A Socialist Action perspective on the climate crisis www.SocialistAction.org 9/17/2023
[Socialist Action flyer distributed at the September 2023 nationally-coordinated climate protests]
Capitalist climate change has led to the ruin of millions of lives – and it will get worse. June 2023 was the hottest month in world history. Last July in Iran, the heat index at the Persian Gulf International Airport was an incredible 152 degrees Fahrenheit!
This summer we have seen red skies over New York City, vast wildfires in the western part of the U.S. and Canada with sustained triple digit temperatures, a horrific flash wildfire that torched Maui, rivers ran through Greek cities and a catastrophic flood in Libya claimed 10,000 lives.
The two billionaire capitalist parties offer no solutions. They put profits over human needs and will never change. We need a climate emergency to be declared by Biden. Instead, “progressive” Biden OK’d oil drilling in pristine Alaska. Moreover, Democratic Party warmakers, including so-called “socialist” politicians like Bernie Sanders, AOC and her “squad,” support sending billions in war materials to Ukraine for Washington’s proxy war against Russia ……billions that could go instead toward a massive conversion to renewable energy.
Tragically, as we march today, united to fight against catastrophic global warming, we are compelled to point to the severe limitations of the official demands of the march organizers. Indeed, we are told that unless the Biden administrations “improves” its wretched record to date, young people will likely turn away from the Democrats. But, reliance on the two-party billionaire duopoly is a formula for continued climate disaster, not to mention aiming our sights at the totally inadequate remedies that are proposed by today’s organizers. Just 11% of the military budget could fund renewable energy for every US home. We say, “The unprecedented contribution to global warming of the US military must be cut by 100%!”
A new report from the Institute for Policy Studies calculates that the cost of U.S. militarization in the last 20 years is a staggering $21 trillion. Estimates calculate the total cost of shifting to 100% renewable energy over 10 years would be a fraction of this – $4.5 trillion. The US military is exempt from reporting on greenhouse emissions even though it is the largest single source of environmental pollution IN THE WORLD! The Pentagon generates five times more toxins than the five major US chemical companies combined. The U.S. has more than 750 bases in 80 countries and neo-colonies around the world. More bases than any nation, empire or people in world history. We say, “Shut them all down!” The unprecedented contribution to global warming by the US military budget and must be cut 100%!” Stop the U.S. proxy war in the Ukraine! U.S. OUT NOW! We demand a national climate emergency and the nationalization of the entire energy industry to be run by its workers and consumers. End environmental racism! Save the planet! No support for any candidate in the billionaire parties!
We need a mass, democratic party of working people and oppressed communities – a fighting labor party! Join us! In New York call 212-781-5157 or email spewnyc@aol.com. In California call: 510-387-7714 or socialistaction@lmi.net
