As I dug deeper into the topic of ecosocialism I became more aware of the conditions that spurred the idea into a movement. The ideology, at least I thought, was never very difficult to understand. Anyone can deduce, just from reading the word, that ecosocialism calls for Marxist economic planning and environmental justice. But this simple ideology seeks to remedy some pretty complex, multi-faceted issues that are deeply rooted in historical practices. In our first-world we often take production for granted and by extension the peoples' lives that are affected in the process. From unregulated gold mining in Ghana to the oil pipelines being built in North America, the insatiable appetite of global capitalism perpetually makes living capital of human beings and our animal friends, destroying homes and livelihoods and endangering their lives along the way. What I have learned is that this struggle is a massive and complicated one that is not limited to the protection of nature in the first world. Its aim is to make the Earth a safer and wealthier place for all of the workers of the world. The economics of ecosocialism have taught me that wealth is not necessarily measured in money, especially not when concentrated in the hands of a chosen few. Real wealth is constituted by the collective abundance of use-values of a population.
Personally, I have taken much satisfaction from researching this ideology. But in the course of my research, I learned much about the dire circumstances that the residents of planet Earth will soon face and are already beginning to see. Now, when I look around me, I am far more aware of the consequences of global capitalism and the treadmill of production. In all honesty, I can not help feeling a bit guilty for all of the destruction that has been done in the name of the free market as it is, after all, a man-made construct. We consume, endlessly and hardly stop to think of the consequences.
After learning so much about this topic I do not think I shall ever sit idly by while the injustices of capitalism continue to ravage landscapes and cause upheaval in the basic functions and metabolisms of the Earth. Not, at least I think, with a clear conscience. I consider it a personal and civil duty now to promote the environmental justice in what little ways in can in my own life and to immerse myself in the ecosocialist struggle. There are three words I often hear repeated among Marxists which I think shall guide my future actions in defense of the environment and in defiance of the free market. They are: educate, agitate, organize.
I think I am a so-called "mini-master" of ecosocialism because I have spent much time studying the ideology and being exposed to it real-life experiences. After so much time spent on research and reading, I feel as if I am fluent in a new language. When I have conversations with other participants in the struggle, I can sense that we are communicating on the same level. In addition I now possess the knowledge to accomplish the tasks of education, agitation and organization, at least on an intermediate level.
Thursday, January 19, 2017
Tuesday, January 3, 2017
December Update
To further immerse myself in the ecosocialist struggle, I attended a play in nearby Montclair New Jersey called "The Third Coming: Marx Returns." Needless to say, the production's central character was Karl Marx, the father of socialism and the co-author of the Communist Manifesto. Its plot followed a dead Marx, posthumously looking down at the world from the afterlife, lamenting the current state of thins and musing over what could have been had the global socialist revolution ever succeeded-- or began. In the playwright's interpretation, one of Marx's greatest concerns for the world after his time was the destructive impacts capitalism had on the Earth and its inhabitants because after all, nature is capital and the goal of socialism is to distribute capital equally to the workers of the world. A long discussion with the rest of the audience and the playwright followed the production. The event was also made possible by the Socialist Party of the United States of America, so as a result I was able to spend time discussing ecosocialist ideas and literature with SPUSA members. I was also introduced to members of the local community who I would have otherwise assumed were not affiliated with the struggle. The whole experience was really rather inspiring. Between the energy of the elderly cast who'd not yet give up the fight and the numerous socialist youths who came out to show support, I found myself with a renewed confidence in the movement.
Sunday, December 4, 2016
November Book Post
The Ecological Rift: Capitalism's War on the Earth was not a biography or memoir, but was rather the narrative of human civilization's progress towards a major ecological collapse. The book is comprised of essays by John Bellamy Foster, Brett Clark and Richard York about where we went wrong as a civilization, what the impacts are, and finally how a society should look if it is to circumvent the catastrophe that would be a major environmental tragedy. After reading the novel I learned much about the history of the ecological crisis we live in today, beginning with imperialism, the European nitrogen crisis in the 19th century and the industrial revolution all the way up to the present day. In addition to this I gained more knowledge about the science behind the crisis. The Ecological Rift spends plenty of time on the nitrogen cycle and the dangers of fertilizers as well as sterile reforestation among other things. What I admired most about book however was the authors' refusal to back down from their assertion that there is a fundamental flaw intrinsic of the nature of capitalism that will always bring harm to the natural world. The endless treadmill of consumption as they call it, will never cease to use up natural capital in order to produce exchange values instead of use values which the periphery of empires are in such desperate need of. The market, which traditional economists find so infallible, will never create a demand for ecological reforms, for the masses have been conditioned into a perpetual state of consumption. In order for humanity to transition to a sustainable way of life, this cycle must be broken. Production for the sake of production must be stopped and the workers must take it upon themselves to make ecologically responsible decisions.
