Libertarian Eco-Socialism*

Non-state, revolutionary, transformative social

movements

by C. Ryan Burnett
(presented at Converging Storms 2017 in Los Angeles. This document is online at
www.agitdrop.com/les.pdf)

Current Analysis, Movement Trends, Organizing

Frameworks, Conclusion, To Do
*Libertarian as the left wing of socialism, anti-capitalist and non-hierarchical

Sunday, December 31, 2000

 Current Analysis:
We are in the “Anthropocene”, 6th mass extinction event

Top GHG sources: Fossil fuels, deforestation, animal agriculture

90% of big fish in ocean are gone. 50% of vertebrate on planet are
gone, 75% of insects gone (Goulson, Sussex), all in last four decades

IPCC is far too conservative in estimates - change is happening

much faster! (Sci. American: 12-06-2012)

Acidification, de-oxygenation and warming of oceans - species

struggling to survive. Phytoplankton = 70% of oxygen (Patrovksi, Leicester)

Oceans have absorbed close to 50% of CO2 released. Current

effects are from CO2 released 30 years ago!

CO2 (aq) + H2O <--> H2CO3 <--> HCO3− + H+ <--> CO32− + 2

H+ (29% increase in H+ ions = 0.1 ph unit drop on pH scale)
0.3-0.5 decrease by 2100. Coral reefs/southern ocean most hit.

Sunday, December 31, 2000

 Analysis (continued):
60+ non-linear, positive feedback loops identified: Arctic ice &
permafrost (CH4), ocean pH levels, glaciers, coral reefs..

350 ppm CO2 is too high - 300 ppm: from Bolivian conference on
climate. 280 ppm is pre-industrial level

2 C change too high - .85 to 1.0 C now - J. Hansen: 1 C max (0.5C

argued as tipping point, we passed 50 years ago)

150-200 species going extinct daily. 1000x natural rate

At 2 C, we can expect extinction of 20-40% of species. 20% =

400,000. Many of those species we rely on for survival, especially bee
pollination for agriculture

Recent study shows +5C climate change possible in 13 years, not 10K
(55Myrs ago, Schaller and Wright)

Continental interiors will heat to 2x global average. So 4 C = 7.2 F.

Imagine 2 x 7.2 F = 14.4 F increase in midwest!
Sunday, December 31, 2000
 Analysis (continued):
Humans have never lived on a planet above +3.5C
Large agriculture is only possible with stable climate and
cheap oil. 1 Gal Gas = 500 human work hours, 12.5
weeks! 1 Barrel Oil = 23,200 work hours (966 days)!
Greening capitalism won’t work - ecosystem can’t handle
anymore “growth” (i.e. death)
Overpopulation is a problem - empowering women is
solution
Geo-engineering is incredibly dangerous, likely disastrous:
bbc.in/1yVKOnv & yhoo.it/1IvLB4V (low-tech organics +)
Ruling class will not give up power without a fight, even if it
means ecological crash. We are out of time
Sunday, December 31, 2000
 Movement Trends:
Social Ecology: Communalism / Anarchism / Libertarian
Municipalism (Murray Bookchin - Our Synthetic Environment 1962)
Women of color feminism: analyses of oppression and
hierarchy
American Indian Movement: solidarity with indigenous
communities / understanding the landbase
Anti-Nuclear movement (affinity groups, direct action)
Deep Ecology: Non-anthropocentric worldview / Not
utilitarian / Natural world has intrinsic value /
Bioregionalism / Large cities as inherently violent
Eco-Feminism - Domination of nature and women are
directly related
Sunday, December 31, 2000
 Movement Trends (cont.):
Earth First! and Redwood Summer (Judi Bari)
Zapatista solidarity (Another World is Possible)
Global Justice Movement: Resistance against IMF/World
Bank. Indigenous solidarity a key component
Climate/Environmental justice and direct action: Rising
Tide North America / Sea Shephard / Ruckus / Earth
First! / Greenpeace , etc
Transition Towns: Creating local, sustainable, self-
sufficiency. Food, energy, water, currencies, etc
Another Politics as convergence of anti-authoritarian
trends: anarchism, global resistance to neo-liberalism,
prison abolitionism, women of color feminism
Sunday, December 31, 2000
 Organizing Frameworks:
International solidarity: e.g. Zapatistas, Palestine, etc
Networks of mutual aid: Indymedia, No One is Illegal,
Idle No More, Rising Tide North America
Direct Action: Keystone XL, Sea Shepherd, Occupy
Anti-colonial and anti-imperialist struggles in context
Bio-regionalism
Restoration of the landbase
Community ownership over the means of production
Worker collectives/co-ops, community councils
Decisions by workers/communities, not privatized
Sunday, December 31, 2000
 Conclusion:
We are in a crash, not just heading towards one, that is
economic and environmental (intrinsically related)
Near-term human extinction is not off the agenda. Our
survival is directly connected to health of ecosystem
Dependent/addicted to current economic system
We need an anti-growth, de-growth paradigm, current
consumption of energy/resources no longer possible
Reforming capitalism is no longer an option: it’s too late
We need an anti-capitalist movement, new economics
We need a fundamentally different culture (one that is non-
exploitative), transformative social movements from below,
and experiments in pre-figurative politics
Sunday, December 31, 2000
 To Do:
Build our own autonomous bases of resistence and prefiguration

Stop conference hopping and expecting capitalists to NOT

behave as capitalists. They won’t save us.

Read the Cochabamba Declaration. The most radical

document out there on climate change.

Organize non-violent direct action campaigns.

Network up, and join in actions of solidarity. NGOs not solution.

Practice with friends: direct democracy, food distribution, create

a new collective, radio, activate phone trees, etc.

Capitalism Anonymous: Rehab is for quitters!

Create a vision for a non-anthropocentric libertarian eco-

socialism w/ nature having intrinsic value, separate from us.
Sunday, December 31, 2000
 (a few) Resources:
Recommended: http://www.counterpunch.org/
2015/04/10/on-climate-satyagraha/

Institute for Social Ecology: social-ecology.org

Cooperatives and Community: community-wealth.org
Rising Tide North America: risingtidenorthamerica.org
Transition Towns: transitionnetwork.org
Ruckus Society: ruckus.org
Judi Bari: whobombedjudibari.org
Earth First!: earthfirstjournal.org
Another Politics: writingwithmovements.com
Sunday, December 31, 2000