Michael Löwy, Ecosocialism: A Radical Alternative to Capitalist Catastrophe
Paperback, 144 pages
Haymarket Books, 2015
ISBN: 1608464717
Löwy lays out the ecosocialist alternative to capitalism. Ecosocialism asserts that “only a collective and democratic reorganization of the productive system could . . . satisfy real social needs, reduce labor time, suppress useless and/or dangerous production, and replace fossil fuels with renewable energy sources.” All of society’s productive forces must be subject to “a democratic, ecosocialist plan.”
Löwy traces the development of ecosocialist ideas, particularly since the 1970s. This overview provides a useful introduction to the development of Marxist thinking on the environment, especially for those new to the subject. Löwy stresses that while reforms are necessary, they are not a solution to capitalism’s ecological crisis. Ecosocialists must convince their fellow activists to connect the struggle for immediate change to a more substantive socio-ecological transformation.
See full review by Hannah Holleman at Climate & Capitalism.
Löwy, “Ecosocialism: Putting on the Brakes Before Going Over the Cliff,” New Politics, Winter 2014