Given:
• That it is well established that global warming is in its majority the result of emission of greenhouse gases, derived mainly from burning of fossil fuels as well as land management (deforestation, intensive agriculture, poor soil management, etc.).
• That according to the IPCC, a reduction of at least 60% in greenhouse gas emissions is necessary between now and 2050 in order to prevent major climatic dislocation with incalculable consequences;
• That the most recent available data on atmospheric concentrations of CO2 and CO2 equivalents show that we have already entered the lower part of the dangerous fork (450-550 ppmv of CO2 equivalents), with accelerating rises of atmospheric concentrations of the gases involved;
• That climate change is already making its effects felt, especially on workers and the disinherited masses, in particular in the dominated countries;
• That in the 50-100 years to come these changes threaten to subject hundreds of millions of human beings to the perils flowing the rising sea levels, the spread of certain diseases, falling agricultural productivity in many regions, declining biodiversity and shortage of water resources (leading to up to three billion victims in 2100 without voluntarist climate policies);
• That faced with these challenges, the capitalist management of climatic disasters and threats (in particular, Katrina in New Orleans, and the threat of rising ocean levels to Pacific islands and other regions) gives cause to fear that imperialism will resort to Malthusian and militarist policies characterized by barbarism on a unprecedented scale;
• That the Kyoto Protocol objectives are totally insufficient for dealing with the danger, and that its objectives have been reduced still further by its rejection by the US? as well as the mechanisms of flexibility, which risk having more and more negative by-products, both on peoples’ right to development (the ‘low hanging fruit’ effect) and on biodiversity (carbon sinks);
• That the economic competition and strategic rivalry among imperialist blocs risks leading to an even worse compromise than the Kyoto Protocol in terms of the fight to save the climate (‘voluntary commitments’, no commitments, no deadlines), peoples’ right to development, or ecology in general (nuclear energy);
? Due to the US and Australian refusal to ratify it, Kyoto, even if carried out in full by its signatories, would bring a 1,7% emission reduction for the developed countries as a whole (EEA report, N°8/2005, page 9);
• That the technical potential of renewable energies (direct or indirect solar and geothermal) is the equivalent of 6 or 7 times the current world energy consumption and makes it perfectly possible to avoid major climatic disasters while satisfying human needs and preserving the environment;
• That we reject nuclear power as an alternative. It is expensive and highly dangerous - and it is not carbon neutral;
• That climate stabilization (a 2º maximum increase in Tº compared to the pre-industrial era) requires a vast energy revolution combining, in particular, 1) a transition to renewable energy independently of surplus costs, 2) massive reduction of primary energy demand in developed countries, and 3) massive transfers of ‘climate friendly’ technology to developing countries;
• That this issue as a whole confronts the workers movement in general and revolutionary Marxists in particular with a series of new tasks and major programmatic and strategic challenges;
THE IC DECIDES
To take part in unitary mobilizations to save the climate, particularly those that are developing following the appeal from the London Social Forum. In particular we mobilise for the world-wide demonstration on climate change called for from the Caracas WSF which will take place in November 2006.
To this end we participate in the organising committee for this demonstration in Frankfurt on March 4 2006 at the ESF organising meeting.
• To devote more attention to the climate issue and the politics of climate, notably in the press of the sections and the international;
• To devote the ‘ecology seminar’ decided on by the WC to analysing climate change and its implications, in order to elaborate a programmatic orientation and political line on these matters. To this end, the IC calls for the formation of an international network of comrades with knowledge of the various scientific disciplines involved, so as to produce one or more working documents on the theme ‘Energy Revolution and Social Transformation’; and To put the question on the agenda of its meeting in one year’s time.
