International Viewpoint - online socialist magazine

COP 28‑ what is at stake?

Alan Thornett — 2023-12-02T12:48:25Z

The key challenges facing the 2023 UN Climate Change Conference (COP28) include the need for countries to ratchet up their emissions reduction pledges, address demands for climate finance such as loss and damage funds, and take urgent action to halt disastrous global temperature rises.

- IV587 - December 2023 / Ecology and the Environment

Labour must oppose any Brexit deal

Alan Thornett — 2020-12-12T08:10:52Z

“The left must demand that Starmer pulls back from this position and at least leave the door open for a fightback against the consequences of Brexit, which is a retrograde step of historic proportions.”

- IV551 - December 2020 / Britain, European Union

Covid-19 changes everything

Alan Thornett — 2020-06-17T07:48:05Z

Covid-19 is a huge and many-sided issue. There is the disastrous governmental response leading to thousands of deaths, there is the approaching mass unemployment pandemic, and there is the prospect of the deepest recession for 300 years. These aspects are all hugely important.

- IV545 - June 2020 / Ecology and the Environment, Ecosocialism, Covid-19 Pandemic

Covid-19: the ecological dimension

Alan Thornett — 2020-04-10T06:51:15Z

The Covid-19 pandemic continues to spread rapidly around the world and remains out of control – other than in those countries, led by China, that had (crucially) moved early and decisively to control it, and had prepared for such a situation in advance. The biggest governmental failures, on the other hand, are by administrations led by right-wing populists like Johnson and Trump who started, in effect, as virus deniers, but were forced belatedly to recognise Covid-19 as a serious threat after their actions had ensured that hundreds of thousands of people would lose their lives unnecessarily.

- IV543 - April 2020 / Britain, Ecology and the Environment, Covid-19 Pandemic

“The bell is tolling” on Heathrow expansion

Alan Thornett — 2020-03-02T08:18:00Z

In the biggest victory ever won by environmental campaigners in Britain the court of appeal yesterday declared that the long disputed third runway at Heathrow is illegal. The government had failed to adequately consider its own commitments to tackle the climate crisis and the pledges it made to the Paris climate agreement – which is to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050,

- IV542 - March 2020 / Britain, Ecology and the Environment

British politics in utter turmoil

Alan Thornett — 2019-10-01T16:40:07Z

British politics is in utter turmoil as a general election looms. We face either a Labour government, possibly as the biggest party with the support of other left parties, most notably the Scottish National Party, with a radical left agenda; or a reactionary Tory Government driven by racism, populism, and English nationalism, with a race to the bottom economy and a strategic relationship with Donald Trump's America First USA. This could determine the shape of British politics for a long time to come.

- IV537 - October 2019 / Britain, European Union

Protesting Trumps threat to the planet – Marches for Science and Earth

Alan Thornett — 2017-05-09T15:23:57Z

Alan Thornett looks at the destruction Trump is wreaking and the resistance that is growing.

- IV508 - May 2017 / United States (USA), Britain, Ecology and the Environment

General election: Labour must present a radical alternative

Alan Thornett — 2017-05-02T07:10:23Z

British Prime Minister Theresa May has called a general election for June 8th hoping that Labour has been sufficiently weakened by the attacks of the right on the Corbyn leadership that she will be rewarded with a further five years in office. It is of course complete co-incidence that rumours had started to emerge that the Crown Prosecution Service were about to move against 30 individuals for electoral fraud in the last general election.

- IV508 - May 2017 / Britain

A big step towards the Anthropocene

Alan Thornett — 2016-10-18T18:41:31Z

We are at a cross roads in terms of the impact of our species on the planet. The actions of modern human beings, â€˜homo sapiens'â€”i.e. usâ€”are set to determine, during the course of the 21st century, whether or not the planet we live on, along with millions of other species, will remain habitable .

- Ecology / Ecology and the Environment, Debate section

The UKIPisation of the Tory Party –The Brexit left in denial

Alan Thornett — 2016-08-07T06:59:38Z

It was clear, long before it was launched, that the EU referendum held serious dangers for the left as well as for multiculturalism and anti-racism in Britain. The campaign itself was always going to be a carnival of racism and xenophobia and an outcome in favour of Brexit would trigger a major shift to the right in British politicsâ€”both at the level of government and in terms of social attitudes. Racism and xenophobia would be strengthened and the left thrown onto the defensive.

- IV499 - August 2016 / Britain