Climate Crisis: Workers Need Communism to Prevail

Only Communism Can End Climate Crisis here ♦ Communism, Not Capitalism Can Solve Climate Crisis here ♦

GLASGOW, November 2021: Masses protested imperialists’ useless UN Climate Change Conference

Only Communism Can End Climate Crisis

SOUTH AFRICA—The cause of climate change is capitalism’s need to create profit. Recent Red Flag articles have described the impacts of climate change on the environment and on the working class. They have correctly identified its driving force: it’s capitalism that dumped all this carbon into the atmosphere.

Our collective is exploring what climate change means to us, as workers or potential workers. Comrades have different interpretations.

One comrade remarked that we have been told in television, newspapers, social networks, and everywhere that we should reduce our carbon footprint. His opinion is that our carbon footprint pales in comparison to how much damage the bosses are doing.

Let’s talk about the mining industry alone.  Its impacts are on a massive scale.

In Rustenburg a few years back we comrades were visiting and distributing Red Flag. We were distributing to some coal miners who were not working but who were going to the clinic because they suffer from TB.

These are the long-term effects, not only on the environment, but on our working-class family. To address it, we have to fight capitalism directly. Once we eradicate the need to generate more profit, mining can be done, even in communism, depending on the circumstances and the needs of the working class at a particular time. But the difference is that there is no need for us to create surplus, because we will take only what we need, not what we can sell.

The comrade’s view was good because even if someone can make some commitments, like to stop eating meat, it’s like throwing a drop in the ocean. While you have major polluters who still resist making some tangible commitments.

Look at how companies like BP, Shell. Exxon Mobil are still stuck on fossil fuels. These companies have inflicted untold damage on the environment. These are the main ones we should hold accountable for what we face today.

In South Africa, our power generation is mainly dependent on coal. This has caused untold suffering on the working class. The main point, in our view, is that if we are to prevail in this fight or reverse some of the damage that has been done, we can’t do this as long as capitalism exists.

Whatever negotiations are taking place, whatever summits have been called, won’t make any difference because of the capitalists’ need to make profit. The environment and the working class will continue to suffer. Once we eradicate capitalism, we will be in a position to eradicate the damage that has been inflicted on our communities because of climate change

Another comrade elaborated on the economic impact of this. Developing countries like South Africa have been forced to switch from dirty means of generating power to cleaner ones. But this transition becomes a problem. Let’s say in a community there’s a power station. The communities around it depend on it for jobs. If you switch them off, you are also cutting off these working families who depend on this power station for their livelihoods.

If you are moving away from coal, how will you replace those jobs? Most of those workers are considered unemployable because capitalism says they are not educated. Yet they can be exploited for their labor in those mines.

How do you address challenges like that? How do you make sure that you can close all those power plants, and what do you do for those communities who depend on the power plants for jobs? From the old lady who sells food to the workers outside to those working inside. It becomes imperative for us to fight for communism so that we can address these challenges.

We have to address those challenges collectively. We can’t do it individually. We have to fight the disease, which is capitalism. In doing that we will be able to fight against climate change.

Communism Can Solve Climate Crisis – Capitalism Can’t

“It turns out I am going to lead the Environment Committee,” a new Red Flag reader “Ana” told a comrade “Ellen.”

“Did you read the recent Red Flag article?” Ellen asked.

“Yes, I really liked it.  It said what I am feeling,” Ana replied.  “The Environment Committee doesn’t seem to want to talk about the politics of climate change,” she continued.  “One person keeps bringing up that the school should ban plastic water bottles and straws.”

“That’s your job, I guess,” said Ellen. “To bring up how capitalism caused the climate crisis and we can’t solve it without changing the system.

“I’ve been thinking about why communist revolution could actually create short-term fixes and long-term solutions,” she added.  “Capitalism can only do what’s profitable.  Even when technological measures are available, they say ‘too expensive.’  New levees protected New Orleans from Hurricane Ida, but it would ‘cost too much’ to protect other Louisiana towns.  Desalination could help relieve the water crisis, but it’s ‘too expensive.’  Hydrogen fusion could provide cheap clean energy but the research hasn’t been funded because nobody saw profits in it.”

Ana was nodding, so Ellen went on: “All these things take labor – workers’ labor.  Capitalism sees labor as a cost, the cost of wages.  But communism sees our labor as a resource, not a cost.  Most of our labor power today is wasted through unemployment or working at useless jobs.  End the wage system and we can decide how to deploy our labor for things that really matter.  Like dealing with the climate crisis.”

“I don’t know if the committee would want to talk about that,” said Ana doubtfully.

“At least a few people probably would,” Ellen guessed.  “At least one sometimes reads Red Flag.  Build stronger ties with those who are most open, and see how far you can go with them.”

Conversations like these, and with other co-workers, could help more friends decide to join the Party.

-Red teacher

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