Doug Henwood asked: > Hmm, ok, maybe I can get an answer from you: what changes in > industrial and agricultural practices, energy sources, the build > environment, living arrangements, etc., will occur under socialism > that will avoid the eco-catastrophe capitalism supposedly has in > store for us. It's not just a matter of invoking the words "socialist > revolution" along the lines of "Presto Change-o," is it? I'll state positively what Doug's question only insinuates: that a "socialist revolution" isn't necessarily necessary for the changes to take place and conversely a "socialist revolution" may not be sufficient for the changes to take place. On the other hand, it is also possible that the necessary changes may not be permitted to occur under capitalism. My colleague, Anders Hayden discusses the productivist contradictions within actually existing left/progressive polemics in his "Sharing the Work, Sparing the Planet: Work Time, Consumption & Ecology" published this year by Zed in the U.S. and U.K. and in 1999 by Between the Lines in Canada. Just to give a flavour of Anders' argument, here is an abstract from an earlier paper he presented, under the same title: In response to evident ecological constraints on human activities, exemplified by the threat of global climate change, much emphasis has been placed on increasing the efficiency with which we use nature. However, the gains from an efficiency revolution will be negated if we continue to expand our demands on the environment through attempts to maximize economic growth. The more challenging issue of sufficiency must also be confronted. Could the reduction of work time be a pragmatic starting point for a sufficiency revolution? It will be argued that reduced work time can serve an environmental vision in four principle ways: by providing an ecologically sound response to unemployment, offering an alternative vision of progress based on liberation of time rather than growth in production, giving people the time to think and act as participants in building a more ecologically sustainable society, and by creating new opportunities for "simple living" and the subversion of consumerism. However, there is no guarantee that in practice reduced work time will challenge the productivist vision of infinite economic growth. Some thoughts will be provided on how the ecological merits of this idea can be strengthened and the pitfalls of productivism avoided in pursuit of a green vision of working less, consuming less, and living more. So, you see, even our last best hope is no sure thing. Tom Walker
