Degrowth and neo-Malthusianism: A socialist response
Channel: The Communist
Date: 2020-10-25

Last year, with the huge youth strikes for climate internationally, the environmental movement became a real mass movement. The slogan of these protests – ‘for system change, not climate change – indicated a clear revolutionary mood amongst activists.

Whilst more and more people are drawing direct links between the climate catastrophe and capitalism, many environmentalists still argue that economic growth, industrialisation, ‘consumerism’, high living standards and overpopulation are the primary cause of ecological destruction.

All of these ideas, ultimately, reflect a form of neo-Malthusianism: a reactionary perspective that points the finger at ordinary people for the problems facing our planet.

In this session, however, Olivia Rickson explains why it is the capitalist system that is really to blame for climate change – and why we need to fight for a clear socialist solution.