Includes bibliographical references (p. 161-176) and index.

This book is a comprehensive, critical discussion of the new idea of environmental security. Jon Barnett looks at links between environmental degradation and national security. But the meaning of the concept is ambiguous, and an examination of its various interpretations and applications reveals much about the state of global environmental politics. Barnett argues that environmental security is ultimately driven more by the power of security-makers than by the need to address environmental problems. By systematically uncovering the deficiencies of existing discourses, he develops an alternative, critical Green approach with practical implications.