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
 


