ERS 222War and the Environment

This course examines environmental security and the political ecology of violence. War, colonialism, and other forms of social conflict are discussed as both drivers and consequences of environmental change including the extraction, consumption, and depletion of resources. Topics may include nuclear war and emerging technologies as existential threats to humanity; (neo) environmental determinism; eco-fascism and totalitarianism; and eco-terrorism. Hopeful insights for transitioning towards sustainability are drawn from rapid societal mobilization and transformation during wartimes and the role of the environment and environmentalism in peacebuilding.