Political Ecology

Without a doubt, the news of Jean Vincent Placé (leader of Green group in the French Senate) and other Green members’ departure from the group – during the summer 2015 after having accused others in the party Europe Ecologie Les Verts (EELV) of “shifting too far left” and demanding too much of the Socialist government – was a relief to the Greens and their supporters. But, it is far from fully cathartic, perhaps partly because losing members is always a failure.

Green parties come in different shapes and sizes. They have different attitudes, as well as differing positions, and they might end up in a wide range of political coalitions when given the opportunity to participate in government. Per Gahrton’s recent book, even if not entirely comprehensive, provides a great overview of this colourful political movement, and helps newcomers understand why Greens can stand united even in the worst of times.

The ecological production project of the Green European Foundation (ECOPRO) centralises its focus on the development of sustainable green technologies in a post-growth society.

The Labour Party leadership in the UK is over. Confounding the critics and the bookmakers (the odds for Corbyn to win were 100-1 when the campaign began!), the maverick left-winger Jeremy Corbyn has been elected as Labour’s leader, and by a thumping majority!

For many people it seems easier to imagine the end of the world, or even the end of capitalism, than to imagine the end of growth. To break this spell of growth, we bring you some of the policy proposals that are derived from the theory of degrowth.

Paul Mason, economics correspondent for the UK’s Channel Four news, argues in his new book Post-Capitalism that capitalism is failing and will be replaced by a new system. Everyone should read this provocative and inspiring account of how, if we want to, we can transform our present economy to one based on sharing, democracy and participation.

Halfway between a structured party and an explosive grassroots movement, Podemos remains a difficult-to-describe political UFO.

To diagnose the malaise which political ecology suffers from in the current political system, beset by crises of both economic and cultural natures, we must first examine the position of the Greens in the political landscape, and their relation to both the Left and the Right.

Was Marx an environmental activist before the term even existed? According to John Bellamy Foster and Paul Burkett, he was. They claim the work of Karl Marx offers an insight into the relationship between the current ecological crisis and the historical crisis of capitalism.

The European Trade Union Institute recent conference on ‘The Socio-Ecological Transition: A New Climate for the EU’s Sustainability Transition’ laid bare the need for radical change to deal with the climate crisis. And if battling climate change requires making our societies less superficial, less focused on expansion and instead more focused on equality, then that’s something we can all fight for.