This subfield studies imperialism's impacts on the environment and sustainability.
Environmentalism: The study of conservation of natural resources and protection of the environment.
Imperialism: A policy of extending a country's power and influence through colonization and exploitation of resources from other countries.
Colonialism: The policy or practice of acquiring and maintaining colonies, particularly of exploiting their resources.
Resource extraction: The process of obtaining natural resources from the land or the earth, usually for economic gain.
Land use and land grabbing: The acquisition of land by private or public entities for exploitation of its resources, often without regard for the land rights of local communities.
Environmental justice: The fair and equitable distribution of environmental benefits and harms among all people, regardless of race, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status.
Ecological imperialism: The practice of introducing foreign, often invasive species or ecosystems into new environments, resulting in ecological disruption and harm to local communities.
Postcolonialism: The critical examination of the effects of colonialism and imperialism on social, political, and economic systems, particularly in relation to notions of identity, power, and knowledge.
Globalization: The increasing interconnectedness of the world's economies, cultures, and politics, resulting in both positive and negative environmental impacts.
Climate change: The long-term changes in the earth's climate patterns caused by human activities, particularly the emissions of greenhouse gases from burning fossil fuels.
Environmental racism: The systematic and institutionalized pattern of environmental hazards and pollution disproportionately affecting communities of color and low-income communities.
Resource depletion: The exhaustion of natural resources from overconsumption, often resulting in environmental degradation and negative impacts on local communities.
Sustainability: The ability to maintain ecological balance and natural resource use at a level that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
Resource appropriation: This occurs when a powerful country or corporation exploits the natural resources of a less-developed country without regard for its people or environment.
Environmental degradation: This happens when the activities of a powerful country or corporation cause significant harm to the environment of a less-developed country (e.g. pollution, deforestation, soil depletion).
Forced relocation: This happens when people are forcefully relocated from their homes to make way for development or resource extraction activities, leading to the destruction of their way of life and traditional culture.
Intellectual property theft: This occurs when a powerful country or corporation patents a technology or product that has been used for generations by indigenous people to exploit their traditional knowledge for commercial gain.
Biopiracy: This happens when a powerful country or corporation exploits the genetic resources of a less-developed country, with little or no benefit for the latter.
Nuclear testing: This happened when powerful countries carried out nuclear weapons testing on the land of less-developed countries, causing significant damage to the environment and human health.