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Environment & Policy

Volume 65
The series, Environment & Policy, aims to publish research that examines global and
local environmental policies. It covers a variety of environmental topics ranging
from biodiversity, ecology, pollution, climate change, agriculture, biodiversity,
sustainability, resources, to water security. This long-standing series has published
renowned authors for over a decade and it continues to be the home for environ-
mentalists, policy experts, and related discipline experts who are genuinely inter-
ested in tackling the issues of our days.
Sachchidanand Tripathi • Rahul Bhadouria
Rishikesh Singh • Pratap Srivastava
Rajkumari Sanayaima Devi
Editors

Eco-Politics and Global

Climate Change
Editors
Sachchidanand Tripathi Rahul Bhadouria
Deen Dayal Upadhyaya College Delhi College of Arts and Commerce
University of Delhi University of Delhi
New Delhi, India New Delhi, India

Rishikesh Singh Pratap Srivastava

Amity School of Earth Department of Botany
and Environmental Sciences University of Allahabad
Amity University Prayagraj, India
Mohali, Punjab, India

Rajkumari Sanayaima Devi

Deen Dayal Upadhyaya College
University of Delhi
New Delhi, India

ISSN 1383-5130 ISSN 2215-0110 (electronic)

Environment & Policy
ISBN 978-3-031-48097-3 ISBN 978-3-031-48098-0 (eBook)
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-48098-0

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Foreword

Ecopolitics: (Re)turning to the Earth

How do we move from human politics to a politics of the earth, which is our
common home, our oikos? How can we re-appreciate life on this planet as more
important than economic interests? The answers are in many ways quite simple: the
accumulation of wealth only benefits a few; consumption only leads to greed, not
satisfaction or happiness. Moreover, we have no other choice: we cannot live
without a healthy earth. Climate change, pollution, and the depletion of natural
resources and living environments are already taking its toll on human and
non-human life. From Pope Francis to Greta Thunberg, we hear that politics is
failing us both at the local and the global level. We need to radically change course,
and ecopolitics is a viable option. It is a politics of the planet involving all the forces
that create, generate, and/or destroy. It involves all lifeforms of the multiplicity of
ecosystems we find on this planet, as well as everything that makes life possible.
Many will object that ecopolitics is unrealistic (how can we engage in politics
with other animals?), or too utopistic (how can we move beyond the current
system?). Responding to them I reply that we have capabilities to do so: many
indigenous cultures have for extend periods of time engaged in what I consider
ecopolitics: decentered political systems in which humans were only a small part. I
am not suggesting to return to their systems (although we can learn from them).
Ecopolitics is a system of the future, including technology, energy, and industry, yet
utilized in ways that benefit the planet and with that all of us. We no longer exploit
the earth and the poor. We (again) learn how to live with the rest of the earth, in a
healthy and mutually beneficial way. It will not be all harmony and peace. Life is full
of struggle and suffering, but the aim is less struggle and suffering, and more
cooperation. How we let ecopolitics function exactly will to some degree depend

v
vi Foreword

on us: the sooner we act, the more influence we can have on its shape. If we wait too
long, ecopolitics will not even include Homo sapiens, besides as a memory of the
cause, symbol, and one of the many victims of the Sixth Great Extinction.
Politics as we know it today is relatively new. Dynasties, monarchies, and democ-
racies go back thousands of years, but that is recent history compared to some
indigenous cultures (many of which existed for tens of thousands of years). Moreover,
the human politics of empires is incredibly short compared to the history of the human
species, and a split second in the history of life. The first lesson of this is that we still
have a lot to learn. Secondly, we must consider that we are the result of a lengthy
process of life, in which political structures are the norm, even if we do not recognize
them yet. To take an example, I discussed in detail in Ecopolitics: Redefining the Polis,
ants engage in complex decentered political relationships, solving complex problems
collectively. Taking lessons from these other political species – whose politics, for
better or worse, is engrained in our DNA – I suggest that ecopolitics is not just a
human politics that attempts to represent the interest of non-human agents as well
(even though this can be an important aspect of ecopolitics). It is a politics much larger
than our own affairs. It is a political body (if we can use the word “body”) that involves
all living and non-living inhabitants of the planet, each with their own interests yet part
of the larger oikos. Even more, it involves the forces and processes of the earth, and we
are a part of it as decentered members.
The essays in this book reflect on ecopolitics from a variety of academic
perspectives. Interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary work shows that change is
happening. In different corners of the academy, I notice an interest in ecopolitics.
Radical approaches such as degrowth, reviving indigenous wisdom, comparative
approaches, and an openness to rethinking who we are and can be are part of the
agenda. It is also exactly the multiplicity of approaches that is in my view central to
ecopolitics: we must see our own academic landscape as a variety of ecosystems,
which are not fenced off from one another, but which influence one another and
between which the boundaries are fluid. It is the crosspollination across disciplines
that can invigorate the academic world. Likewise, the natural world as the totality of
all ecosystems can revitalize once we humans learn to live together with the whole
and contribute in a way so that other species benefit from our presence. The aim of
ecopolitics is nothing less than such symbiotic relationships, in which we turn away
from a politics that merely ensures the extraction and flow of resources. The politics
of the future listens carefully to the earth and to one another. Ecopolitics itself calls
forth new scholarship, not aimed at filling one’s CV, but in fulfilling the need of a
planet in peril.

