The climate movement and the end of Teck

The Teck tar sands mega project is effectively dead. This is great news.



The corporation acknowledges that it cannot reconcile this ridiculous project with environmental concerns, and with the demands of Indigenous land defenders and the literally millions of Canadians who have expressed support for them. In its letter withdrawing its application it takes a swipe at Jason Kenney's regressive policies.



But mostly it acknowledges that the project is not economically viable, as critics have been saying from the start. (Neither is the LNG project at the root of the Wet'suwet'en protest.) The fossil fuel industry is in collapse - early stages yes but all downhill from here. This is sending ripples of horror through the Canadian ruling class, and far beyond.



So batten down the hatches - they are about to lash out. Blame will be placed on Indigenous people and their allies. Tory scum like Kenney, Peter Mackay, W Brett Wilson and the rest will turn up the volume of their racist dog whistles to 11, and the threat of vigilante violence from the far-right will increase.

While we can't ignore the complications of this story – we have to reiterate that we are demanding a just transition for energy workers, and that means good, environmentally sustainable jobs that build the future instead of destroying it – all this tells us that we are winning.

Organizing, acting in solidarity, and demanding "System change not climate change" is working. The capitalist system itself is being put on trial: millions are seeing the obscene wealth the capitalist profiteering piles at the feet of the 1%, and are saying "Get that garbage outta here!" 



This is class war, and we should not forget or shy away from all that that means. And it is far from over. But let us take a moment to acknowledge each other, and the battles we are winning.