Workers and people all across the world are concerned about the fact that people are being made victims of the environmental crisis caused due to capitalist greed. The capitalist system shows amply clearly how unplanned development causes irreparable damage to the environment and puts individuals, societies and the entire world at the brink of environmental disaster. The question that needs to be asked is – can those who have caused enormous damage to the environment in their insatiable greed for profits, provide solution to the problem?

The UN summit is being organized on the issue of Climate Change from December 7 in Copenhagen, Denmark.  Representatives of various capitalist countries including US, China, India, and others, are going to Copenhagen with an aim to defend the economic interests of their respective country’s bourgeoisie. It is not difficult to predict what will come out of this meeting, where representatives of various countries discuss the issues on the basis of their respective vested interests! Before we see the conclusions of the Copenhagen summit let us first look at the fundamental questions.

The human civilization has entered the 21st century and humanity has made enormous progress over so many years. Scientific and technological advancements have enabled unprecedented control of human beings over the natural environment. Human endeavors are not limited to land alone and have extended from the depth of oceans, and into the space. Our relationship and interaction with nature is so intensive and comprehensive that  any disturbance to nature affects the entire human race.

In his letter to Frederick Engels on 25 March 1868, Karl Marx wrote “when it (civilization) proceeds in natural growth (spontaneously) and is not consciously controlled — (it) leaves deserts behind it”.

The present environment crisis has its origin in the inherent economic, social, and political instability/ contradictions of the capitalist system. Capitalism means exploitation – of human beings, science and of the environment. The only thing that is sacrosanct is profit. To survive and to make profits is the prime concern of any capitalist enterprise, be it small private firm or a large industrial house. This predominant concern can be seen violating all norms, rules and laws made in consideration of the environmental needs of the society.

Under the capitalist system production of material goods is done for profits. This is an all pervasive process in which the development of productive forces has no relationship with the needs of individual or the society, or with the needs and limitation of the natural environment. In a system where private profit is the overriding concern, those who are making tall claims of protecting the environment through laws are trying to fool us.

In India today, the destruction of the environment is going on at an increasing pace. Not just Indian bourgeoisie but large foreign capitalist corporations are destroying our hills, forests, rivers and our precious natural resources. They are devastating people living in these areas. This is happening not only in India, but in the entire world.

For example large ships with toxic waste are sent to Porbundar in Gujarat to be dismantled, which causes enormous damage to environment, both seas as well as humans. Large oil refineries are being set up in India and other developing countries and lakhs of tones of toxic waste that is generated in the process of refinement endangers the natural environment. All this is done for ensuring maximum profits to the capitalists – both Indian as well as foreign.

Our government provides all kinds of subsidies and concessions to these large monopoly corporations to maximize their profits at the cost of our people and natural environment and tries to gloss over the disastrous consequences of their actions. The infamous Bhopal gas tragedy is still live in our memories. Even after 25 years of continuous mass protests, government (both of Congress and BJP) has not been able to provide justice to the victims, nor those guilty of this monstrous crime have been punished, nor have the toxic waste that is polluting the environment and ground water sources been cleaned. Can we believe in this these leaders who make grand speeches at international conferences, to save the environment?

The great rivers of India including Ganga, Yamuna, and other large rivers, which have been lifelines of civilizations for centuries have been thoroughly polluted. The reason behind this pollution is not the common people, but the large industries which discharge hazardous and toxic waste in large quantities into these rivers. This waste can be treated using modern scientific techniques and processes and converted into non-hazardous waste. But the capitalists don’t want to invest in these technologies to detoxify the waste. This fact is never brought to light. Various bourgeoisie governments make tall claims about environment protection but they themselves work in the interest of these big corporations, and hence are not in a position to bring the guilty to the book. On the other hand the government holds common people responsible for environment degradation and extracts huge taxes from them.

If we want to save the world from environmental disaster we will have to replace the existing capitalist system, which is based on maximization of profits, and establish socialism, that is the rule of workers and peasants. Only socialism can best deal with the issues of environment and human society in a harmonious way. This system can utilise the natural resources in a conscious manner. This system will put security of environment as the primary condition and motive force with the overall aim of continuous socio-political progress and advancement in the living standards of human beings.

Only a socialist state, the rule of workers and peasants, can ensure that we interact with the environment in present in such a way that it is kept secure for the future generations. The rule of workers and peasants will ensure that the industry, transport, energy, engineering, agriculture are developed taking into account the needs of security of environment arising out of the objective laws of nature.

In conclusion the workers and peasants of India should not be fooled by the rivalry and dog-fight between the leaders of developed and developing countries at the Copenhagen Climate Change summit. The present Indian state is responsible for not securing the environment and making it congenial for the present and future generations. The workers and peasants have to reject the state and the system that is based on securing profits and not the well being of the people, and intensify their struggle against it.