1. How much time do we as humans have to make a pivotal change in our relationship with nature before some disastrous event unfolds?
Nobody can say for sure how much time exactly we have, but we do understand this: The ecological crisis can be modeled by what is referred to as a polyhedron, or a cube-like 3-dimensional figure as opposed to a sphere. A sphere can be pushed or rolled in one direction or another with minimal effort from a particular direction. A polyhedron is harder to move, requiring a massive force (consumption) to tip the figure in one direction or another. Right now we are teetering on the edge of the cube, and it is imperative that we tip it back to the way it was before industrial capitalism if we are to last much longer as a civilization.
2. What kinds of material hardships would have to be endured in order to make a major change in our interaction with nature?
There does not necessarily have to be "material hardships" in this process because production does not need to end. There does however need to be a shift in production from mostly exchange values to use values, meaning less commodities and more necessities.
3. Why have our governmental institutions failed to affect change in ecological issues?
The institutions that govern us now are intended to protect the status quo of industrial capitalism. They are self-serving, for-profit entities even if not at surface value.
4. What will society look like if we are successful in restructuring the economy and its relationship with natural capital?
The book does not give a specific model of government or human interaction to replace our current institutions. The Ecological Rift focuses almost entirely on economics and sociology and implies that in order for the ecological crisis to end, industrial capitalism should be replaced by a biocentric form of socialism with values of feminism an anti-imperialism. The power of government should belong to the workers and they should conduct it in a democratic manner. The authors also explained that there exists a sociological rift which has alienated humanity from nature. In order for tangible reforms to begin, the rift will need to be closed, brining humanity closer to nature once again.
5. What will the world look like after a serious ecological disaster?
Already we are seeing a decline in biodiversity on a global scale. The rate of extinction has multiplied exponentially since the birth of industrial capitalism. In addition the polar ice caps have already begun to dwindle at an alarming rate, even in the last 20 years. We can only assume that these trends will continue if there is not a drastic alteration in the way production is conducted. Further outcomes may include the loss of coastal cities, towns, capital etc... to rising sea levels, the release of greenhouse gases from melting tundra and the dying clear-cutting of old-growth forests and jungles which sustain the majority of biodiversity on the planet.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7351218-the-ecological-rift
1. How much time do we as humans have to make a pivotal change in our relationship with nature before some disastrous event unfolds?
Nobody can say for sure how much time exactly we have, but we do understand this: The ecological crisis can be modeled by what is referred to as a polyhedron, or a cube-like 3-dimensional figure as opposed to a sphere. A sphere can be pushed or rolled in one direction or another with minimal effort from a particular direction. A polyhedron is harder to move, requiring a massive force (consumption) to tip the figure in one direction or another. Right now we are teetering on the edge of the cube, and it is imperative that we tip it back to the way it was before industrial capitalism if we are to last much longer as a civilization.
2. What kinds of material hardships would have to be endured in order to make a major change in our interaction with nature?
There does not necessarily have to be "material hardships" in this process because production does not need to end. There does however need to be a shift in production from mostly exchange values to use values, meaning less commodities and more necessities.
3. Why have our governmental institutions failed to affect change in ecological issues?
The institutions that govern us now are intended to protect the status quo of industrial capitalism. They are self-serving, for-profit entities even if not at surface value.
4. What will society look like if we are successful in restructuring the economy and its relationship with natural capital?
The book does not give a specific model of government or human interaction to replace our current institutions. The Ecological Rift focuses almost entirely on economics and sociology and implies that in order for the ecological crisis to end, industrial capitalism should be replaced by a biocentric form of socialism with values of feminism an anti-imperialism. The power of government should belong to the workers and they should conduct it in a democratic manner. The authors also explained that there exists a sociological rift which has alienated humanity from nature. In order for tangible reforms to begin, the rift will need to be closed, brining humanity closer to nature once again.
