Green Abolitionism

While scientific consensus on climate change is widely accepted, political responses to the crisis remain slow and inadequate. Current approaches often rely on incremental reforms or technological fixes, while the language of “sustainability” has failed to inspire broad democratic action. These limits stem from deep-seated assumptions—human exceptionalism, capitalist growth, and the idea that ecosystems are mere “resources.” As climate disruption accelerates, we need a new way of thinking that moves beyond these constraints and sparks collective imagination.

Green Abolitionism offers a new approach. Drawing on abolitionist traditions and ecological economics, Christopher C. Robinson introduces “green abolitionism” as a framework for reimagining environmental politics around freedom rather than sustainability. Across nine engaging lectures, Robinson blends political theory, ecological critique, and stories of activism to show how anti-capitalist, democratic strategies can transform our relationship to the planet. Accessible yet thought-provoking, Green Abolitionism invites readers to see climate action not as technical adjustment but as a bold, abolitionist project—one that demands creativity, justice, and hope.

Christopher C. Robinson is University Professor of Political Theory and Public Law at Clarkson University. He is the author of Wittgenstein and Political Theory: The View From Somewhere (2009) and the editor of John G. Gunnell: History, Discourses and Disciplines (2017).