Lecture 2: Power and the Environment readings Flashcards
What is the post-political condition in climate discourse?
Budds
Climate change is framed as a technical issue rather than a political struggle, limiting debate and excluding radical alternatives.
What does “The End of Nature” mean?
Budds
Human activity has permanently altered the environment, blurring the line between nature and society.
How does post-political governance affect climate action?
Budds
It prioritizes expert-driven, consensus-based solutions over ideological and structural change.
What is the role of neoliberal environmentalism?
Budds
It promotes market-based solutions (e.g., carbon trading) while avoiding challenges to capitalism and power structures.
How does depoliticization happen through consensus?
Budds
Consensus frames climate change as a universal problem, sidelining debates on inequality, capitalism, and systemic reform.
What is needed to re-politicize climate change?
Budds
Recognizing climate change as a political issue, amplifying marginalized voices, and supporting grassroots movements.
–> shift away from the technocratic approach
What is the main impact of neoliberal policies on water management in Latin America?
Swyngedouw
Water is treated as an economic good, emphasizing privatization and market-based solutions, often benefiting large-scale users while marginalizing small farmers.
What is political ecology, and how does it relate to water management?
Swyngedouw
Political ecology examines environmental issues as political and social struggles, highlighting how policies like water privatization reinforce power inequalities.
What are the main consequences of Chile’s 1981 Water Code?
Swyngedouw
Water rights became private property, leading to speculation, hoarding, and dominance by wealthy farmers while small farmers struggled with access.
How has water scarcity affected small farmers in La Ligua and Petorca valleys?
Swyngedouw
Large-scale farmers control legal water rights, while small farmers rely on illegal extraction, exacerbating resource conflicts and environmental degradation.
What is the main critique of Chile’s water management model?
Swyngedouw
Despite being praised for efficiency, the model worsens social and environmental inequality, favoring economic elites and undermining sustainable resource use.