Philosophy, Theology, and Religious Gerard Kuperus

Studies
Nijmegen, The Netherlands
[email protected]
Foreword vii

Gerard Kuperus, Ph.D. Professor of Philosophy at the Univer-

sity of San Francisco and Researcher Integral Ecology in the
Dutch Context at Radboud University. Author of Ecopolitical
Homelessness: Retrieving Place in an Unsettled World (Routledge
2016) and Ecopolitics: Redefining the Polis (SUNY 2023).
Introduction

The environment is now in front row on the global political agenda. Eco-politics has
always been in global discourse in many ways. In current scenario, many academi-
cians and policymakers recognize that the nexus between environmental concerns
and international relations cannot be overlooked. Indeed, it is critical to investigate
global eco-politics or the linkages between ecological crises and global politics.
Environmental issues on a global scale are frequently complicated and ambiguous
from a scientific point of view. Considering the urgency to address the global
environmental crisis, new perspectives and tactics are required to achieve a more
sustainable and equitable future since greens have traditionally prioritized world
peace, gender equality, and environmental sustainability. This has resulted in a
plethora of research on the subject of science-policy interactions. Further, the far
shorter political timeline of politicians and diplomats and a longer period of both the
consequences of environmental problems and the efforts required to mitigate/ or
remediate them pose a number of governance challenges. Furthermore, as environ-
mental problems often do not follow boundaries, they provide obstacles for inter-
national collaboration, resulting in burgeoning research on global environmental
governance. The broad potential for huge economic, political, and ecological dis-
placement as a result of global environmental problems, as well as potential strate-
gies to solve those concerns, has prompted researchers to investigate global
environmental politics from every perspective within international relations, as
well as research from a variety of other disciplines. Finally, efforts to address the
consequences of environmental crises have prompted debatable ethical and appor-
tionable justice issues and led to the development of different school of thoughts in
global ecopolitical arena.
In the era of global climate change, policies framed by governments across the
world towards various environmental issues are going to be critical for the adaptation
and mitigation of climate change. A critical analysis of the same is urgently required

ix
x Introduction

to understand and suggest some further measures in achieving the goals set to
address environmental issues in the backdrop of global warming.
Work on economics is likely well-developed in academic literature from a green
perspective. This is reasonable, considering that the economy represents the mate-
rial, resource, energy, and waste metabolism between human civilization and the
larger environment of which it is a part.
International discussions and treaties have given global environmental politics a
lot of attention, but its more radical sibling – ecopolitics – has been overlooked.
In this book, we have taken a global approach to provide an in-depth insight into
the green/ecological perspective on a number of issues, including security (at
different levels), the economy, the state, water, global governance, development,
and the environment. Furthermore, it also provides a contemporary and accessible
description of why we need to embrace eco-politics in order to address the various
ecological challenges that we face in current changing climate scenario. The book
will be helpful to address the queries of environmental scientists, policymakers,
politicians, researchers, planners, and general people alike. The book contains 13
chapters.
Chapter 1, ‘From Biopolitics to Ecopolitics: A Philosophical Framework for
Geopolitics’, by Jessica Ludescher Imanaka from USA schematizes the core philo-
sophical dimensions of the concept of ecopolitics with the aim of developing a new
framework of relevance for geopolitical challenges like rapid climate change. The
author suggests for holistic understanding of ecopolitics by practicing and dissem-
inating the various negative, affirmative, and intermediate forms, with the entire
oikos (home) encompassing our ecosystems and life worlds falling under the pur-
view of novel apparatuses of power.
Chapter 2, ‘Global Biogovernance: Between Intergovernmental and Suprana-
tional Cooperation’, by Janusz Ruszkowski from Poland elaborates the constitutive
features and mechanisms of global biogovernance contributing to the elimination or
reduction of cases of unsustainable development.
Chapter 3, ‘Ecopolitics to International Environmental Law: A Literature
Review on How Countries Are Performing Under the International Convention on
Climate Change’, by Nima Norouzi from Iran explores the legal and international
requirements related to the Convention against Climate Change impact countries’
performance and advocates for constant feedback and financial support to improve
the overall performance of the countries and formulation of policies to achieve
sustainable development goals.
Chapter 4, ‘Ocean Governance in the Anthropocene: A New Approach in the
Era of Climate Emergency’, by Ana Flávia Barros-Platiau et al. from Brazil argues
that a new phase of great powers competition has started, in which the marine
resources will most likely be overexploited, falling short of sustainability obliga-
tions. The authors of this chapter suggest that traditional geopolitics need to engage
more effectively with the ocean and climate governance, to integrate global risks and
strengthen ecopolitics.
Introduction xi

