ABSTRACT

This introduction presents an overview of key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book deals with the interconnections between ecological sustainability and a radicalized socialist strategy for moving our societies in a more sustainable direction. It traces, "The scene" that consists of three texts giving a background in terms of politics, institutions and theory. These texts deal with Ecological Marxist crisis theory, the Nordic welfare state, and issues of environmental scarcity. The traditional Marxist crisis theories primarily focus on disruption of accumulation as leading to periodical economic crisis, the global environmental crisis should rather be understood as resulting from sustained accumulation. The book also investigates, "The challenge", consisting of introducing concepts, perspectives and policy tools central for furthering the understanding of the sustainability challenge of welfare states. It examines the concepts of the commons, Keynesian economic policy, the role and essence of technology and renewable energies in capitalist societies.