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. ... read full story

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. ... read full story

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. ... read full story

In recent years climate change has loomed large in the public imagination. Scientifically, there is little doubt that it is a real threat to the future of human civilisation. The greenhouse effect has been known about since the early 19th century - gases in the atmosphere such as carbon dioxide, methane and water vapour trap heat from the sun, causing the climate of the planet to heat up over time. Probably the most spectacular known example of this effect in action is on Venus. ... read full story

毫無疑問，在日本與其他世界所有的地方一樣存在兩個充滿矛盾的境界相衝突著。一邊是八國集團， 地球上最強大的政府們。加拿大，法國，德國，日本，英國，意大利，俄羅斯和美國。另一邊是其他成千上萬的普通百姓，這些普通百姓們很大部分是這些國家的公民。 ... read full story

The last century has been marked by the most explosive growth of pollution and production in the entire history of the humanity. The changes brought about by industrialisation under the economic system of capitalism have lead to a large number of systemic problems. Anarchist communism is in a unique position to solve these systemic problems. ... read full story

El problema principal con cualquier debate sobre el "Movimiento Verde" es que no existe como un solo cuerpo de ideas. En lugar de eso tanto individuos como organizaciones sostienen un rango de posiciones desde el anarquismo a través del espectro político hasta las ideas influenciadas por el fascismo. Cualquier término, ambientalismo, ecologismo, etc son definiciones muy vagas de unos amplios cuerpos de ideas y prácticas, probablemente incluso más amplios y más vagos que el socialismo. Por eso no deberíamos crear una falsa elección entre anarquismo y ecologismo sino más bien deberíamos preguntarnos qué tipo de teoría y acción ambiental deberíamos favorecer los anarquistas por un lado y por el otro explicar por qué cualquier ecologista también debería ser un anarquista de lucha de clases. ... read full story

The major problem with any discussion of the 'Green Movement' is that it does not exist as a single body of ideas. Instead both individuals and organisations hold a range of positions from anarchism right across the political spectrum to ideas influenced by fascism. Any of the terms, environmentalist, ecologist etc are very vague definitions of a wide bodies of idea and practise, probably even wider and vaguer then socialism. Therefore we should not create a false choice between anarchism and environmentalism but rather ask what sort of environmental theory and action should anarchists favour on the one hand and on the other explain why any environmentalist should also be a class struggle anarchist ... read full story

Britain, France, Germany, the US, and a host of other countries the last 25 years have seen very large movements seeking to close down nuclear power stations. Ireland hasn't. We didn't need to. A big victory was won here when we stopped the then Fianna Fail government going ahead with their plans to build not one, but four, nuclear power stations at Carnsore Point in Co. Wexford in the late 1970s. ... read full story

Carbon trading and offsets distract attention from the wider, systemic changes and collective political action that needs to be taken in the transition to a low-carbon economy. Promoting more effective and empowering approaches to climate change involves moving away from the blinkered reductionism of free-market dogma, the false-economy of supposed quick fixes, the short-term self interest of big business.

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Shell to sea benefit with an enormous selection of musical styles - flyer and more info plus more bands to follow ... read full story

In response to growing discussion of ‘zero growth’ ideas among some environmentalists, Alan MacSimoin asks Is non-extraction the answer?

In recent years, with climate change dominating headlines regularly, it has become popular among some environmentalists to propose non-extraction of fossil fuels as a viable way to reduce the effects climate change. But if this idea was taken up what would be the result? Less oil & gas being processed means what is available will rise in price. That’s the logic of capitalism. And having to pay even more for home heating and cooking is not going to change the habits of the wealthy but would have a big impact on most of our pockets. Making things even more expensive than they are at present will not exactly endear environmentalists to most people.
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In het laatste nummer van Workers Solidarity ( http://wsm.ie/story/2829) keken we naar hoe de oorzaken van klimaatverandering diep ingebed zijn in de economische en sociale structuren die door de weinige rijken worden gecontroleerd. De toenemende niveaus van kooldioxide en andere opwarmende gassen die in onze atmosfeer worden gepompt worden in de eerste plaats veroorzaakt door het kapitalistische model van 'economische groei' en diens begeleidende vormen van ellende voor miljoenen op de planeet. ... read full story

In the last issue of Workers Solidarity (http://wsm.ie/story/2829) we looked at how the causes of climate changes are deeply embedded in the economic and social structures controlled by the rich few. The increasing levels of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases being pumped into our atmosphere are primarily caused by the capitalist model of 'economic growth' and its accompanying miseries for millions around the planet. ... read full story

A quick report from Climate change march which took place today, Saturday the 8th December. ... read full story

So, for the first time in the history of the Irish state the Green Party are in government. Does this mean we will see any real, radical change? Can the Greens stay true to their Manifesto promises? ... read full story

Peak Oil Theory has been around since the 1970s. Some think we have already reached 'peak oil', others think it will happen with the next twenty-five years. The theory argues that when we reach 'peak oil' the rate at which we extract oil from the earth (measured in millions of barrels per day) will reach a maximum and thereafter will start to drop. As the rate at which we use oil is currently close to the rate at which we extract it, the point of peak oil will coincide or be closely followed by the world consuming more oil than it is producing. As oil reserves are very limited, within months there simply will not be enough oil available. ... read full story

A story about how a Government who could see the winning line suddenly got side tracked by the issue of poisoning the very people they were hoping would elect them again. Galway city has grown by over a quarter since 1996. Its major source of water is the big lake, Lough Corrib North of the city. This is the same water source which deals with sewage from two plants, and has its water treated by a plant which was built in the 1940’s. The planners and the gombeens at the Ministry for the Environment do not appear to be aware of the dangers of that old saying ‘don’t shit where you eat’. ... read full story

Anarchism & Environmental Survival ... read full story

Anarchism and Ecology by Graham Purchase, Black Rose Books, Euro 20.00/£13.99 (available from WSM Books, P.O. Box 1528, Dublin 8) ... read full story