passed us by: no longer is it a matter of avoiding global ecological meltdown altogether, but instead of limiting its severity. Gone are the years in which we could deny the inevitability of the crisis. And what a strange time to be alive that makes it! One gets the feeling of standing on the seashore, watching the approaching flood in a state of calm acceptance. Maybe it’s time to downgrade our expectations: the world will not be saved.

Don’t jump to any conclusions, though. The world won’t be saved, but it’s hardly about to be destroyed, either. A little too often, environmentalist discourse is pitched as a dichotomy between utopia and extinction: either we’ll mount a global ecological revolution and solve all our problems at once, or else we’ll fall short of the mark and all life on earth will be annihilated. Honestly, though, neither is remotely likely – not for the time being. This kind of all or nothing thinking is unhelpful, because it sets us up for failure once it becomes clear that, actually, we’re not going to win this one. On the contrary, sustaining a lifetime of struggle means focusing on goals that, besides being ambitious, are also achievable. And such goals remain open to us still: even though we can’t stop climate change altogether, we can still soften the blow significantly. Not only does that mean minimising the amount of carbon dioxide yet to be released into the atmosphere – that is, bringing down the economy as decisively as possible – but also preparing others and ourselves for the inevitable crunch ahead. If anything, this is the worst time of all to give up. There’s still so much to fight for, and also to win. This isn’t just a matter of damage limitation! The future promises a great many opportunities to live wild and free; dramatically more than today, even.

 

[LDC]

This sort of insurrectionist stuff might not be to everyone's tastes, but I think the final section of Total Liberation is worth a read (probably very influenced by Desert, which I've not read):

Total Liberation

Anonymous Total Liberation July 2019 2nd Edition. Published by Active Distribution & Signal Fire.

theanarchistlibrary.org

Has some OK and interesting stuff in that, although also a bunch I'd don't agree with and think is a poor analysis.

Would like to do a climate change political articles/strategy reading and discussion group tbh, lots to try and get to grips with.

 

[hitmouse]

Has some OK and interesting stuff in that, although also a bunch I'd don't agree with and think is a poor analysis.

Would like to do a climate change political articles/strategy reading and discussion group tbh, lots to try and get to grips with.

Yeah, I think the Rojava thing is an interesting touchpoint - we're not likely to see another 1917/36/68, but I suspect we are likely to see more situations that look more or less like Syria, and Rojava's worth considering as an example of how to make the best of that kind of really shitty situation. But the tiny formations of foreign anarchist groups mentioned there are far from being the most interesting aspects of it.

I should probably get around to reading Desert at some point, but I've always been put off because the author seems annoying and people who are really into it are usually annoying. (Having said that, one of my friends did have a running joke about me actually having written it, which I think is broadly intended as a compliment.) Would be very interested to see any critical reading of Desert, though. That Gelderloos book (which I've also not read) probably also a good starting point for discussion.

 

[LDC]

Yeah, I think Rojava was interesting in relation to this stuff for sure, but some of that got lost between the ultralefts denouncing it as not full communism, and the anarchists being cosplay fixated on the armed militias. The stuff of interest was the long term work prior to the events/regime collapse and withdrawal, how the system functioned day-to-day on a neighbourhood and workplace level, and what some possibilities are for something less than a full blown communist/anarchist revolution but also something very different to the current system. There's not that much that was transferable to here though, and some of the 'lessons' are stuff we know, we just don't know how to (or can't) enact them.

Desert is OK, very much worth a read I think as it again has some thought provoking stuff in it and the author is very sound. You're right though, it did get latched onto a bit much by some of the green anarchism / anti-civ / primitivist / insurrectionary lot who a bit treated it like a bible.

 

[hitmouse]

This has been posted elsewhere but thought worth a re-post as I can't find where it is!

Risk and Revolution | Wen Stephenson

What would it mean for climate activists on the left to take revolution seriously?

thebaffler.com

This is also worth a read, more opinions on that film I've not seen from Jasper Bernes this time:

Deeds and Propaganda

If you want to learn how to blow up pipelines, you would do better to read about the movement to Defend the Atlanta Forest or the French struggle to stop construction of a massive water reservoir in Sainte-Soline (which has also featured sabotage emerging from the matrix of a mass movement), or...

brooklynrail.org