Oceans Rise Empires Fall: Why Geopolitics Hastens Climate Catastrophe, reviewed

We look at the new book by Gerard Toal. See more about Oceans Rise Empires Fall: Why Geopolitics Hastens Climate Catastrophe here.

Oceans Rise Empires Fall: Why Geopolitics Hastens Climate Catastrophe, reviewed

This title definitely caught our imagination. The concept does make a lot of sense. As war rages in Ukraine you can only wonder about the environmental impacts of the massive level of destruction inflicted. Naturally you need to fight as another country tries to take your land, but it does show that at a wider level, how on earth can humanity deal with global climate concerns if it is still trying to invade and seize land from other countries. This therefore is a massive problem and constraint on tackling any types of global environmental problems when different nations can not even work together.

The book covers historical considerations and contexts well, with several good and informative chapters covering the geopolitical history of what has happened already. In some ways the title’s reference to oceans rising seemed almost metaphorical rather than literal. Whereas we would have been interested in a more specific description of where oceans might rise and how it could impact on particular empires. For us the book spent longer in theoretical considerations rather than diving down into specific details and predictions of where and who might be most affected. Horses for courses perhaps.

More about the book

It is the decisive decade for climate change action, yet great power competition is surging. Geo-economic rivalries and territorial conflicts over Ukraine and Taiwan appear more important than collective action against catastrophic climate change. Why do great powers favor competition and rivalry over transnational policies to address the greatest threat humanity has ever faced?

In Oceans Rise Empires Fall, Gerard Toal identifies geopolitics as the culprit. Examining its meaning, history, and leading thinkers, he exposes the geo-ecological foundations of geopolitics and the struggles for living space that it expresses.

The book isolates three Earth-controlling practices that characterize geopolitics. The territorial control imperatives of great powers preclude collaborative behavior to address common challenges. Competing world historical missions drive rivalries and wars, like Russia’s fossil-fuel-funded aggression against Ukraine. Military-industrial competition over leading edge technologies and critical minerals takes priority over collaborative decarbonization policies.

In the contest between geopolitics and sustainable climate policies, the former takes precedence—especially when competition shifts to outright conflict. In this book, Toal interrogates that relationship and its stakes for the ongoing acceleration of climate change.

About the author:

Gerard Toal is Professor of Geography at Virginia Tech and the author of numerous books, including Near Abroad (Oxford), Bosnia Remade (Oxford, co-authored) and Critical Geopolitics (Minnesota).

Advance praise for Oceans Rise Empires Fall

“Toal has produced another stunningly original and indispensable contribution to our understanding of geopolitics. With great historical sweep and analytical insight, the book exposes how the great powers’ enduring obsession with territorial defense, the projection of exceptional ideologies, and embrace of new technologies have accelerated global environmental catastrophe while insulating foreign policy and security officials from confronting the disastrous impact of their state-centered decisions.”
ALEXANDER COOLEY, Claire Tow Professor of Political Science, Barnard College, Columbia University, and coauthor of Exit from Hegemony: The Unraveling from the American Global Order

“In Oceans Rise Empires Fall, Gerard Toal provides a masterful analysis of the ongoing interplay between geopolitical rivalry and the natural environment. As he persuasively demonstrates, the worldwide drive for geopolitical advantage has entailed an ever-increasing assault on the planetary ecosphere and is now impeding international efforts to slow global warming. Essential reading for all those seeking to comprehend—and counter—the barriers to effective climate action.”
MICHAEL KLARE, Professor Emeritus of Peace and World Security Studies, Hampshire College, and author of All Hell Breaking Loose: The Pentagon’s Perspective on Climate Change

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