Natural Causes: Essays in Ecological MarxismJames R. O'Connor Economic growth since the Industrial Revolution has been achieved at great cost both to the natural environment and to the autonomy of human communities. What can a Marxist perspective contribute to understanding this disturbing legacy, and mitigating its impact on future generations? Renowned social theorist James O'Connor shows how the policies and imperatives of business and government influence - and are influenced by - environmental and social change. Probing the relationship between economy, nature, and society, O'Connor argues that environmental and social crises pose a growing threat to capitalism itself. These illuminating essays and case studies demonstrate the power of ecological Marxist analysis for understanding our diverse environmental and social history, for grounding economic behavior in the real world, and for formulating and evaluating new political strategies. |
Contents
Introduction | 1 |
HISTORY AND NATURE | 19 |
What Is Environmental History? | 48 |
Three Ways to Look at the Ecological History and | 71 |
The Nature of Construction and the Construction of 765 | 94 |
Chicago and Los Angeles | 109 |
Some Observations on Ecological Crisis | 135 |
The Second Contradiction of Capitalism | 158 |
Is Sustainable Capitalism Possible? | 234 |
SOCIALISM AND NATURE | 255 |
Socialism and Ecology | 267 |
A Red Green Politics in the United States? | 280 |
Flatland Politics | 295 |
Think Globally Act Locally? | 299 |
Ecology Movements and the State | 306 |
The New Global Economy and One Alternative | 311 |
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Common terms and phrases
agriculture bioregionalism capital accumulation capital's capitalist capitalist accumulation capitalist production century changes commodity concept conditions of production consumer cooperation costs countries critique Cronon defined demand democratic depletion ecological crisis ecological socialism ecology movements economic crisis economic growth effects energy environment environmental history environmental movement example exchange value exploitation export external Fall Creek forests forms green movement green politics hence historians human ideology important individual capitals infrastructure issues kind laborpower land Marx Marx's Marxist means Monterey Bay nature's economy organized particular pollution practices presupposes problem production conditions production relations productive forces profits radical rate of exploitation raw materials red green redwoods region relations of production reproduction Santa Cruz Shetland social labor social movements socialist society South specific struggles sublate surplus value sustainable theoretical theory tion traditional types United urban wages workers workplace