Green Outside, Red Inside. How Environmentalism is Following the Same Path of Communism

In a thought-provoking exploration of political and social movements, Ugo Bardi draws fascinating parallels between the rise and decline of Communism and modern environmentalism. Drawing from his personal experiences in Italy during the 1970s and 1980s, Bardi examines how ideological movements evolve, peak, and eventually fade through the lens of memetics—the study of how ideas spread and evolve like viruses through populations.

The article delves into the complex relationship between these two movements, exploring how some former communists found a new home in the environmental movement while maintaining similar approaches to advocacy and social change. Bardi analyzes Google Ngrams data to trace the trajectory of both movements, revealing intriguing patterns in their popularity and public reception over time.

As environmentalism faces increasing challenges and what Bardi terms “greenbashing,” he identifies a potential successor in the renewable energy movement. Unlike traditional environmentalism with its emphasis on limitations and degrowth, renewable energy offers a more optimistic vision of solving real-world problems while creating jobs and generating wealth. Yet questions remain about whether this new movement will follow similar patterns of rise and decline or chart a different course entirely.

This compelling analysis offers valuable insights into how social movements evolve and transform while raising important questions about the future of environmental advocacy and sustainable development in an ever-changing world.

Read “Green Outside, Red Inside. How Environmentalism is Following the Same Path of Communism” by Ugo Bardi.