5. What will the world look like after a serious ecological disaster?
Already we are seeing a decline in biodiversity on a global scale. The rate of extinction has multiplied exponentially since the birth of industrial capitalism. In addition the polar ice caps have already begun to dwindle at an alarming rate, even in the last 20 years. We can only assume that these trends will continue if there is not a drastic alteration in the way production is conducted. Further outcomes may include the loss of coastal cities, towns, capital etc... to rising sea levels, the release of greenhouse gases from melting tundra and the dying clear-cutting of old-growth forests and jungles which sustain the majority of biodiversity on the planet.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7351218-the-ecological-rift
Tuesday, November 8, 2016
Wednesday, November 2, 2016
Further Reading
The book I have selected for my senior 20 research is The Ecological Rift: Capitalism's War on the Earth. I chose this book because I noticed that John Bellamy Foster, one of the most prominent ecosocialists, was involved with the writing of this text. The book is an analysis of how capitalism has negatively affected ecology and sent the world's ecosystems into a perpetual state of decline. The Ecological Rift addresses issues such as climate change and dwindling biodiversity, focusing on how the capitalist economy has led to these conditions. The authors speculate on what can and will happen in terms of ecological catastrophes if our interactions as humans with the Earth are not altered. They also explain how they would propose to rectify said conditions through a socialist lens.After reading The Ecological Rift: Capitalism's War on the Earth, I would like to have answers to the following questions:
1. How much time do we as humans have to make a pivotal change in our relationship with nature before some disastrous event unfolds?
2. What kinds of material hardships would have to be endured in order to make a major change in our interaction with nature?
3. Why have our governmental institutions failed to affect change in ecological issues?
4. What will society look like if we are successful in restructuring the economy and its relationship with natural capital?
5. What will the world look like after a serious ecological disaster?
Monday, October 31, 2016
Initial Research
In the last handful of weeks a few days were put aside to be devoted to research and develop my topic of Ecosocialism with more depth. Initially I did some background research just to lay down the foundation for what ecosocialism actually is and who some of the major figures in shaping it were. Some of the names I was already familiar with. Karl Marx, Vladamir Lenin, Mikhail Bakunin, and Eugene Debs, were among them. I also stumbled across some new names, however, such as William Morris, Aleksander Bogdanov, and most importantly John Bellamy Foster. This step helped me to move on to some of the major ideas that ecosocialists propose.
A major component in understanding ecosocialism is understanding the ecological crisis that we all are faced with right now. The evidence of climate change has mounted overwhelmingly in recent years, and the figures we receive only look more and more grim with each report. Climate change, or global warming, can and will have apocalyptic repercussions if something is not done soon about the mode of production which perpetuates said destruction. The epiphenomena of climate change will take many forms. Rising sea levels, increasingly inclement weather, ocean acidification, and desertification are among these, just to name a few.
Ecosocialists agree that the global system of neoliberal capitalism is largely responsible for the aforementioned crisis and misuse of much of the planet's natural capital. The most basic reason for this is that overproduction is intrinsic of the free market. In capitalism, no matter how "green" or "progressive," the amount of goods produced is according to demand, rather than legitimate need. This why even today we burn fossil fuels which are known to emit green house gases (GHGs) into the atmosphere, exacerbating its already dire condition. What we all need to understand is that nothing can be made from nothing. In some way, shape or form, all production requires natural resources, and so when corporations produce commodities en mass, they are not all consumed. Meanwhile nature suffers the same consequences. This is how we have entered the global environmental crisis.
So what is to be done in order counter the ecological crisis? "Liberals," "progressives," and "green capitalists," will tell you that by simply buying a canvas tote bag at the super market and recycling your cans and bottles, you are doing your part for the environment. While these are absolutely positive behaviors that you can and should practice, they unfortunately are not going to turn this crisis around any time soon. This is the result of a general refusal to look at the larger picture. The truth of the matter is that capitalism, the mode of production is responsible for the mass overproduction which requires constant overuse of natural capital. The coal that is burned, the fuels emitted from automobiles, the tilling of old growth forests, and the oil spilled into our waters are all just examples of irresponsible uses of capital.
