In this research a frame analysis is used to test the extent of ecofascist idealism is present in the manifestos of Brenton Tarrant and Patrick Crusius. Through a literature review key themes of...Show moreIn this research a frame analysis is used to test the extent of ecofascist idealism is present in the manifestos of Brenton Tarrant and Patrick Crusius. Through a literature review key themes of ecofascism are identified. These are integrated in a theoretical framework on which the analysis is based. Findings from the analysis indicate that Crusius and Tarrant differ to a large extent in their ideals. It is also found that Tarrant holds more extreme racially focused views while Crusius holds more ethnopluralist ecocentric views. Critically Crusius does not show any romanticised idealisations of nature and race, therefore lacking in a key component of ecofascist ideals. With the mass shooting by white nationalist Payton Grendon the importance of research in this area is reasserted.Show less
More than a purely ecological issue, the climate crisis is strongly rooted in colonial histories and linked to questions of global social justice. One way in which this notion of climate justice...Show moreMore than a purely ecological issue, the climate crisis is strongly rooted in colonial histories and linked to questions of global social justice. One way in which this notion of climate justice has come to be articulated in the international environmental regime is through the negotiations on, and institutionalisation of, “loss and damage” under the UNFCCC. The African Group of Negotiators – representing a continent which is particularly vulnerable to climate change impacts – has been an important actor in these negotiations, although its particular role has not substantively been studied. An important question is the extent to which the AGN manages to express agency within an international framework which exists against the backdrop of unequal global power relations – especially considering the relationship between this global order and the origins of anthropogenic climate change, and the already devastating impacts experienced. Using insights from structuration, complexity and frame theory, this research finds that while on one hand, the behaviour of the AGN reflects and in some ways reproduces status quo power relations, there is also potential for transformation – particularly through the use of strong, justice-based ideational arguments.Show less
In light of the Latin American neo-extractivism model of development, this thesis investigates the role Rafael Correa has fulfilled with respect to the environment and population. In doing so, it...Show moreIn light of the Latin American neo-extractivism model of development, this thesis investigates the role Rafael Correa has fulfilled with respect to the environment and population. In doing so, it questions whether Correa's views on environmental sustainability and social welfare have radically altered the neoliberal foundations of the economy, most importantly the influence of transnational companies, and whether his leadership has improved the socio-environmental circumstances of Ecuador. The thesis deals with the incorporation of Buen Vivir into the Constitution, including its controversies; Ecuador’s social indicators before and during Correa’s presidency; the treatment of Correa of an internationally prominent lawsuit against the US company Texaco; and the president’s response to social dissent and consequences for democratic representation.Show less
Extreme weather events, natural disasters and failure in mitigating or adapting to the changing climate. All these societal risks have become more likely and impactful over the last couple of...Show moreExtreme weather events, natural disasters and failure in mitigating or adapting to the changing climate. All these societal risks have become more likely and impactful over the last couple of decades. It is important to limit the excessive human emission of greenhouse gases such as CO2, because they contribute to the changing climate. In order to gain support for CO2 reduction policies, environmental concerns must be reconciled with the prevailing political ideology. The focus is on liberal democracy because it is the dominant political system in western society. One of the difficulties in combining environmental concerns with liberal democracy is that policies to protect nature put limits on what people are allowed to do and thereby limit the individual liberty of citizens. In this thesis I investigate witch CO2 policies fit best with Liberal-democratic positions about the environment. I will answer the following questions: Why does the market fail to ensure an efficient amount of CO2 emissions? Which kind of CO2 reduction policies are most suitable to reduce excessive emissions? How can CO2 policies be combined with liberal democratic values? Which policy is preferable based on liberal democratic positions about the environment? The two most discussed market-based CO2 policies are excise tax and emission trading. This thesis argues for an integrated approach, formed by both policies. This system is preferable because it internalizes externalities to reduce excessive emissions, and simultaneously enforces a maximum amount of emissions to prevent an environmental crisis.Show less
Environmental issues are becoming increasingly pressuring, and in the Middle Eastern context, formal politics and legal regulations have been insufficient to achieve significant improvements for...Show moreEnvironmental issues are becoming increasingly pressuring, and in the Middle Eastern context, formal politics and legal regulations have been insufficient to achieve significant improvements for environmental protection. Civil society organisations such as a NGOs are thus crucial actors in this context. Since they work on a voluntary basis and aim to persuade and mobilise the population, their success depends heavily on the attitudes and beliefs of their audience. Therefore, this thesis discusses the potential of Green Islam for environmental NGOs in Jordan by identifying important aspects that are particular to faith-based environmental activism and applying them to the context of Jordan. It finds that faith-based environmental activism can be helpful for framing, as it renders the issues more relatable to the audience, and provides the organisations with legitimacy derived from a religious discourse. Furthermore, faith-based environmentalism anchors environmental values more deeply on an individual level, which, it is argued, creates stronger incentives for action. Therefore, given the strong presence of Islam in the Jordanian political and societal discourse, the thesis concludes that Green Islam can be valuable for environmental activism in Jordan.Show less
This research maps the development of Russian sport-fishing from 1847 until it had become a highly popular leisure activity in the Soviet Union in the late 1960s. It first investigates the literary...Show moreThis research maps the development of Russian sport-fishing from 1847 until it had become a highly popular leisure activity in the Soviet Union in the late 1960s. It first investigates the literary and material angling framework established by such writers as Sergey Timofeevich Aksakov (1791 - 1859), Leonid Pavlovich Sabaneev (1844 - 1898) and some of their pre-revolutionary successors such as Pavel Gavrilovich Cherkasov, Anatoliy Dimitrievich Shemansky and Feopempt Paramonovich Kunilov. The second part investigates the ways in which Soviet officials instrumentalized the activity to raise health standards and influence social behaviors. They did so by incorporating the activity into the Soviet policy of Fizkul'tura (Physical Culture and Sports). As such, it became tied to labour unions, the komsomol and various other institutions and enterprises which highly attributed to the popularisation of the activity. This soon caused the regime some notorious issues, most notably in the areas of environmentalism and industrial output, which are extensively treated in the third and final part of this research.Show less
The past several decades have seen the rapid popularization of environmentalist movements. These movements have had a strong influence on popular entertainment, and have spawned a myriad of books,...Show moreThe past several decades have seen the rapid popularization of environmentalist movements. These movements have had a strong influence on popular entertainment, and have spawned a myriad of books, films and TV series.During the same time period the art of animation has also emerged as one of the most profitable media genres and as a powerful means for reaching millions of young children and their families. These representations of environmentalism have received attention from academia, however coverage of productions lying outside of the mainstream films from Disney, Pixar and the Japanese Studio Ghibli remains rather scarce. Furthermore, previous studies have primarily focused on the environmentalist discourse manifested in singular films, which does allow for an in-depth analysis of the work itself, but does not permit for more widely applicable conclusions to be drawn, such as through a comparative analysis of Western and Japanese animation.Thus the research question that this thesis attempts to provide an answer to is “how do approaches to environmentalist discourse in Japanese and non-Japanese animated films/television series compare to each other and what are the implications for the entertainment industry as a tool to disseminate such discourses?”For this purpose it analyses the contemporary state of environmentalism in the West and in Japan. Afterwards several case studies are performed and conclusions are reached that there are specific ways in which nature and environmentalist discourse are portrayed in the West and in Japan, and that they have significant implications for the industry.Show less
