A public forum co-sponsored by the Boston International Socialist Organization and Haymarket Books
Rising profits,Sinking planet:
Socialist solutions to the climate crisis
Featuring Chris Williams, author of Ecology and Socialism
(Haymarket Books, 2010) and Amity Paye, contributor to Occupying Wall Street (Haymarket Books, 2011)
Saturday December 15, 6pm
Spontaneous Celebrations
45 Danforth St, JP
Stonybrook T Stop
*Book signing following forum*
We will be collecting donations for Occupy Sandy.
Hurricane Sandy is just one of the latest disasters that has exposed the realities of the climate crisis we continue to face around the world. Just over the past few years we have witnessed the BP oil spill, the nuclear disaster in Fukushima and many other incidents of environmental catastrophe that are ultimately results of a society based on profit and not human need. The social crisis that continues in NY post-hurricane Sandy has also opened up a lot of questions around climate change; who is affected by climate change? Why aren’t we putting any resources into infrastructure to prepare for these disasters? What is causing climate change? And what could a society based on human need look like in light of the amazing work done by Occupy Sandy?
We have seen again and again both parties commit to an agenda that is driven by profit and exploits the environment at any and all costs. In the United States and around the world, a petroleum based economy has led to the destruction of the environment through fracking, tar sands extraction, war, etc. In a world that was democratically run by workers, resources could be used to provide basic necessities for people. What if we invested our resources into things that mattered such as sustainable energy, public transportation, education or healthcare? Under capitalism, we instead invest resources into destructive industries such as advertising and the military industrial complex.
The only way we can we challenge the climate crisis is to fight for revolutionary transformation. Capitalism is fundamentally incompatible with a sustainable environment and we have a huge role to play in challenging the attacks on the environment and working towards building a future society based on democracy and cooperation not exploitation and competition. Join the discussion, “Rising profits, Sinking planet: Socialist solutions to the climate crisis” where we can talk about what it will take to overcome the climate crisis and what a future sustainable society could look like.
The forum will feature speakers, Chris Williams and Amity Paye. Chris Williams is a long-time environmental activist and the author of Ecology and Socialism: Solutions to Capitalist Ecological Crisis (Haymarket Books). He is a professor of physics and chemistry at Pace University and is chair of the science department at Packer Collegiate Institute. He is a frequent contributor to the International Socialist Review. Amity Paye is a Boston native who is a journalist and writer living in New York City. She writes for the Amsterdam News and is a contributor toOccupying Wall Street: The Inside Story of an Action that Changed America(Haymarket Books, 2011). Amity will be speaking about her experiences reporting in New York during hurricane Sandy.
Check out these great resources on capitalism and ecology:
How to fight climate change by Chris Williams (socialistworker.org article)
A system of disaster by Mike Davis (socialistworker.org article)
Economic roots of the environmental crisis by Dan Sharber (International Socialist Review article)
ClimateandCapitalism.com an ecosocialist journal reflecting the viewpoint of environmental Marxism
World on fire: Capitalism, the environment, and our future with Dan Sharber (wearemany.org audio)
Following the forum will be a fundraiser event to help support the Center for Economic Research and Social Change and Haymarket Books. Folks will have an opportunity to meet and talk with the featured authors at the fundraiser. There will be music, politics, drinks and plenty of amazing books! We will be asking for $5-10 at the door.
