Activism and the Fossil Fuel Industry

As Donald Trump draws the US out of the Paris Agreement, the arguments for and against the fossil fuel industry and its impact on the climate are brought into sharp focus. In less than a decade, activism against the fossil fuel industry has exploded across the globe. While environmentalists used to focus on legislative goals, such as carbon emissions trading or renewable energy policies, today the most prominent activists directly attack the fossil fuel industry. Why has activism against the fossil fuel industry grown so fast? What drives this abrupt shift in climate activism? This timely book offers a comprehensive evaluation of the types of activism that are employed, the success and impact of the different campaigns and activities, and suggestions as to ways forward.

Through assessing substantive impact, and with a particular focus on activism in the United States, the book questions whether or not these campaigns can make a difference in reducing the rate of climate change. Public awareness of the environmental costs of fossil fuels has reached new heights, but has the focus on very targeted audiences restricted impact, especially in terms of geography, partisanship, and lifestyle?

This book is the first comprehensive and systematic treatment of the anti-fossil fuel movement in the United States. An accessible and readable text, it is an essential reference for scholars, policymakers, activists, and citizens interested in climate change, fossil fuels, and environmental sustainability.

The entire book or chapters from it can be used as required or supplementary material in various courses at the undergraduate and graduate level. As the book is not technically challenging but contains a comprehensive review of climate change, fossil fuels, and the literature on environmental activism, it can be used as an accessible introduction to the anti-fossil fuel campaign across disciplines.

By conducting a thorough analysis of why activists are enthusiastic about the anti-fossil fuel movement and how they have managed to sustain the dynamism of the campaign over the years, the book offers new answers to enduring questions about the motivation behind activism, the determinants of the survival and effectiveness of social movements, and the limits of mobilization.

Andrew Cheon is Assistant Professor of International Political Economy at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, USA.

Johannes Urpelelainen is Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science, Columbia University, USA.