A summary of the state of art of CNT-AIT France collective reflexion about the
topic. ---- A call for a working group has been launched in the AIT(International Workers' Association) on the issue of the anarchosyndicalistapproach to the problem of climate change. I offer you here the state of mypersonal reflection, but which has been nourished by the exchanges, debates andexperiences of struggle that we have with the companions of the CNT-AIT inFrance. ---- For more than 30 years, we have been involved - like many sectionsof AIT - in ecological struggles related to the present and future climatecrisis. Our involvement in these struggles has always been based on a dualapproach: tackling the environmental problem in its global context (capitalism,State) but also tackling another, more horizontal organizational practice,through popular assemblies...We have taken part in many movements (anti-nuclear, against petrochemical plants,etc.) at different «ZADs» (Zones to defend, occupation of natural spaces againstconstruction sites: Vingrau, Somport, Sivens, etc.), the most recent was astruggle against a local dam. This struggle is quite similar to our understandingof the struggle that the companions of the ASI of Serbia are supporting againstmicro hydroelectric power plants. To answer the question about anarchosyndicalistaction to the climate crisis.To answer the question about anarchosyndicalist action to the climate crisis, itseems to me first necessary to develop a better understanding of what the climatecrisis is, where does it come from, what are the causes and the consequences. Soone of the activity we have been involved has been to introduce a debate betweenour members and friends about the crisis and its meaning.In those exchanges, we have talked about modern technologies and science. In thepublic opinion, there is a common opinion that - in order to solve the crisis -ones must relay totally on scientists and modern technology - which could lead tothe dictatorship of the experts and technicians. Some others - labelled as"anti-industrialists" - on the contrary think that we have to burn down anycivilizationAt this stage of our collective reflexion, we are in between those two poles: fora limited and restrained use of technologies. Territorial assemblies shoulddecide what their needs are, and how to produce, so it means which technology isacceptable for use or is not acceptable.This technology question has also an impact on work and work organization(automatization, artificial intelligence, uberisation) so as anarchosydicalistswe should exchange on that, and we are looking to have the opinion of otherssections on this topic.Second about how to react in real world, there are two levelOn a global level, wesee no other issue but to make the revolution, destroy capitalism and insteaddevelop a self-organised network of federations. But this is a long termobjectives certainly....Some protests and marches have been organized in France to warn about the climatecrisis and ask the government to take action, based on scientific reports. Thosemarches were often organized by such groups as «extinction rebellion», to nameit. We are quite suspicious toward this group, and quite suspicious toward itsmethodology and wordings. They don't complain about capitalism (rather theycriticize neo liberalism). They ask the government to act (while we want todestroy the government). To our opinion, their call for science based solution isoften a call for «green capitalism».For instance one of our member is working for a company, which a subsidiary isdeveloping «vegan meat». This corporate supports discreetly the vegan movement,as it is helping them to create and extend the market for their future product.Also all the current scientific discourse about «precision agriculture to tacklethe climate crisis» is in fact officially supported by all the big agrifoodcorporates ... So to call to act on science base decision, and not on collectiveassemblies decision, is to seize the power from the people and to put it in thehands of experts and big corporates ... This doesn't' mean we should not listento science or scientist. But science is not neutral, it is always at the serviceof a determined politic. So politic - ideology if you prefer - always comesfirst. Science should give some rationale to the local assemblies, which shouldhave the capacity of decision, and not the government or the State.For the moment we haven't decided to join those marches, because we are occupiedby other issues with the Yellow vest movement. But what is interesting is thatthe Yellow Vest movement itself made the junction with the climate crisis question:The yellow vest movement has been triggered by the question of the tax on fuel.People who have difficult to survive until theend of the month with their lowsalary wanted the fuel price to decrease.The government, the conservatives politicians BUT ALSO THE ENVIRONNEMENTALISTS(Green