Against Climate Doomism and the Bourgeois Character of American Environmentalism with Jason W. Moore

In this interview, we are joined by friend and special co-host Casey where we are in conversation with Jason Moore discussing the historical and ideological roots of contemporary environmentalism, tracing its origins to the post-Civil War era in the United States. He argues that environmentalism has historically been an elite-driven movement, often serving the interests of capitalism by promoting resource management and conservation in ways that benefit economic growth. Moore critiques the mainstream environmentalism of the 1960s and 1970s, describing it as a form of "benign reformism" that ultimately aligned with capitalist interests and suppressed more radical elements.

 

Moore also addresses the role of the professional-managerial class in shaping environmental discourse, particularly through the expansion of the biosecurity state and the integration of national security and big tech. He also critiques the historical and ideological underpinnings of bourgeois naturalism, which he argues has been used to justify racial and gender oppression as well as colonial-imperialism. 

The discussion touches on the role of foundations like the Ford Foundation in co-opting and neutralizing radical struggles. Moore problematizes climate doomism, fearmongering, and crisis rhetoric that have come to dominate climate change discourses.

Jason W. Moore is an environmental historian and historical geographer at Binghamton University, where he coordinates the World-Ecology Research Collective. He is author of multiple books including Capitalism in the Web of Life. His books and essays on environmental history, capitalism, and social theory have been internationally recognized. He frequently writes about the history of capitalism in Europe, Latin America, and the United States, from the sixteenth century to the neoliberal era.

Casey is a historian and organizer based in New York and Chicago. He is focused on the politics, economy, and connected histories in South Asia and the Middle East, specifically the Arab Gulf. His work focuses on questions of development, ecology, and political resistance, as well as connecting global-scale events to local diaspora communities within the US.

As always, If you like what we do and want to support our ability to have more conversations like this. Please consider becoming a patron. You can do so for as little as 1 Dollar a month. We bring you these conversations totally independently with no corporate, state, or grant funding. We are going to include a set of links in the show notes to Dr. Moore’s articles that we based our conversation on. Please check those out for further information. Now, here is Jason Moore discussing some of his work! 

This episode is edited & produced by Aidan Elias. Music, as always, is by Televangel

Links: 

 

Global Capitalism in the Great Implosion: From Planetary Superexploitation to Planetary Socialism?

How to Read Capitalism in the Web of Life

Opiates of the Environmentalists

Power, Profit, & Promethianism, Part 1

Power, Profit, & Promethianism, Part 2

The Fear and the Fix