How ’15-Minute Cities’ Are Fuelling the Far-Right
The increasingly popular planning concept aiming to bring basic necessities closer to communities has become mired in controversy over local democracy – and has ignited a far-right backlash.
29 Articles by:
Chris Saltmarsh
Chris Saltmarsh is co-founder of Labour for a Green New Deal. His first book is Burnt: Fighting for Climate Justice (Pluto Press, September 2021).
Without Taking On Capitalism, COP Can’t Save Us
To confront ecological catastrophe, next week’s COP would have to confront the profit-at-all-costs world system that locks us into disaster. Anything less is circus.
Labour’s Late Start
This year’s conference has shown Labour at last willing to intervene in a failing private energy system, but still not ready to do what the scale of this crisis really demands: getting rid of that system altogether.
Water Privatisation Has Been an Irredeemable Failure
Beaches are filled with sewage and leaks waste billions of litres of water a day while water company executives take home six-figure bonuses. It’s time to look after our water properly – by taking profit out of the equation.
In a Climate Crisis, Privatised Water Is a Disaster
As climate change intensifies, droughts like the present one hitting Britain are only going to become more common – and we can’t afford profiteering water companies leaking 2.4 billion litres of water every day.
Whichever Tory Wins, the Planet Burns
Britain just marked its hottest day on record, but the candidates to be our next prime minister are dodging the topic of climate change almost altogether – and the media is happy to let them get away with it.
Public Transport Should Be Free
Spain is making short and medium train journeys free from September to the end of the year. To fight the cost of living and climate crises, we should do the same in Britain – but roll it out to all public transport, and make it permanent.
South Asia’s Heatwave Is Only the Beginning
The record heatwave hitting India and Pakistan has dehydrated birds falling from the sky. If there was ever a sign that we need urgent action to reverse the catastrophic course of climate change, it’s that.
How Real Is the Threat of Eco-Fascism?
As sections of the global far-right rebrand as environmentally conscious, commentators have argued that climate disaster might produce a wave of eco-fascism – but so far, fascism remains pretty brown.
Only Anti-Capitalism Can Save the Planet
The latest IPCC report lays out the devastating impacts of climate change that lie just around the corner. They can’t be stopped by half measures – the only way to avert disaster is to change the system.
Capitalism’s Latest Bright Idea: Privatise the Moon
Last week, free-marketeers in the Adam Smith Institute suggested that we privatise the moon. It’s a sign of just far capitalism intends to go in pursuit of profits for the super-rich.
Bezos vs. the Bridge
Jeff Bezos’ new superyacht is so big that it may require a historic Rotterdam bridge to be dismantled to allow it to reach the sea – a perfect illustration of capitalism’s idiotic excesses.
2.4 Degrees Is a Disaster – But COP Won’t Stop It
World leaders know the consequences of 2.4 degrees global warming – but as COP26 draws to a close, it’s clearer than ever they won’t take the radical action needed to avoid disaster.
Greenwashing Capitalism
As the climate crisis deepens, corporate interests are adopting the language of environmentalism – but their ultimate aim is to defend the system that is destroying the planet.
COP26 Can Learn From West Papua’s Green Resistance
West Papuans are combining their struggle against Indonesian occupation with the fight against ecological destruction – and pointing the way towards a radical green future.
A Green New Deal Is the Only Solution to the Energy Crisis
The energy crisis is a predictable consequence of leaving the response to climate change to the market – if we want a solution that benefits the public, we need state planning and a Green New Deal.
Billionaires Won’t Save the World
Jeff Bezos is the latest billionaire to pledge a cash sum to ‘protect the environment’ – but capitalism’s climate breakdown can’t be solved by throwing money at the status quo.
Humanity Isn’t Burning the Planet – Capitalism Is
Not all humans are equally culpable in the ‘human-induced’ climate chaos outlined in Monday’s IPCC report – and acknowledging that is key to stopping further destruction.
The Floods Will Get Worse – Unless the System Changes
The extreme flooding seen across the world, including in London, in recent weeks is the collision of two disasters created by the ruling class – climate change and infrastructural collapse.
The Fallout from Climate Change Isn’t Coming – It’s Already Here
As one historic heatwave tears through the Pacific Northwest, another is causing temperatures ‘too hot for humanity’ in Pakistan – the consequences of climate change are no longer a threat, they’re already here.