This textbook offers a student-friendly survey of the global politics of the environment through the prism of security studies.

Peter Hough is an Associate Professor in International Politics at Middlesex University, London, UK. He is author of The Global Politics of Pesticides (1998) and Understanding Global Security (2018, 4th edn), and co-author of International Security Studies (2020, 2nd edn).

Part I: The Environment and Security

1. The Early History of Environmental Security: 'Green Shoots'

2. The Politicization of the Environment

3. The Securitization of Global Environmental Policy

4. The Threat Posed by Overpopulation: 'Breeding to Death?'

5. Resource Wars and Energy Security: 'Fighting over the Last Drop?'

6. Military Security and the Environment: 'The Smog of War'

7. 'Civilizational Security': Global Threats from Environmental Change

Part III: The Environment and Human Security

8. Climate Change: 'Adapt or Die?'

9. Pollution and Human Security: 'Messy Business'

10. Resource Depletion and Biodiversity: 'Running on Empty'

11. Natural Disasters: 'Learning to Expect the Unexpected'

12. Conclusions: To Securitize or Not to Securitize?