Chapter 5, ‘International Water Law Where World Needs Ecopolitics Most: A

Study of the Framework of States’ Right to Exploit Transboundary Water Resources
via Dam Construction’, by Nima Norouzi from Iran highlights the lack of specific
regulations and policies at international level for dam construction by considering
some case studies.
Chapter 6, ‘China’s Growing Footprint in Antarctica: Soft Power, Science, and
Global Ecopolitics’, by Jonathan Harrington from USA analyses the evolution of
and possible motivations behind China’s growing footprint in Antarctica. The author
concludes that China’s overall contribution to research and governance in the region
has been mostly positive and reflects general acceptance of status quo governance
institutions in the region.
Chapter 7, ‘Environmental Management Through Ecopolitics: An Alternative
and Strategic Approach for Rebuilding the Global Carbon Sink’, by Bill Butterworth
from UK emphasizes on the relationship between financial and environmental
sustainability and describes a socio-economic mechanism which includes a system
of reverse franchising and local supervision by members of a professional body.
Chapter 8, ‘Urban Governance Transformation Under the Background of Eco-
logical Civilization Construction’, by Lin Dan and Luo Yan from China proposes a
conceptual model of ‘localized eco-state reconstruction’, with the expectation to
explain city and regional governance transformation under the restriction of state
ecological spatial regulation policy. In this context, city and regional governance
transformation can be promoted through four types of strategies: ecological trans-
formation development strategy, ecological progressive transformation development
strategy, ecological alternative development strategy, and ecological conservative
development strategy.
Chapter 9, ‘The Missing Link: Environmental Culture and the Climate Crisis’,
by Jyotishman Kalita from India establishes a relationship between environmental
culture and climate problems.
Chapter 10, ‘Ecopolitics and International Security: The Challenges and the
Politics’, by Cláudia Toriz Ramos from Portugal describes the ecopolitics which
create major threats to human security and responsible for major environmental
challenges that jeopardise the balance between human beings and nature.
Chapter 11, ‘Global Eco-politics: Media Discourse and Conflicting Climate
Change’, by Amarendra Kumar Aarya from India underscores the impact of media
framing on public opinion and policy discussions, the presence of conflict and
polarization within media discourse, and the sway of political, economic, cultural,
and regional factors.
Chapter 12, ‘Media’s Role in Global Ecopolitics: Unravelling Climate Change
Narratives and Fostering Informed Dialogue’, by Neha Jingala and Nidhi Chaudhry
from India explains the role of media in shaping public perception, policy develop-
ment, and collective action in response to climate change concerns, drawing on a
thorough analysis of media narratives.
xii Introduction

Chapter 13, ‘Leave Fossil Fuels in the Soil, Halt Deforestation: Stop Threatening
the Planet’, by M. Satish Kumar and Steven Donnelly from UK focuses on the role
of ecological security as a framework for addressing the critical challenges faced by
both the global North and South.

