2023-09-07 20:00:35
Ecosocialism, it sounds quite friendly, but it is not intended that way. The term might refer to green and fair, a sustainable society in which the pie is divided as equally as possible. However, it is a swear word for anyone who seriously questions economic growth and the devastating effects that the economy can have on the living environment.
The dismissive term is now being used by the Party for the Animals, which has just published its draft election manifesto. In this, the party dares to question the sacred economic growth. That is not a goal in itself, says the PvdD. ‘The economy of growing, growing, growing no longer makes our lives better. It has become an economy of waste. From disposable cups, from telephones that quickly become outdated, from appliances that cannot be repaired, from furniture that will not survive a move, from unnecessary packaging and from large mountains of waste.’
An observation that cannot be criticized much. There are also some problems that the world is facing: climate, loss of nature, inequality, to name a few. “The current economy does not remain within the boundaries of the planet and does not provide social security for many people,” the program says. What to do regarding that? The party proposes a whole series of measures to green the economy, with a high price tag on pollution and stricter environmental regulations as the common thread.
The PvdD’s decisive plans work like a red rag for some
Some of the intentions have already been formulated in concrete terms: immediately revoke the permits for the most polluting parts of Tata Steel and force Chemours to no longer emit pfas into the air or discharge it into water. These types of decisive plans work like a red rag for some. Emeritus professor of economics Lex Hoogduin wrote regarding this on Twitter: ‘degrowth/ecosocialism. Impoverishment and end of the Dutch constitutional state.’ Strong language. What if those companies do not adhere to the permits was a response. “We have the judge for that,” was Hoogduin’s response.
That’s a pretty simplistic view. In any case, the professor overlooks two important phenomena: power and openness of information. Earlier this year, the Dutch Safety Board revealed that the health of citizens is insufficiently protected once morest pollution by industrial companies such as Tata and Chemours. The system is not working. The government knows too little, does not have enough people to tackle violations, does not feel the urgency and is too accommodating to companies in their weak approach. These companies, in turn, are not very transparent and shirk their responsibility, the council concludes. Chemours has known for decades that it pollutes the environment and its own employees with carcinogenic PFAs, the TV program revealed Zembla recently. Corporate power plus withholding information makes a toxic cocktail.
Going to court is a last desperate step
Yes, the judge. That’s where local residents are now going, as a last desperate step. A criminal case is being prepared once morest both Tata and Chemours to hold directors of those companies responsible. But it is difficult to maintain that this is just the way the economy works: repair followingwards, if that is even possible.
That economy is not a natural phenomenon, but a means to provide prosperity. Broad prosperity, if all goes well, that goes beyond the euros in the wallet. It also focuses on health, equal opportunities, a livable environment, the future. Whether economic growth is by definition necessary for this, and what type of growth, is the subject of an interesting debate. Simply shouting ‘ecosocialism’ does not fall under that.
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