party) attacked the Yellow Vests movements, saying they were egoists, notthinking about the environment, that Yellow vest only wanted a right to pollutemore by using their cars etc ... The reaction of the yellow vests is veryinteresting: this question has been debated in many of the local assemblies (atthe occupied round-about). Then emerged globally the reply that if Yellow vestsdrive their car to go to job, to school, to supermarket, it is not because theydecided it, but because the organization of the society forced them to do so.They would prefer to live in rich bourgeois districts, going to their job by bikeor stay at home to work with their computer, buy and eat organic products ... Butthey have no choice because of the work division and the class system. So theYellow vests said the two problems (how to survive till the end of the month, howto survive till the end of the World) are linked. Social problem and ecologicalproblems are linked. So we need to change our society as a whole.It is interesting to see that - according to our contacts there - it has been thesame in Ecuador during the recent uprising: the movement was also triggered by anissue of fuel price. The (urbans) ecologists also blamed the rioters for askingthe right to destroy more Mother Nature... And the local assemblies - both urbansand Indians - replied that on the contrary they just want to have the possibilityto live with dignity, in a preserved environment, and that it is the organizationof economy that is destroying both their life and the natural environment.During Yellow vests (like in Ecuador) some solidarity network emerged, to providefood, to share goods and services. Very often the people took into considerationthe climate issue (sharing transports to decrease the pollution for instance). Ofcourse it has been on a small scale and limited time, but it shows that peoplehave the full ability to understand the problem and to take action, they don'tneed an expert to tell them what to do or not.We think this example shows us that the anarchosyndicalist methodology of popularassemblies, horizontal organization, is quite valid to address the issue ofawareness and the issue of taking real action.Another problem we see with groups like extinction rebellion, but also with somefake insurrectionnalists (like the group «Appel» - «the coming insurrection»)that are very present in those marches or ZAD, is the confusion they are makingabout the term «direct action». They confuse the real direct action (which isaction without representative) with «spectacular action». Because both of them infact want to lead the movement. They are just two faces of the same piece. And wehad to confront them in the past in some struggles.b) On the local level, we have been involved - as many sections - into ecologicaldisputes that are linked to the coming climate crisis. Our involvement into thosestruggles was always according a two way approach: to address the environmentalproblem but also to address another organizational practice, more horizontal,through assemblies etc ... We have participated to different «ZAD» (Zones àDefendre, Area to Be Defended, occupation of natural space against constructionsites, Vingrau, Somport, Sivens to name a few) experiences, the most recent was astruggle against a local dam. This struggle is quite similar to our understandingof the struggle that ASI Serbia is supporting against the micro-hydroelectric plants.CONCLUSION:We think that AIT-IWA could play a role in being a network for exchange ofinformation, analysis and theoretical opinions, but also about the localstruggles we are participating. Sections should be encouraged if possible totranslate more their documents and share it with the other sections directly(this is true not only about this issue in fact ...) We don't think we need official communicate from AIT-IWA about one particularstruggle or another. We rather think we need more exchanges between the sections,more inspiration (as for instance recent participation of Priama Akcia to theclimate strike and the text you wrote has been inspiring for us). Those exchangescan create emulation and coordination between the sections.A compañero of CNT-AIT FranceArticle published in the CNT-AIT (France) magazine, Anarchosyndicalisme, issue#176, March-April 2022Original in French / original en français: Anarchosyndicalisme et changementclimatiqueAuf Deutsch / en allemand: Anarchosyndikalismus und Klimawandel (EinDiskussionsbeitrag) http://cnt-ait.info/2022/08/22/klimawandel/In Spanish / En Español: Anarcosindicalismo y cambio climático (Una contribuciónal debate) http://cnt-ait.info/2022/08/22/cambio-climatico/http://cnt-ait.info/2022/08/22/climate-change/_________________________________________A - I N F O S N E W S S E R V I C EBy, For, and About AnarchistsSend news reports to A-infos-en mailing listA-infos-en@ainfos.ca
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