Disaster Capitalism, Ecofascism, and Ecoauthoritarianism

UMass Amherst History Department

The gravity of climate change and the environmental emergency demands not just attention but concerted action. But what form will that action take? Will states exercise more authority to impose solutions without democratic process? Will corporations seize opportunities to rebuild devastated communities, privatizing land and infrastructure in the process? Will political movements tap climate fears to promote exclusionary immigration policies and enact violent attacks on scapegoats? Historically and today, ecological crisis has produced numerous such cases. In this panel discussion, Katia R. Avilés Vázquez (Institute for Research and Action in Agroecology), Rajani Bhatia (SUNY Albany) & John Aloysius Zinda (Cornell University) explore examples from China, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. that open a wider discussion of the threats to, and continued possibilities for, democratic action on climate change. Moderated by Sigrid Schmalzer (UMass Amherst). The Feinberg Family Distinguished Lecture Series is made possible thanks to the generosity of UMass Amherst history department alumnus Kenneth R. Feinberg ’67 and associates. The series is co-sponsored by more than 3 dozen university and community organizations. More info: https://blogs.umass.edu/feinberg/disaster-capitalism-ecofascism-and-ecoauthoritarianism/