The Environment and Animal Rights 1. We place humanity above all other life on the earth although we recognize that the continued survival of humanity is based on the continued survival of the variety of species that make up the biosphere. 2. We believe humanity has the right to make use of the worlds material resources as it sees fit providing decisions are made democratically after free discussion and production is to satisfy need and not profit. 3. The current crisis of the environment is not due to industrialization or over-population but rather an inevitable product of a system (capitalism) which places profit above all else including life. 4. Not only do we not wish to reduce the present productive powers of industry, we wish to see this increased to ensure a comfortable life for all. 5. We recognize however that much of current production is unnecessary due to built in obsolescence or advertising pressure. This again comes down to the problem of a capitalist system. 6. The major problem of capitalist pollution and destructive extraction of raw materials is that those who make the profits are not those that suffer the consequences. Environmental degradation is a class issue as it is primarily the working class which bears the consequences of polluted water, contaminated food etc. It is therefore a nonsense to try and tackle it on a non-class basis. 7. We reject the argument that the environmental crisis or famines in the Less Developed Countries (LDC's) are due to the over consumption of workers in the West. Western workers have more in common with the workers and peasants of the third world and then own ruling class, it is estimated that between 12 and 30 million people living in the US, one of the richest of the western countries can not afford a proper diet. 8. We oppose in general the call for the closing down of polluting factories etc. We call on the workers in such factories to enforce safety rules and monitor pollution. We support action of workers and the local community to stop/reduce pollution. In cases where factories can not be made safe we demand there closure with employment at the same skill and pay levels for the workers in the local area. 9. We call for the shutting down of all nuclear power stations under capitalism, as the placing of profits before safety means they can never be safe and the effect of accidents is too drastic to allow any risk. We do however not rule out the remote possibility of using such power stations in an anarchist society. This will be decided in the future by the workers of that society and not by us now. 10. The destruction of the rainforests is due to large capitalist concerns strip mining the trees. We call for strike action against such companies to force them to re- forest and manage extraction. It is also due to the emigration of land hungry peasants and unemployed workers from the countries in these regions. This is a by- product of the grinding poverty produced in these countries by capitalism and imperialism. As such the problem will only be solved by revolution and development in those countries. We call for the building of unions among such workers and the carrying out of education programs by revolutionaries within these unions. 11. Practically in Ireland this involves calling on Irish unions to support the construction of these unions and aid in their financing. It involves organising solidarity campaigns with the struggles of these workers. We note that union recognition disputes are already a major part of the workers struggles in this region e.g. Brazilian rubber tappers. 12. We oppose the testing of atomic, biological and chemical weapons in all circumstances and support blacking of goods and services as well as other direct action to halt such tests. 13. We call on the trade unions to fund their own environmental monitoring section answerable to the workers and community affected, and to publicize and organise action against industries which expose workers or the community at large to toxic substances, pollution etc. 14. Within unions we also demand industry uses re-cycled products where possible and finds alternatives for products or by-products which harm the environment. Industrial action should be used to force the bosses to comply. 15. Although we reject unnecessary cruelty to animals we recognize that humanity does have a right to use animals in necessary experiments. Under capitalism much of animal experimentation is un-necessary but even in an anarchist society some experimentation may be necessary. We oppose all experimentation for military and cosmetic purposes. 16. We support the right of students and laboratory workers to refuse to experiment on animals or dissect animals. We support workers who are victimized for leaking details of experiments. 17. We oppose animal liberation campaigns which endanger workers lives through firebombing of stores or labs, and the harmful contamination of foodstuffs etc. January 1991 This is a position paper of the Workers Solidarity Movement which can be contacted at WSM PO Box 1528 Dublin 8 Ireland