The Socialist 25 January 2017

Organise to beat Trumpism, austerity and capitalism

Millions on women's marches around the world: Build a mass movement against Trumpism, austerity and capitalism

NHS SOS: Save the Women's Hospital

Defiant mood at North Tyneside STP consultation

Lancashire: Hospital workers protest consultation

St Austell: STPs attacked

Paignton: organising against hospital closure

Reject Surrey's 15% council tax increase

Bristol police taser own race relations adviser

2016 hottest year on record, air poisonous

Wales council votes to buy back homes

Trident trouble

Isle of Wight independents resign over cuts

Come to the TUSC national conference 2017!

Huge anger internationally on marches against Trump

India: struggle against land grab in Pune

International news in brief

RMT determinedly continues Southern strike

Incensed BA cabin crew strike and protest over pay

Steely opposition growing to Tata pension offer

2017 Unite general secretary and executive elections

Don't we need competition to spur on progress?

Huge anger against Trump across Britain

Surrey: Save our fire station

South London: march to save community centres

Obituary: Bernard Roome 1947-2017

Ed Balls: 'Speaking Out' for capitalism

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2016 hottest year on record, air poisonous

Only socialist planning can end profit-driven pollution

Energy companies emit vast amounts of greenhouse gasses (Click to enlarge)

Aaron Smith, Bristol South Socialist Party

There is strong evidence that 2016 was the hottest year on record from US space agency Nasa. Meanwhile, in 2017, part of London breached EU limits on annual hours of toxic air in just five days.

The Earth is now, on average, 1.1°C warmer than when records began in 1880. Such warming is apparent in the ever decreasing Arctic sea ice, which could be ice-free in summer in as little as five years.

This dramatic change is largely due to the vast amounts of greenhouse gases generated by human activities such as manufacturing, agriculture and energy production. Under capitalism, only profit matters.

The super-rich and their politicians - while pretending to care about the environment, and holding annual climate conferences - continue business as usual.

Recent years have seen the Volkswagen emission cover-up scandal, the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, and the nuclear disaster at Fukushima.

At the time of writing, London's mayor has issued a "very high" air pollution alert, advising even the physically fit to take precautions!

Despite how serious the problem is, big business has little interest in an effective response to climate change and pollution, as it's just not profitable.

A socialist government would nationalise the big polluters, as well as transport and energy, and the top corporations, under democratic workers' control and management. Then we could invest in green technologies and infrastructure to finally deal with humanity's greatest challenge yet.

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Millions on women's marches around the world: Build a mass movement against Trumpism, austerity and capitalism