NEW YORK CITY, September 21 — An estimated 310,000 came from all over the country to march in New York’s People’s Climate March. A contingent of PLP marched among them, distributing hundreds of CHALLENGEs and talking to marchers about the causes of climate change.
This massive march showed important developments in the environmentalist movement — it was more integrated and there were many people carrying signs attacking capitalism for climate change. These marchers want to see laws or reforms go into effect to protect the environment. Many were open to us as we explained that capitalism cannot be “cleaned up.” It is the nature of a profit-driven system notorious for short-sighted decisions to grab onto and maintain its major source of profit — fossil fuels like oil and natural gas.
One day after the march, heirs to the Rockefeller fortune announced they will divest $50 billion in holdings in fossil fuels. This is nothing more than a crucial ploy to co-opt support from the working class. This sum of money is a drop in an ocean of profits this ruling class family squeezes from the working class. It is also a distraction because these are the same heirs that control ExxonMobil and drive U.S. imperialism.
The integration at this march is key, as racism is the ruling class’ strongest weapon against the working class. To work to end climate change, capitalism must be smashed. Smashing racism is key to that fight.
This march was held days before the UN Climate Summit, but considering the competition that is inherent in capitalism, climate change conferences will always disappoint the world’s working class. Capitalism is by its nature a dangerous system — dangerous to workers and dangerous to the environment. Only when workers everywhere take state power under the banner of communism will we eventually be able to stop global warming. Only with workers running the world can we make the decisions that best protect us. That means a PLP-led revolution for communism.