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Torn between war and peace: Critiquing the use of war to mobilize peaceful climate action

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  • Kester, Johannes
  • Sovacool, Benjamin K.

Abstract

Notable studies have suggested the potentiality of the WWII wartime mobilization as a model for climate change adaptation and/or mitigation. The argument being that we need a similar rapid and total shift in our industrial social and economic environment to prevent or at least address the pending impacts of climate change. This argument and these studies have inspired us to think with them on what it means to use the WWII war analogy as a security claim in energy and climate change debates. Here, we would like to use this opportunity to draw attention to some of the implicit dangers of a call to war in such discussions. Among others we observe, first, the absence of any attention to the actual mobilization policies, in terms of garnishing public support. Second, based on the insights from Critical Security Studies, we question the historical incongruence of the case study especially by comparing the perceived enemy in both cases. Lastly, building on that same security literature, we point to some undesirable and perhaps unintended consequences of the use of war analogies in climate change debates.

Suggested Citation

  • Kester, Johannes & Sovacool, Benjamin K., 2017. "Torn between war and peace: Critiquing the use of war to mobilize peaceful climate action," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 104(C), pages 50-55.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:enepol:v:104:y:2017:i:c:p:50-55
    DOI: 10.1016/j.enpol.2017.01.026
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Brown, George & Sovacool, Benjamin K., 2017. "The presidential politics of climate discourse: Energy frames, policy, and political tactics from the 2016 Primaries in the United States," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 111(C), pages 127-136.
    2. Sylvia Nissen & Raven Cretney, 2022. "Retrofitting an emergency approach to the climate crisis: A study of two climate emergency declarations in Aotearoa New Zealand," Environment and Planning C, , vol. 40(1), pages 340-356, February.

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