by Sophie Bond, Amanda Thomas, and Gradon Diprose
Pluto Press
1/20/2023, paperback
SKU: 9780745341316
Lessons learned from the powerful climate justice campaign in Aotearoa New Zealand
A cautionary tale how deep-sea oil exploration became politicized in Aotearoa New Zealand, where community groups mobilized against it and the backlash that followed. It is also a story of activists exercising an ethic of care and responsibility, and how that solidarity was masked and silenced by the neoliberal state.
As Aotearoa New Zealand began to pursue deep-sea oil as part of its development agenda, a powerful climate justice campaign emerged, comprising a range of autonomous 'Oil Free' groups around the country, NGOs like Greenpeace, and iwi and hapu (Maori tribal groups). As their influence increased, the state employed different tactics to silence them, starting with media representations designed to delegitimize, followed by securitization and surveillance that controlled their activities, and finally targeted state-sanctioned violence and dehumanization.
By highlighting geographies of hope for radical progressive change, the authors focus on the many examples of the campaign where solidarity and political responsibility shone through the repression, leading us towards a brighter future for climate justice across the globe.
Reviews:
"Stopping Oil follows the entanglement of racial capitalism, colonialism and western modernity that situates resource extraction in Aotearoa New Zealand. And, crucially, drawing on the authors' own experiences of direct action and resistance, it also outlines a hopeful ethics of care through which meaningful changes can be achieved." -- Jo Sharp, Professor of Geography, University of St Andrews, Scotland
"This clearly written political geography documents an important period of climate activism in Aotearoa New Zealand, with wider relevance for democratic activism abroad. It connects direct action environmental activism with a feminist ethics and politics of care, with theoretical relevance for students, researchers and activists far beyond these shores" -- Kelly Dombroski, an editor of New Zealand Geographer
About the Authors:
Sophie Bond is a Geographer at the University of Otago, Aotearoa New Zealand. She has written for various publications, including The Conversation, Antipode and Planning Theory.
Amanda Thomas is a Geographer lecturing in environmental studies at Victoria University of Wellington, Aotearoa New Zealand. She has written for a number of journals including Antipode, New Zealand Geographer and Area.
Gradon Diprose is a Geographer working as a Social Science Researcher at Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research in Wellington, Aotearoa New Zealand. He has written for the Community Development Journal, The Conversation, and Environment and Planning A: Economy and Space.