How Can the Left Solve the Climate Crisis?

The world's major powers accept the likelihood of dangerous climate change, yet seem incapable of averting it. Benjamin Kunkel and Lola Seaton, editors of the newly published Who Will Build the Ark?: Debates on Climate Strategy from 'New Left Review', discuss how we might respond.
Should we be fighting for a Green New Deal, or do we need to move towards degrowth? How do we move from consciousness-raising to strategizing? And how do we build upon the demand of decarbonisation?
Who Will Build the Ark, edited by Benjamin Kunkel and Lola Seaton is out now: www.versobooks.com/products/2...
Intro 00:00:00
A summary of the book 00:00:16
De-growth vs Green growth 00:03:48
The Inflation Reduction Act 00:11:05
Strategy and ideas on the left 00:14:15
Extinction rebellion/JSO 00:17:03
Decarbonisation as a demand 00:18:32
US competing with China 00:21:37
Ecology beyond Carbon - carboncentrism 00:24:11

[@DavidLindes]

Hmm, interesting discussion. I have a quibble, though, re 6:17: Growth is _inherently and absolutely_ (because it's a mathematical reality) unsustainable. We definitely need to stop with the growth, one way or another. And will, whether we attempt to or not, because it's a natural law that things can't grow forever in a finite environment. So, "maybe no ultimate need... to set aside growth" is delusional. For more, see the lecture on growth from the late Prof. Al Bartlet of Colorado. Required knowledge in there, whether you get it from Al or otherwise.

[@DavidLindes]

P.S. re 8:33 - the thing with this is: yes, degrowth will be painful in some ways. But wouldn't it be less painful to take it on with intention, than to hit the brick wall of catastrophic collapse? And, while I can't say _how_ that will happen, I think it's pretty safe to say that it _will_ happen if we don't take action to avoid it, by engaging in de-growth intentionally. Because of the aforementioned mathematical realities.

[@adamrobson5311]

Those shelves are incredible

[@myoung48281]

We need to grow our way out of climate change otherwise the old technologies will persist. It's the marginal increases on green spending that will fund the tech. changes which are growth dependent.

[@ubiktd4064]

I blame the people of Doggerland

[@naradaian]

This is so last decade, what an embarrassment

[@russellkeates962]

THERE IS NO CLIMATE CRISIS...

[@ItsOgre]

Evidence: trust me bro.

[@johnnyecoman9121]

Wot ever

[@farrider3339]

True, climate not in crisis. Biosphere changing its habits. That's all. We, unable to adapt ? Die out. FiN