Workers Solidarity Movement

Matt Ridley, has written a book called, "The Rational Optimist: how prosperity evolves".  In the book, the Eton and Oxford educated Ridley, argues that the world is getting better and better, it has been doing so for hundreds of years, and will continue to do so. Nothing stands in the way of his argument, not even global climate changeYou simply could not make this up. I know you could copy and paste that sentence for so much these days, but this one really makes you do a double-take.

"The environmental crisis we are living through, encompassing unpredictable climate change, resource depletion, pollution and species extinction has primarily been caused by industrial capitalism. The origin of this crisis, and the ways in which the effects have been managed point to a real lack of democracy in society. False solutions to this crisis dominate debate. These include market-based cure-alls, "green" party electoralism, "power of one" style individual action and state regulation and taxation." WSM position paper on the Environment as introduced at November 2007 conference (this paper replaced our old "Environment and Animal Rights" Position Paper, last amended at the May 2010 conference.

Cork hosts arrival of solidarity cyclists destined for Rossport

Nearly thirty cyclists who had started off from Merthyr Tydfil in Wales the previous day arrived in Ringaskiddy on the ferry early on Monday 24th of May.  They passed through Cork city on their way up the west coast to Rossport, Co. Mayo, and were joined by a dozen-strong cycle contingent from Spain, who had cycled all the way from Madrid, also linking struggles around fossil fuel extraction, refining and nuclear power in Spain with those in Wales and here in Ireland.

Local Mayo fisherman, Pat O Donnell, was sentenced to seven months in Castlerea prison in March for his role in campaigning against the Corrib gas pipeline and the corrupt deal that has given Shell access to Ireland’s gas fields. He has been consistently targeted by Shell and the Gardai, being falsely arrested on two occasions when Shell has attempted to carry out works in Mayo. This intimidation reached a pinnacle last summer when Pat's boat was boarded and then sank by four masked men. When he continued to stand up for his community, the state stepped in and imprisoned O’Donnell. He had the misfortune of living in the wrong place and not being part of the cosy cartel of businessmen, bankers and politicians who run this country.

Seomra Spraoi are hosting a skill share weekend from this Friday for the environmental campaigning group Gluaiseacht.  One of the talks over the weekend is being given by a WSM member but several are being given by people and campaigns we have worked with in the last year.  The Oil & Gas Resources and Water Tax sessions are particular recommended.

This weeks New Scientist carries an editorial calling for "robust public debate on geoengineering". Geoengineering is the idea that if climate change cannot be avoided through a reduction in carbon emissions its worst effects can be avoided through large-scale engineering of our environment. The failure of the Climate Summit in Copenhagen has seen many scientists look to what is perceived as the only possible alternative.

Up until 2006 all WSM articles published after 1990 were hosted as part of the Struggle collection on another server.  We hope to eventually move all the articles stored there to this site but in the meantime these subject indices take you to the pages still stored on that site.

As this is being written we are currently in one of the coldest snaps of winter weather the country has seen in a long time. Temperatures reaching -15 and below have been recorded and stocks of grit & salt for ensuring safe travel are at an all time low. The government has ordered that schools remain closed for almost a week. This is replicated right across the UK and continental Europe.

The Raybestos Manhattan Corporation moved to Ireland in the mid-70s. A campaign opposing their operations began almost immediatly. It was a long and protracted struggle that eventually ended in victory. This article examines the campaign against the mulitnational and the lessons that can be learned from it today.

This audio interview, conducted by mobile phone on Monday evening, covers the protests at the COP15 summit in Copenhagen.
Ronan who was a member of WSM in Ireland has been living in Denmark for a year and a half and is involved in a new Libertarian Socialist group and the local infoshop in the autonomous Youth House.