That is why ecosocialists propose that the means of production (capital) are redistributed in a horizontal manner. This would mean that instead of executives holding control over capital, the workers, organized, would have this control because they have nothing to gain from overproduction. Obviously, the few people at the very top in control of capital, would not so easily hand over their operation to the proletariat. It is also important to understand that the ruling class hold the support of the state. That is why ecosocialists usually propose nonviolent insurgency as a vehicle for socialist revolution. This would mean non-violent, but yet subversive and not necessarily legal strategies in order to depose capitalism regimes and the state and replace it with a biocentric, socialist one.
Articles:
http://climateandcapitalism.com/2008/10/21/humanity-society-and-ecology-global-warming-and-the-ecosocialist-alternative/
A major component in understanding ecosocialism is understanding the ecological crisis that we all are faced with right now. The evidence of climate change has mounted overwhelmingly in recent years, and the figures we receive only look more and more grim with each report. Climate change, or global warming, can and will have apocalyptic repercussions if something is not done soon about the mode of production which perpetuates said destruction. The epiphenomena of climate change will take many forms. Rising sea levels, increasingly inclement weather, ocean acidification, and desertification are among these, just to name a few.
Ecosocialists agree that the global system of neoliberal capitalism is largely responsible for the aforementioned crisis and misuse of much of the planet's natural capital. The most basic reason for this is that overproduction is intrinsic of the free market. In capitalism, no matter how "green" or "progressive," the amount of goods produced is according to demand, rather than legitimate need. This why even today we burn fossil fuels which are known to emit green house gases (GHGs) into the atmosphere, exacerbating its already dire condition. What we all need to understand is that nothing can be made from nothing. In some way, shape or form, all production requires natural resources, and so when corporations produce commodities en mass, they are not all consumed. Meanwhile nature suffers the same consequences. This is how we have entered the global environmental crisis.
So what is to be done in order counter the ecological crisis? "Liberals," "progressives," and "green capitalists," will tell you that by simply buying a canvas tote bag at the super market and recycling your cans and bottles, you are doing your part for the environment. While these are absolutely positive behaviors that you can and should practice, they unfortunately are not going to turn this crisis around any time soon. This is the result of a general refusal to look at the larger picture. The truth of the matter is that capitalism, the mode of production is responsible for the mass overproduction which requires constant overuse of natural capital. The coal that is burned, the fuels emitted from automobiles, the tilling of old growth forests, and the oil spilled into our waters are all just examples of irresponsible uses of capital.
That is why ecosocialists propose that the means of production (capital) are redistributed in a horizontal manner. This would mean that instead of executives holding control over capital, the workers, organized, would have this control because they have nothing to gain from overproduction. Obviously, the few people at the very top in control of capital, would not so easily hand over their operation to the proletariat. It is also important to understand that the ruling class hold the support of the state. That is why ecosocialists usually propose nonviolent insurgency as a vehicle for socialist revolution. This would mean non-violent, but yet subversive and not necessarily legal strategies in order to depose capitalism regimes and the state and replace it with a biocentric, socialist one.
Articles:
Thursday, September 29, 2016
First Comes the Pitch (and the Earth).
From a very young age, I have spent much of my time close to nature. I have been surrounded by the beauty that is the natural landscape of our Earth for as long as I can remember, beginning when I started vacationing in New York State's Adirondack State Park 17 years ago. For this reason I have obtained a profound appreciation for the intricacy and perfection of mother nature. Its majesty is impossible to capture in any number of flowery words. In addition to this, nature is the basic foundation for our survival as a species and for that of all other species. Clean food, clean water and a clean environment are the most essential things to our very existence. Having said that, I believe that we live in a society that does not value ecology as it should, or at least not as I do. Instead we live in a society that is profit-driven, motivated by the pursuit of monetary and material gain. The term used to describe this type of a society is capitalism. Sadly, as I became older and more aware of the world I live in I realized that those things should be so basic to all life, have been commoditized and sold when they should be equally distributed and shared. What I have realized is that the capitalist society we live in today is not a sustainable one. Because of institutions such as private property and the free market, our most basic needs can be withheld from some members of society simply because they can not afford it. I see this as the most flagrant, offensive flaw in the way we live. While some thrive on surplus, others starve or die from a lack of potable water. That is why I have adopted the ideology of eco-socialism and have decided to use it as the topic for my Senior 20 project. Eco-socialism is simply the idea that capitalism is largely to blame for the disastrous state of our environment today, and by extension is the adversary of all life. When I was deciding on a topic, this was one of the first ideas I thought of. When compared the other topics though, nothing comes close in pertinence to the defense of our basic human right to survival.
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