Omar Dahbour, "Ecosovereignty: A Political Principle for the Environmental Crisis" (Routledge, 2024)
Mar 1, 2025
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Omar Dahbour, a philosophy professor at Hunter College, specializes in political philosophy and global ethics. In this discussion, he introduces the concept of ecosovereignty, arguing it redefines sovereignty and self-determination for tackling today's environmental crisis. He critiques traditional political theories for their inadequacy in addressing ecological challenges and explores themes of food sovereignty and identity in conflict zones. Dahbour emphasizes the need for political theorists to engage with environmental issues and advocates for sustainable governance approaches.
The podcast highlights the inadequacy of traditional political concepts in addressing the complexities of the contemporary environmental crisis.
Omar Dahbour introduces eco-sovereignty as a principle allowing peoples to manage their natural environments, challenging conventional views of state power.
The discussion emphasizes the need for ecological equity in environmental justice, intertwining rights to resources with sustainable practices for communities.
Deep dives
The Evolution of Political Philosophy
The podcast discusses the inadequacy of traditional political philosophy concepts in addressing contemporary environmental issues. The speaker argues that the vocabulary used, which emerged under different social conditions, hinders effective discourse regarding the environmental crisis. By highlighting the need for new concepts like eco-sovereignty, the discussion promotes a reconstruction of political thought to better reflect global ecological challenges. Extractivism is identified as a central issue, with an emphasis on how historical political theories have overlooked the implications of resource depletion.
Eco-Sovereignty and its Implications
Eco-sovereignty is introduced as a crucial principle that grants peoples the authority to manage and protect their natural environments. This principle is seen as an essential shift away from conventional views of sovereignty, which typically associate it with state power. The podcast elaborates on how sub-state groups and local communities can exercise eco-sovereignty to prevent environmental degradation. By recognizing the interconnectedness of territory, environment, and community, this principle presents a pathway for sustainable management of ecological resources.
Challenges of Extractivism
The podcast emphasizes the dangers of extractivism—defined as the extensive extraction of natural resources without sufficient regard for ecological balance. Extractivism leads to biodiversity loss and climate change, which are framed as core issues of the environmental crisis. Through various global examples, the discussion illustrates how extractivism disproportionately impacts marginalized communities, linking social justice to environmental degradation. The need for urgent action against extractivism is underscored as vital for the survival of ecosystems and the communities that depend on them.
Redefining Environmental Justice
A new perspective on environmental justice is proposed, broadening the concept beyond just the distribution of environmental harms and benefits. The speaker advocates for ecological equity, asserting that justice must also address the fundamental rights to natural resources and the land itself. This shift emphasizes that both rights and environmental sustainability must be intertwined, challenging traditional notions of justice rooted in mere distribution. The discussion calls for philosophers and activists to recognize the importance of sustainable practices in food production and land use as essential aspects of environmental justice.
The Role of Local Governance
The podcast concludes with a focus on the potential for local governance structures to effectively address environmental issues. It suggests that decentralized governance, including community land trusts and indigenous rights, can empower communities to have a direct say in managing their local environments. By promoting local stewardship, the conversation highlights that meaningful change often occurs at smaller scales rather than through traditional state structures. This approach advocates for incorporating ecological considerations into constitutions to ensure lasting protection for natural resources.
Part of what makes the challenges that collectively are called the “environmental crisis” so difficult is that the vocabulary we deploy in thinking and discussing the issues emerged under social conditions that are far removed from our present. The familiar idiom of nation states, borders, jurisdiction, and so on seems inadequate for addressing a crisis that concerns global conditions. It’s plausible to think that a cogent response to the environmental crisis will require a reconstruction of the conceptual tools of social and political theory.
In his new book, Ecosovereignty: A Political Principle for the Environmental Crisis (Routledge 2024), Omar Dahbour develops new understandings of the concepts of sovereignty, territory, peoplehood, and self-determination, all with a view toward building a case for the principle according to which peoples have a right to protect and maintain their natural environments.