Adam Gillman, South East London Socialist Party
Deputy leader of Reform UK Richard Tice has warned investors: “We put people on notice. Invest in nuclear energy. Invest in gas. Invest in oil. Don’t invest in renewables.” It’s quite ironic that at the same time as Tice called net zero “net stupid zero”, he himself has a business that has boasted about cutting emissions using solar panels. This shows the huge hypocrisy that these right-wing populists tend to lean on.
This comes at a time when climate change threatens the lives of millions of people. Our planet is getting hotter: we’ve just had the hottest day in May on record in the UK. Tice’s comments show that this boiling capitalist system will not be able to invest in the necessary action to halt and reverse climate change before it’s too late.
Is this really surprising when this polluting capitalist system is responsible for the destruction of the environment? Whether it’s the water companies literally putting raw sewage into our rivers and seas or oil companies taking advantage of wars to increase their profits. The big bosses will put their own profits and interests above the need to protect the environment.
But is our future really doomed? No it is not! A socialist society, where we nationalise the energy, water, transport and the banks and the companies that dominate the economy under democratic workers’ control and management, would enable us to move to socially useful production to protect our livelihoods and the environment. Not just in Britain but internationally, a plan of production would put our needs first, not the profits of a few.
