Research Catalog

Title

Nature is a battlefield : towards a political ecology / Razmig Keucheyan ; translated by David Broder.

Author

Keucheyan, Razmig

Publication

Cambridge, UK ; Malden, MA : Polity, [2016]

Items in the Library & Off-site

Details

Description

vi, 178 pages; 22 cm

Summary

In the midst of the current ecological crisis, there is often lofty talk of the need for humanity to 'overcome its divisions' and work together to tackle the big challenges of our time. But as this new book by Razmig Keucheyan shows, the real picture is very different. Just take the case of the siting of toxic waste landfills in the United States: if you want to know where waste is most likely to be dumped, ask yourself where Blacks, Hispanics, Native Americans and other racial minorities live and where the poorest neighbourhoods are. This kind of 'environmental racism' is by no means restricted to the United States: it is very much a global phenomenon. Keucheyan show how the capitalist response to the crisis has been marked by a massive expansion in 'environmental finance'. From 'carbon markets' to 'pollution permits', 'climate derivatives' and 'catastrophe bonds', we are seeing a proliferation of nature-related financial products. Instead of tackling the root of the problem, the neoliberal strategy seeks to profit from environmental risks. Moreover, with the rise in natural disasters, resource scarcity, food crises, the destabilization of the poles and oceans and the prospect of tens of millions of 'climate refugees', Western powers are increasingly adopting a military response to ecological problems. The Cold War is over: welcome to the 'green wars'. From New Orleans to the Siachen glacier via the Arctic floes, Keucheyan explores the landmark sites of this new 'climate geostrategy'. Through a sharp critique of the way capitalism responds to environmental disaster, this innovative book provides a fresh perspective on some of the most critical issues confronting our societies today. (Publisher).

Uniform Title

Nature est un champ de bataille. English

Alternative Title

Nature est un champ de bataille.

Subject

• Political ecology
• Ecology > Political aspects
• Environmental disasters > Political aspects
• Human ecology > Economic aspects
• Environmental justice
• Écologie politique
• Catastrophes écologiques > Aspect politique
• Écologie humaine > Aspect économique
• Justice environnementale
• Ecology > Political aspects
• Human ecology > Economic aspects
• Political ecology
• Environmental justice

Bibliography (note)

• Includes bibliographical references.

Processing Action (note)

• committed to retain

Contents

Environmental racism -- Financializing nature: Insuring climatic risks -- Green wars, or the militarization of ecology -- Conclusion: Game over?

ISBN

• 9781509503773
• 1509503773
• 9781509503780
• 1509503781
• 9781509503803 (canceled/invalid)
• 9781509503810 (canceled/invalid)

LCCN

• 2016006440
• 40026685848

OCLC

• 947041752
• SCSB-12092702

Owning Institutions

Harvard Library