Ecological imperialism

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As ecological imperialism or environmental imperialism are generally understood by states or organizations and measures adopted by other states with negative effects on the environment.

Environmental and development organizations understand this to mean the increasing ecological damage in developing countries, the cause of which is to be found in the excessive consumption of resources in the industrialized countries and in the unjust world trade system, which promotes the relocation of environmental damage.

Another meaning primarily includes the accusation that environmental policy is used to enforce power or economic interests at the expense of the so-called Third World .

Historical research

The term ecological imperialism was coined by Alfred W. Crosby in 1986 in his book Ecological Imperialism: The Biological Expansion of Europe, 900-1900 . In it, Crosby advocates the thesis that the European colonization of America was primarily associated with ecological factors such as introduced diseases and introduced animal and plant species and not, as is often read, primarily due to superior weapons or technology. Crosby's thesis of ecological imperialism, which builds on his work on the Columbian Exchange published in 1972 , is still resonating in research today. Among other things, it was presented in more depth in a study by Liza Piper and John Sandlos in 2007 using the example of northern Canada .

Imperialism as domination over environmental goods

In its book Fair Future, the Wuppertal Institute describes the phenomenon that many of the particularly dirty industrial production steps have meanwhile been relocated from industrialized countries to emerging countries. While the finished goods are still consumed in the rich countries, the associated environmental pollution is now far from the place of consumption in the production facilities. One such form of exporting environmental damage can also be seen in global warming . While the majority of greenhouse gas emissions are generated in industrialized countries, developing countries will suffer the most from the effects of climate change . Such processes can be understood as the imperialist appropriation of environmental goods and resources by rich states, says Christoph Görg . Further examples are the export of toxic waste or the destruction of smallholder structures by “modern” agricultural techniques ( monoculture ) and neoliberal trade structures. The rules of the World Trade Organization give preference to the opening of markets over local environmental protection goals. One consequence is the increasing destruction of environmental goods and thus economic opportunities and quality of life.

Environmental, development and other non-governmental organizations believe that an “intact environment” and appropriate laws to protect it are necessary to ensure prosperity. In her opinion, environmental concerns should be taken into account in development and trade policy. Corresponding demands are represented by Vandana Shiva , Anil Agarwal and Arturo Escobar , for example . In addition to representatives from developing countries and large-scale research reports such as the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment , individual authors such as Jared Diamond also emphasize the importance of intact environmental resources for the development of a country. Among other Diamond compares side by side on the Caribbean island of Hispaniola located countries Haiti and the Dominican Republic . While Haiti is almost completely deforested and at the same time extremely poor and politically unstable, the opposite can be observed in the Dominican Republic. There the existing jungle was protected with rigid laws, so that the economic development is much more stable than in the neighboring state.

Eco-imperialism as an imposed environmental regulation

Another meaning of the term was mainly coined by the American author Paul Driessen. He compares the imperialist colonialism of the Europeans in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries with the activities and influence of “ ecologist ” groups in developing countries . Instead of the actual environmental protection idea, political or economic interests are in the foreground, many “green” campaigns lead to prevention and regression in developing countries, which would keep the economic upturn in these countries small. In some cases, the result is even environmental degradation - such as the clearing of primeval forests in Indonesia to plant palm oil plantations for biofuels . Similar theses are advanced by the Danish author and lecturer in political science at Copenhagen Business School Bjørn Lomborg . According to Roy Innis , chairman of the Congress of Racial Equality civil rights movement , eco-imperialism is when the "good of the environment" is put above the "good of the people". "We are still fighting the same struggle for the liberation of the black population. It used to mean fighting the old racists and colonialists - today it also means declaring war on the environmentalists." As an example, he cites that African countries are being urged not to use DDT to combat malaria . A similar example is the exertion of political pressure against the importation of genetically engineered grain into third world countries.

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Alfred W. Crosby: Ecological Imperialism: The Biological Expansion of Europe, 900-1900 , Studies in Environment and History, Cambridge University Press, ISBN 978-0521320092 . Reissue 1995, ISBN 978-0521456906 . 2nd edition 2004, ISBN 978-0521837323
  2. ^ Alfred W. Crosby: The Columbian Exchange. Biological and cultural consequences of 1492 . Praeger, 2003 (first edition: 1972). Edition 2003 online on google.books
  3. ↑ Liza Piper and John Sandlos: A Broken Frontier: Ecological Imperialism in the Canadian North , in: Environmental History, Vol 12, No. 4, 2007, pp 759-795..
  4. ^ Wuppertal Institute (Ed.): Fair Future - Limited Resources and Global Justice , CH Beck, Wuppertal 2005, ISBN 978-3406527883
  5. ↑ Christoph Görg: Ecological Imperialism? Resource conflicts and ecological dependencies in neoliberal globalization , in: contradiction, no. 24 (47), 2004, pp. 95-107
  6. ↑ This formulation is used e.g. B. on the homepage of the Austrian environmental organization Global 2000 used
  7. ↑ Jared Diamond: Collapse. Why societies survive or perish , Fischer (Tb.), Frankfurt 2006, ISBN 978-3596167302
  8. ↑ Paul K. Driessen: Eco-Imperialism - Green Politics with Deadly Consequences , Thuss and van Riesen GbR, 2006
  9. ↑ Novo Arguments, September 1, 2006 , accessed October 24, 2017