Left activists discuss the green movement
By Sarah Peart and Ben Courtice
MELBOURNE — On October 27, Green Left Weekly hosted another lively debate as part of its Politics in the Pub series in Comrades Bar. More than 40 people gathered to hear speakers on the topic "Environmental justice vs the global market". They were Cam Walker from Friends of the Earth, Anne O'Casey from the Democratic Socialist Party and Dave Kerin from the trade union environment caucus, Earthworker.
O'Casey spoke about the capitalism's changed response to the environmental crisis over the last two decades, arguing that its efforts to appear eco-friendly were a result of increasing pressure from the environment movement. Now even socialists can agree with a lot of the UN's reports on the environment, she said.
But she rejected the "green capitalist" idea of "saving the earth through profit". She instead argued that the crucial issue was who held political power.
Many green and left parties have retreated from challenging the status quo, she said, and often trade unions falsely counterposed jobs and the environment. O'Casey argued the need for a red-green alliance that could organise on an international basis.
Walker criticised the environment movement's pattern of lobbying and increased "professionalism", which had resulted in it "losing the tools of public mobilisation".
He strongly opposed the ideas both that the environment movement should be "non-political" and that the movement needs to work with corporations and show them how they can profit, for example, from recycling. He asked environmental organisations, "Whose side are you on?" and said that many could well be on the side of corporate interests.
Kerin outlined the historic role that trade unions, in particular the Builders Labourers' Federation, have played on environmental issues. Initially the environment movement's core was working-class people and trade unions, he said. He pointed to the conscious plan of governments to push the environment movement away from the working class.
Kerin described Earthworker as a "conduit" to link greens with workers once more — working on very concrete projects, such as ethical investment of workers' superannuation, local environment campaigns and green bans.