Reclaim our environment

The Earth is at risk as never before. The land and rivers are contaminated with toxins, the rivers are a cocktail of poisons and the very air we breathe deteriorates by the day.
Capitalism is inherently unfriendly to the environment. Capitalists need ever greater profits to compete, so resources are used up without regard for peoples? needs and the effects on future generations.

Capitalists are reluctant to conserve resources, control pollution or recycle, as these are often ?expensive? options. It is cheaper to pump pollutants into the environment than clean up.

Global warming

It is beyond doubt that the Earth?s climate is changing through human rather than natural causes. The so called Greenhouse Effect is caused by emissions of gases such as CO2, methane and CFCs. The main sources of gases are from burning fossil fuels and deforestation. Already there has been a 0.5 degrees Celsius increase in global temperature since 1890 and a 1-5 degrees Celsius rise is predicted within the next 100 years, if nothing is done. Since the last ice age (between 15 and 5 thousand years ago), the Earth has only warmed by 5 degrees Celsius.

Such a change could have serious consequences. Weather patterns will alter, leading to floods, droughts and perhaps even colder winters in some parts of the world. Sea levels will rise, as the ice caps melt.

The USA under George Bush is blocking and sabotaging global agreements designed to limit greenhouse emissions and climate change. This is because he puts the interests of oil companies like Exxon before those of the world?s population.

To defend and reclaim our environment, REVOLUTION supports:

A planned shift away from energy production based on the burning of fossil fuels.

Massive investment in alternatives such as wind, wave and solar power.
A huge global programme of reforestation.

Punitive controls and strict penalties to clamp down on corporate polluters.

Confiscate the property and power of the big oil companies.
Massive expansion of public transport to combat pollution caused by the growth in use of the private car. For free collective transport. In order to finance it ? tax the rich!

Nuclear power

The production of energy by nuclear fission can lead to disasters of almost unimaginable proportions.

Capitalist bosses and bureaucratic managers in nuclear plants add to this danger. Because their only goal is the maximisation of profits, they often ignore basic safety measures and greatly increase the chances of accidents.

The workers alone can ensure that nuclear plants are run safely. If the workers decide that a plant is unsafe then it must be closed immediately.

REVOLUTION supports a phasing out of nuclear power, along with other destructive forms of energy production, in favour of renewable energy sources.