Overview

Climate change is increasingly recognised as a security issue. Yet this recognition belies contestation over what security means and whose security is viewed as threatened. Different accounts – here defined as discourses – of security range from those focused on national sovereignty to those emphasising the vulnerability of human populations. This book examines the ethical assumptions and implications of these 'climate security' discourses, ultimately making a case for moving beyond the protection of human institutions and collectives. Drawing on insights from political ecology, feminism and critical theory, Matt McDonald suggests the need to focus on the resilience of ecosystems themselves when approaching the climate-security relationship, orienting towards the most vulnerable across time, space and species. The book outlines the ethical assumptions and contours of ecological security before exploring how it might find purchase in contemporary political contexts. A shift in this direction could not be more urgent, given the current climate crisis.

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9781316519615

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Reviews

'Making a compelling case for engaging security in the face of climate catastrophe, this clearly argued volume is required reading for anyone interested in how to rethink international relations in the twenty first century. Doing so requires taking the rapidly changing ecological context of the contemporary world seriously as the premise for political thinking and action. Matt McDonald shows both the urgency and necessity of escaping the constraints of traditional forms of security thinking if a liveable world is to be made for future generations of humans and all the other species that constitute our essential life support system.' Simon Dalby, Balsillie School of International Affairs 'The beauty of this book is that it cuts a fresh and inviting path through the thicket of debates on the linkages between security and climate change. Not only does it articulate the most ethically inclusive account of security; it also identifies the conditions of possibility for its realisation by showing how a security frame can be an ally in situated political struggles for climate and ecosystem protection.' Robyn Eckersley, University of Melbourne

Author Information

Matt McDonald is Reader in International Relations in the School of Political Science and International Studies, University of Queensland, Australia. He is the author of Security, the Environment and Emancipation (2012) and co-author (with Anthony Burke and Katrina Lee-Koo) of Ethics and Global Security (2014).

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