Section Info: ENVST-347-01

Course Title: Environmental Geopolitics and Security
Start Date: 01/27/2026 End Date: 05/12/2026
Term: Spring Semester 2026
Description: Food insecurity, warfare, disasters, energy, climate crises: how are environments enrolled in and entangled with questions of power, security, and geopolitical strategy? This course will explore relationships between population, resources, and scarcity, starting from the premise that scarcity is more often manufactured to maintain power than it is a "natural" condition. We examine the weaponization of environments in modern warfare, relationships between racism, pollution, (in)security and slow violence, the ways that climate change is being militarized and securitized and energy transitions are raising new questions of geopolitical power. We conclude with perspectives on rethinking security.
Distribution(s): III - Social Sciences
Academic Level Of Course: Undergraduate     Credits:4.00    

Faculty         Phone         Email address        
Kevin Surprise             ksurpris@mtholyoke.edu  

Meeting Dates         Method         Meeting days         Meeting times         Building name         Room     Frequency    
01/27/2026 - 05/12/2026   Seminar   Tuesday   01:30PM - 04:20PM   TBA   TBA   Weekly

REGISTRATION DETAILS

Requisite Courses        
Prereq: 8 credits in humanities or social science. Take previously   Required  

Comments        
Additional Comments        
Course Tags        
ENVST-CRSE   ENVST-EL: Env Studies Electives   This course is an approved elective for the Environmental Studies major and minor.  
ENVST-SS   ENVST-SS: Env Studies pre-2024 Minor - Social Science   This course has been approved to count towards the Environmental Studies minor Social Science area.  
IR0002   INTREL-GC: Global Commons   This course has been approved to count towards the International Relations major's Global Commons focus.  
IR0004   INTREL-PS: International Peace & Security   This course has been approved to count towards the International Relations major's International Peace and Security focus.  
NXLAR0001   NXLAR: Nexus in Law, Public Policy, and Human Rights   This course is approved for the Law, Public Policy, and Human Rights Nexus track.  

Cross-listed Sections        
None  

Course Availability
Section status: Waitlisted     Capacity: 18     Enrollment: 18     Available: 0     Waitlist: 5
Please note: The "Available" count will equal 0 in a Waitlisted course where spaces in the course have recently opened and students have not yet been moved into them from the waitlist.

BOOK INFORMATION

Book List         Required         Publisher Full Price        
To be determined.                    

Additional Book Comments        
This is NOT the complete book list for this class.