On the History of Ecosocialism

The intellectual basis of a socialist ecology idea became to be seen in 1979's as a red-green thinking on the article by Manuel Sacristan, Andre Gorz, Barry Commoner; but as a concept, in 1980's, it was used by German Green Party[1]. In the same years, James O'Connor established Capitalism, Nature and Socialism Magazine and set forth a theory of ecological Marxism. After that, ecosocialism which is a political stream appeared as anti-neoliberal social movements.

An Ecosocialism Idea is Becoming to Appear on the Social Movements

Anti-neoliberal movements and ecosocialism basically should be thought together. The reason of transforming of socialism to ecosocialism is neoliberal destruction on nature and humanity. Socialist thought to add green to red and that is why struggle of nature and struggle of society were united. It was necessary, because neoliberalism is exploiting both humanity and nature. They couldn't be thought as separate issues anymore.

Ecosocialism is based on two essential arguments: One is continuation of the inequitability between South and North. The other one is obligation of protection of the natural environment because of which growth threats human species.[2] Due to these reasons, people are upping against to IMF, WB day by day and the movement against to neoliberalism is growing in the world. However, it is said that anti- neoliberal struggle appeared initially in 1994s by Zapasistas in Chipas (Mexico) and Kovel says that if we said a starting point of ecosocialism, it would be 1994's Mexico, Chiapas.[3]

The Ecosocialist Manifesto(2001)

The manifest begins from the world of 21st century as 'a chaotic world' and examines to spread of capitalism to world scale. It says that capitalism is destructive to humanity and nature and this situation should be displayed to society. The culture of consumption, apoliticiality are mentioned in the text as saboteur the unity of society. Also, it remarks that capitalism degrades humanity to labor power. On the other hand, it is preserved liberating goals of socialism. After that, the manifesto claims: current economic, cultural and social system is not competent to exceed ecological and social crisis. This is required to limit accumulation and if capitalism is limited, it cannot be alive. Therefore, ecosocialist says that capitalism is over historically and they recommend socialism, but a new interpretation of it:

“Ecosocialism retains the emancipatory goals of firstepoch socialism, and rejects both the attenuated, reformist aims of social democracy and the productivist structures of the bureaucratic variations of socialism. It insists, rather, upon redefining both the path and the goal of socialist production in an ecological framework. It does so specifically with respect to the “limits on growth” essential for the sustainability of society. These are embraced, however, not in the sense of imposing scarcity, hardship and repression.The goal, rather, is a transformation of needs, and a profound shift toward the qualitative dimension, and away from the quantitative. From the standpoint of commodity production, this translates into a valorization of use-values over exchange- values – a project of far-reaching significance grounded in immediate economic activity.” [4]

Kovel and Lövy try to explain that 'limits on growth' does not mean deprivation. They define ecosocialist style of production and purpose of it in ecological framework. For all that, they put forward use values to be transformed of needs and to annex a qualitative aspects to the quantitatives.

Under ecosocialism society of freely associated producers is mentioned. They will never confine it to own democratization. They work for freeing of all beings. For this reason, it struggles with all forms of domination, especially 'imperialism', 'gender' and 'race'. On the other hand, it emphasizes destruction of dependency upon fossil fuels.

At the end of the manifest, it is pointed out :

“Ecosocialism will be international,and universal,or it will be nothing. The crises of our time can and must be seen as revolutionary opportunities,and it is our obligation to affirm and bring these opportunities into existence.”[5]

Belem International Ecosocialist Declaration(2008)

Declaration begins with Rosa Luxemburg's slogan: “Either Socialism or Barbarism!” and goes on about barbarity of capitalism. It defines itself as a call to action. Like Ecosocialist Manifesto, also it claims that capitalism cannot right tools to stop ecological crisis. In addition, it mentions 1997 Kyoto Protocol that is a regulation for oscillation of control of carbon. The protocol gives a limited pollution right to countries and if a country does not exceed its pollution limit, it can sell this right. Because of this, the declaration specifies that Kyoto Protocol provides some possibilities for lawlessness and subterfuges to countries.

On the other hand, Belem International Ecosocialist Declaration presents a detailed summary of ecosocialism and recommends ecosocialism as a new revolutionary social transforming:

“The ecosocialist movement aims to stop and to reverse the disastrous process of global warming in particular and of capitalist ecocide in general, and to construct a radical and practical alternative to the capitalist system. Ecosocialism is grounded in a transformed economy founded on the non- monetary values of social justice and ecological balance. It criticizes both capitalist “market ecology” and productivist socialism, which ignored the earth’s equilibrium and limits. It redefines the path and goal of socialism within an ecological and democratic framework.” [6]

Moreover, it put to that only mass actions can create a difference like laborer in urban and rural areas, women, Southern folk and locals with these words:

“Environmental devastation will not be stopped in conference rooms and treaty negotiations: only mass action can make a difference. Urban and rural workers, peoples of the global south and indigenous peoples everywhere are at the forefront of this struggle against environmental and social injustice, fighting exploitative and polluting multinationals, poisonous, and disenfranchising agribusinesses, invasive genetically modified seeds, biofuels that only aggravate the current food crisis. We must further these social-environmental movements and build solidarity between anticapitalist ecological mobilizations in the North and the South.”[7]

References:

[1] Lövy, M., 2001, p.11 [2] Löwy, M., 2005, What is Ecosocialism?, [online] Available at:<http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/> [Accessed 22 May 2016] [3] Kovel, J., 2002, p. [4] Kovel, J.and Lövy, M. , 2001 [5] Kovel, J and Lövy, M, 2001 and Kovel, J., 2002, p.295 [6] Belem Ecosocialist Declaration, 2008, Climate & Capitalism, [online] Available at:<http://climateandcapitalism.com/2008/12/16/belem-ecosocialist-declaration-a-call-for-signatures/ > [Accessed 08 April 2016]. [7] Belem Ecosocialist Declaration, 2008