Summary on the Climate Change Committee and policy paper proposal
Presented to the NEC on 9-8-10
Subject: Climate Change information and policy paper for CCDS.
A. Climate Change Documents:
1. 3 Fold Leaflet: “Prevent Catastrophic Climate Change” (2 sides)
The Climate Change Committee (CCC) has been working on preparing climate change papers and positions for CCDS. So far, a 3 Fold leaflet has been produced and approved for CCDS use. It presents a brief consensus of the general science and major issues of climate change and ends with a preliminary listing of strategic approaches and a few suggested tactics. This 3 fold leaflet is aimed at a general audience, and does not attempt to detail these issues nor fulfill the whole needs of all potential audiences.
2. Longer Paper: “Climate Change: An Unprecedented Challenge and Opportunity” (10 Pages)
The CCC recognized the need for CCDS to develop a focused climate change strategy and useful supporting documents to educate about and promote this strategy. So far the CCC has drafted and circulated a longer document primarily written by David Schwartzman, with some edits by other CCC members. The current version of this document was printed by the Metro DC chapter and distributed at the US Social Forum among other places.
We urge the NEC members to read this document prior to the discussion on Wednesday.
Other supporting documents:
3. “CCDS positions on Climate Change” (Prepared 4/12/2010 by WT)
This paper reviews past positions on climate change adopted by CCDS and more recent draft papers.
4. “Examples of [3] 10 point Climate Action Plans put out after Cochabamba – Compared to CCDS Positions.”
This chart is a preliminary comparison of the growing examples of “10 Point” programs on dealing with climate change put forward by socialist and mass based movements.
B. The challenge for CCDS.
Can we agree on our understanding and approach to climate change sufficiently to produce a resource and policy paper on climate change that can represent the understanding and positions of our organization. Since we managed to find sufficient consensus to agree upon the 3 fold leaflet, this longer paper could be built on the initial positions in the 3 fold leaflet. This policy paper would then be our initial position on the science of climate change and on what we advocate should be the political policies and strategic responses to the threats of climate change. This background, policy and strategy paper would be written for our organization’s use, particularly with other socialist and progressive organizations.
Based on this overall climate change position paper, we could then produce items for particular audiences.
C. Remaining agreements, disagreements and differences on Climate Change policy and politics.
[This is based on the experience of the CCC.]
1. In the past, CCDS agreed to and published a number of climate change positions. (See document “CCDS positions on Climate Change” for a summary of these points and positions.)
2. Most of us agree that CCDS needs a comprehensive and presentable set of positions and strategic responses to climate change.
3. We have agreed to discuss and consider various articles on climate change. (See Bloice, Schweickart, etc. on CC-DS.org and Redandgreen.org)
4. We reached a sufficient consensus to produce and approve the 3 fold paper.
5. The CCC helped initiate and produce a longer paper on climate change, but we are not yet in agreement about content, presentation and strategies presented, which is why this paper needs discussion at the NEC.
6. The science and political implications: While the majority of our organization members now accept the basic science of climate change, we still have some disagreement on what political inferences and strategy we should draw from the predictions of the scientists.
a. Some accept the deadline of 8 or so years to prevent catastrophic and irreversible climate changes and argue we must do all possible to meet it.
b. Others believe this is too short a deadline and that some solution(s) will be found.
c. Some accept the scientific warning of such tipping points, but argue it is already too late and instead of prevention, we should focus on preparing to survive the changes to come.
7. Political Focus and Strategy: The combination of different interpretations of the science and different perspectives on political organizing leads to differences on how we shoud approach climate change.
a. Some believe the devastation and irreversibility of predicted climate changes requires us morally and practically to do all possible to prevent these changes. This position supports prevention as a necessary priority and stresses deadlines, tipping points and a rapid development of a worldwide approach.
b. Some support Green jobs and alliances as the priority and deemphasize or don’t call for prevention as a priority. In some cases, it is argued that to raise the specter of Catastrophic Climate Change (C3) or prevention as a priority, will work to scare off individuals or alliances with those not seeing C3 as the priority. By not raising prevention of C3, there is less emphasis on demanding leadership to act within the time science allows.
c. Some believe sufficient reorganization of carbon pollution and resources will not be possible without significantly reducing the role and agendas of the US military, industrial, and carbon based corporate powers. These people believe that to be successful, organizing against climate change must include developing a mass demand to remove the MIC from its current decisive role.
d. Others believe it is unrealistic to expect to significantly diminish the role of the MIC in time to make a difference in climate change. Therefore they do not advocate making the MIC a determining factor. Instead, they tend to focus on a class based strategy.
f. Some focus on what alliances we can establish with pro-green forces here.
g. Others see the need to support and join the growing international movement against climate change. This includes active support of Cochabamba and the 10 point programs.
One area of disagreement this raises is what to do about the demands of the poorer nations and peoples to a rearrangement of resources to both meet current survival needs and to enable a worldwide movement to work against climate change.
e. Some believe the political changes needed to bring about sufficient reorganizations of energy production and use can only occur when there is a de facto socialization of ecological policies. They describe this as either the process or goal of eco-socialism.
8. These differences lead to different choices of emphasis and strategies. Here are some examples.
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C3 Perspectives |
vs |
Green Perspectives |
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Stress on Prevention of C3 |
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Stress on Green Alliances |
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Stress on worldwide organizing |
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Stress on US needs and less emphasis on international efforts. |
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Supporting adoption or creation of a 10 point plan. |
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Approaching climate change as part of an overall political process. |
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Supports use and adoption of eco-socialist terms and goals. |
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Less overt linking of socialism to the process of addressing climate change. |
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Walter Teague 9/8/2010.
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