Disaster Capitalism
What is disaster capitalism, and how does it function in post-disaster scenarios?
Disaster capitalism refers to the exploitation of crises for profit, often through privatization and deregulation in disaster-stricken areas.
What does Olúfẹ́mi Táíwò mean by "climate apartheid"?
The divide between the wealthy, who can escape climate disasters, and the poor, who bear the brunt of climate change.
What is eco-fascism, and how does it frame environmental issues?
Eco-fascism uses environmental concerns to justify authoritarianism, racism, and population control.
How are prisons and detention centers impacted by climate change?
Extreme heat, flooding, and poor infrastructure make incarcerated populations highly vulnerable.
How does disaster capitalism shape responses to climate change?
It prioritizes profit-driven solutions over equitable, community-centered responses.
How did neoliberal policies shape disaster recovery efforts in the U.S. Gulf Coast and Haiti?
Neoliberal policies led to privatized recovery efforts, favoring corporations over affected communities, exacerbating inequalities.
How does climate apartheid intersect with policing and state violence?
Increased militarization and policing are used to control climate refugees and protect elite interests.
How do far-right movements use environmental concerns to justify anti-immigrant rhetoric?
They falsely claim immigration worsens environmental degradation, advocating for exclusionary policies.
What does the StoryMaps project reveal about the link between climate change and the prison-industrial complex?
It highlights how prisons are built in hazardous areas and how incarceration is used as a response to climate displacement.
What policies could prevent climate apartheid?
Wealth redistribution, climate reparations, and inclusive disaster relief policies.
What role do private corporations play in disaster capitalism?
Private corporations profit from disaster response contracts, reconstruction, and resource extraction in affected areas.
Give an example of how wealthier nations or individuals are insulated from climate disasters.
Wealthier people can relocate, access private disaster relief, and live in climate-resilient infrastructure.
How does Vice News describe the connection between climate change and xenophobic policies?
The far-right blames immigrants for environmental decline, using climate change to justify nationalism.
How does environmental racism affect incarcerated populations?
Prisons are disproportionately located in polluted, disaster-prone areas, affecting predominantly marginalized groups.
How can environmental movements challenge eco-fascism?
By promoting intersectional justice, anti-racist policies, and inclusive environmental advocacy.
How does disaster capitalism disproportionately impact marginalized communities?
These communities often face displacement, reduced aid, and exclusion from decision-making, worsening pre-existing inequalities.
How does climate apartheid relate to broader patterns of racial and economic inequality?
It exacerbates existing racial and economic disparities, disproportionately harming marginalized communities.
Explain how eco-fascism differs from mainstream environmentalism.
Unlike inclusive environmentalism, eco-fascism promotes exclusionary, racist policies under the guise of conservation.
How do rising temperatures and worsening climate conditions create human rights concerns within prisons?
Lack of air conditioning, poor ventilation, and exposure to disasters make prisons sites of climate injustice.
What role should governments play in addressing the climate-prison nexus?
Governments should decarcerate, invest in sustainable infrastructure, and protect vulnerable populations.
Describe the relationship between racial cleansing and disaster capitalism according to Pyles, Svistova, and Ahn.
Disaster recovery policies can push out marginalized groups, reshaping demographics in favor of wealthier, predominantly white populations.
Explain how climate apartheid policies contribute to forced displacement and migration crises.
Climate disasters force vulnerable communities to migrate, while restrictive border policies criminalize their movement.
How has eco-fascism historically justified acts of violence?
Perpetrators of mass violence have cited environmental concerns as justification for attacks on marginalized groups.
In what ways are carceral systems used to manage climate refugees and displaced populations?
Detention centers and restrictive policies criminalize climate migration instead of providing humanitarian support.
How do the readings challenge mainstream climate narratives?
They expose the intersection of climate change with capitalism, racism, and state violence.