4 responses to “Socialist Resistance is changing its political programme”

1. 

   Dave Riley

   August 27, 2007 at 5:57 am

   The one problem I have with the shift is that its’ a bit light on.

   We’ve just published the SA charter here (theres’ a early web draft here:
   http://greenleft.wikispaces.com/charter
   unfortunately its’ only available in printed form at the moment )

   …which is a result of an involved debate and discussion process — so we got to tackle some of the challenges that are thrown up by the massive shift required to deal adequately with global warming.

   But I have a problem comprehending what SR thinks its doing aside from re-branding itself. You see I’d expect that it wasn’t so much a change as a self evident development that flowed directory from your politics…

   dave riley

   The Socialist Alliance 10-point climate action plan

   1. Aim for 60% overall emissions reduction, including 95% power station emissions reduction, by 2020, and 90% overall emissions reduction by 2030. Immediate comprehensive planning, including annual targets of 4-5% or more, to meet these targets on time or sooner.

   2. Ratify the Kyoto treaty and initiate a further international treaty and mutual assistance program to bring other countries together to meet a global target of 90 % emissions reductions on 1990 levels by 2030. Focus on cutting rich industrial nations’ emissions as a priority, and supply non-polluting means of industrial and social development to poorer countries.

   3. Start the transition to a zero-waste economy. In the first place, establish an energy auditing department to investigate industrial energy waste and recommend legislation or other measures to end it, including improving or banning wasteful consumer products such as those with built-in obsolescence. Engage workers in industry to redesign their products and jobs sustainably, in consultation with the appropriate technical experts.

   4. Set a minimum 10-star energy efficiency rating for all new buildings. Require the fitting of all feasible energy efficiency measures to existing houses upon lease changes, building renovations, etc., and subsidise owner-occupiers for the costs. Allow renters to use the same system. Immediately begin a program to install photo-voltaic solar panels and solar hot water heaters on home roofs, subsidised or owned by the electricity authority. Give commercial buildings a deadline to meet six-star energy standards within two years, and 10-star standards within 10 years.

   5. Bring all power industries under public ownership and democratic control. Begin phasing out coal mining and power immediately. Ensure a fair transition plan (including guaranteed jobs and retraining on full pay) for coalmining and power-station worker communities, with new sustainable industries being built in their areas and paid redundancies offered. Run the maximum possible base-load power from existing natural gas and/or hydro power stations instead of coal, as an interim measure until renewable energy can take over. Coal to be used only for predicted energy peaks in the short term until renewable energy sources replace first it, and then the natural gas power stations as well.

   6. Bring the immense manufacturing potential of the auto industry under public control. Re-tool this industry for manufacturing wind turbines, public transport vehicles and infrastructure, solar hot water, solar photo-voltaic cells, etc., and for converting existing cars to electric power. Subsidise the conversion of private cars to electric, plus buy back and recycle unneeded vehicles.

   7. Immediately begin constructing wind farms in suitable areas. Fund research into further wind, solar photovoltaic cells, geothermal, concentrating solar thermal, biofuel (from waste), wave and tidal generation sources, with pilot solar-thermal and geothermal plants set up immediately. Create a power grid with distributed, diversified electricity generation for stability and efficiency.

   8. Stop logging old-growth forests and begin an urgent program of re-forestation and protecting biodiversity to ensure a robust biosystem that can survive the stress of climate change and provide an increased carbon sink.

   9. End industrial farming based on fossil-fuel fertilisers, pesticides and fuels. Restrict farming areas to ensure that riverine, forest and other indigenous ecosystems return to healthy states. Assist farming to be transferred to organic practices and decentralised to include urban farming. This process must be undertaken at a rate that ensures food security, and guarantees continuing work and livelihood for farming communities.

   10. Make all urban and regional public transport free and upgrade the network to enable all urban residents to use it for all their regular commuting. Nationalise and upgrade interstate train and ferry services, while making them cheaper than air travel. Reduce reliance on air travel while ensuring equal but limited access, and aim to replace air travel with trains (and ferries on Bass Strait). As much freight as possible to be moved to rail. All rail and light rail to be electrified, other public transport and freight to run on electric motors or biofuels from waste where possible. Encourage bicycle use through more cycleways, bike racks on public transport and more public shower facilities. Implement free or very cheap bicycle rental networks, as in Barcelona and other European cities.

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2. 

   Prinkipo Exile

   August 27, 2007 at 8:01 am

   I haven’t had chance to read the whole document but just a minor drafting point on the first page if it’s not too late … Starting with Clive Jenkins book is interesting as it shows how far off the reformist left was in the 1970s … but the co-author and current Labour MP for Huddersfield was Barry Sheerman (not Barrie Sherman), and how many people under the age of 30 have any idea what ASTMS was? Better to say “white collar trade union” …

   And Dave Riley’s post above and link is interesting but it took me a few moments before I realised he was referring to the Australian Green Left and Socialist Alliance – not to be confused with their British namesakes!

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3. 

   Sean Thompson

   August 27, 2007 at 8:25 pm

   This is a very interesting and potentially very important document Liam. I particularly like the term ‘savage capitalism’.

   There are one or two points of detail that I’m not entirely happy about (in particular, carbon trading is no more an essential element of the principle of contraction & convergence than is allowance trading to flight rationing) and some of the programme, such as nationalisation of supermarkets, has the ring of Ted Grant and the nationalisation of the 200 main companies – or thenationalisation of the football pools – about it. However, I think that the general gist is excellent.

   The big ticket item of course is right at the end. “Our goal is to therby build a credible anti-imperialist and anti-capitalist ecosocialist alliance to the left of labour and firmly rooted in the labour movement and among young people.” Quite, but after our last effort, Respect, went tits up one has to ask if you have any new ideas about how we might go about it?

   Will Socialist Resistance be sending people to the ecosocialist meeting in Paris in October? And would it be worth while to set up a disussion between SR and Green Left supporters in the meantime?

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4. 

   Johnny Rook

   September 3, 2007 at 9:46 am

   Capitalism has always been savage

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