SERA's Vision |
SERA's aim is a healthy, sustainable
and more equal society.
We believe that environmental protection is now one of the most pressing economic and political concerns of our age. But that concern cannot be divorced from the inequality and injustice which characterises British and global society. The diversity and beauty of the natural environment are the foundation of our wealth. But they are not shared equally between rich and poor. We believe that protection of the environment must go hand in hand with greater equality, so that all people - in both industrialised and developing countries, among both present and future generations - can enjoy the benefits the earth provides. |
The Environment |
The environment cannot be protected through the operation of market forces. Markets can often be used to encourage more environmentally benign behaviour. But this requires intervention; market forces must be controlled and regulated in order to contrain economic activity within limits of what the biosphere can sustain. Only democratic processes - reflecting the will of citizens rather than consumers - can ensure that the economy is environmentally planned, and that the costs of protection are shared fairly. |
Socialism |
We believe that socialism, which has historically
been concerned about equality and economic justice, must now incorporate
the protection of the environment into the centre of its philosophy and
practice.
Socialists have long argues that human beings must be defined not just as individuals but as members of society, a society now inescapably global in scale. we must now acknowledge a wider moral community, one which embraces both future generations and the other species which share this planet. As we have argued against the exploitation of labour, so we must work to end the untrammelled exploitation of the natural world. In doing this we believe that socialism must itself be transformed. for too long the Left has accepted an ever increasing material consumption as the goal of economic activity. Protection of the environment now requires a shift away from material wealth towards quality of life, from solely income-based measures of wealth to a greater concern for health and well-being. New conceptions of the public good need to replace the primacy of private consumption; the demands of production must cede to the quality of work and leisure time. |
Contacting SERAhttp:/www2.netlink.co.uk/users2.sera11 Goodwin Street
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SERA is the Socialist Environment Resources Association.
SERA publishes a quarterly magazine New Ground ISSN 0226 7835. |