Eco-Socialism or Eco-Capitalism?: A Critical Analysis of Humanity's Fundamental Choices - Hardcover

`Sarkar draws lessons from the failures of capitalist and socialist industrialism as well as ecological lessons from the South to make a convincing case for eco-socialism.' Mary Mellor, University of Northumbria `A radical view which will help serious and badly needed questioning of the economic and ecological paradigms.' Gerrit Huizer, Catholic University of Nijmegen `The author offers an austere brand of ecosocialism which ecosocialists need to take seriously.' James O`Connor, founding editor of Capitalism, Nature, Socialism A very important book for those concerned with whether or not it is possible to fuse the radical ecology and the socialist movements. Sarkar believes it is possible, providing socialism is prepared to redefine itself and learn `the ecological lesson` from the radical ecology movement. I highly recommend this book for its ecological critique of all forms of socialism, its critique of green politics, and its insightful examination of traditional cultures and what can be learnt from them.` David Orton, Green Web environmental research group, Nova Scotia, Canada. `The supposedly beneficial hand of the world market has shown itself to be a brutal boot, stamping on local economies and environments alike. But there is no going back to the discredited model of Soviet-style socialism. Saral Sarkar`s new study shows that there is a genuine third way, one which embraces an awareness of ecological limits within a framework of social solidarity, a vision truly worthy of the new millenium.' Sandy Irvine, The Ecologist

This major synoptic work explores some of the most important questions facing humanity in the coming generations. It is remarkable for its author`s holistic treatment of the environment and social justice as inescapably related questions; his refusal to analyze the industrialized and developing countries as though they are so different that any understanding of the one can ignore the other; and his integrity in exploring difficult and controversial questions from a stance that always addresses the evidence, even if that leads to conclusions that are not currently fashionable. Saral Sarkar argues that the USSR bumped up against environmentally defined and resource-related limits to growth at a relatively early stage. But this does not mean that a free market, globalized capitalist economy will indefinitely escape a similar fate. Nor will a modified `eco-capitalism`, as promoted by some sections of the Western environmental movement, provide a sufficiently grounded solution to the twin problems of environmental destruction and social injustice. The author looks, therefore, to a fundamentally different future - one in which our very notion of progress is differently conceived.