New Delhi, India Sachchidanand Tripathi

New Delhi, India Rahul Bhadouria
Mohali, India Rishikesh Singh
Prayagraj, India Pratap Srivastava
New Delhi, India Rajkumari Sanayaima Devi
Contents

1 From Biopolitics to Ecopolitics: A Philosophical Framework

for Geopolitics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Jessica Ludescher Imanaka
2 Global Biogovernance: Between Intergovernmental
and Supranational Cooperation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Janusz Ruszkowski
3 Ecopolitics to International Environmental Law:
A Literature Review on How Countries Are Performing
Under the International Convention on Climate Change . . . . . . . . . 43
Nima Norouzi
4 Ocean Governance in the Anthropocene: A New Approach
in the Era of Climate Emergency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Ana Flávia Barros-Platiau, Guilherme Lopes da Cunha,
Carlos Henrique Tomé, Fábio Albergaria de Queiroz,
Paulo Eduardo Câmara, Carina Costa de Oliveira,
and Fábio Henrique Granja e Barros
5 International Water Law Where World Needs Ecopolitics
Most: A Study of the Framework of States’ Right to Exploit
Transboundary Water Resources via Dam Construction . . . . . . . . 73
Nima Norouzi
6 China’s Growing Footprint in Antarctica: Soft Power,
Science, and Global Ecopolitics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Jonathan Harrington
7 Environmental Management Through Ecopolitics:
An Alternative and Strategic Approach for Rebuilding
the Global Carbon Sink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Bill Butterworth

xiii
xiv Contents

8 Urban Governance Transformation Under the Background

of Ecological Civilization Construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Lin Dan and Luo Yan
9 The Missing Link: Environmental Culture and the Climate
Crisis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Jyotishman Kalita
10 Ecopolitics and International Security: The Challenges
and the Politics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Cláudia Toriz Ramos
11 Global Eco-Politics: Media Discourse and Conflicting
Climate Change Frameworks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Amarendra Kumar Aarya
12 Media’s Role in Global Ecopolitics: Unravelling Climate
Change Narratives and Fostering Informed Dialogue . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Neha Jingala and Nidhi Chaudhry
13 ‘Leave Fossil Fuels in the Soil, Halt Deforestation’:
Stop Threatening the Planet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
M. Satish Kumar and Steven Donnelly

Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
Contributors

Amarendra Kumar Aarya Department of Journalism, Delhi College of Arts and

Commerce, University of Delhi, New Delhi, India
Ana Flávia Barros-Platiau International Relations Institute, University of
Brasilia, Earth System Governance Network, and Superior Defense College
(ESD), Brasilia, Brazil
Bill Butterworth The Director, Land Research Ltd, Wiltshire, UK
Paulo Eduardo Câmara Department of Botany, University of Brasilia, Brasilia,
Brazil
Brazilian Antarctic Program (PROANTAR) and Superior Defense College (ESD),
Brasilia, Brazil
Nidhi Chaudhry Department of Journalism & Mass Communication, Maharaja
Agrasen Institute of Management Studies, Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha Univer-
sity, New Delhi, India
Guilherme Lopes da Cunha Superior War College (ESG), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
International Relations Institute, University of Brasilia, Brasilia, Brazil
Superior Defense College (ESD), Brasilia, Brazil
Lin Dan Department of Landscape Achitecture, Centre of Tourism Development,
Shenzhen Tourism College, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
Carina Costa de Oliveira Law Faculty, University of Brasilia, Brasilia, Brazil
Fábio Albergaria de Queiroz Superior Defense College (ESD), Brasilia, Brazil
Steven Donnelly Geography, Archaeology & Palaeoecology, Queen’s University
Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK
Fábio Henrique Granja e Barros Union Accounting Court, Brasilia, Brazil

xv
 xvi Contributors

Jonathan Harrington Division of Social Sciences and Humanities, Olympic

College, Bremerton, WA, USA
Jessica Ludescher Imanaka Department of Management and Philosophy, Seattle
University, Seattle, WA, USA
Neha Jingala Department of Journalism, Delhi College of Arts & Commerce,
University of Delhi, New Delhi, India
Jyotishman Kalita Department of English, Gauhati University, Guwahati, Assam,
India
M. Satish Kumar Geography, Archaeology & Palaeoecology, School of Natural
and Built Environment, Faculty of Engineering and Physical Science, Queen’s
University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK
Nima Norouzi School of Law and Legal Studies, Islamic Azad University, Tehran,
Iran
Cláudia Toriz Ramos Faculty of Human and Social Sciences, University
Fernando Pessoa and CEPESE, Porto, Portugal
Janusz Ruszkowski Institute of Political Science and Security Studies, University
of Szczecin, Szczecin, Poland
Carlos Henrique Tomé University of Brasilia, Brasilia, Brazil
Luo Yan Wuhan Branch of China Academy of Urban Planning and Design,
Wuhan, Hubei, China

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