Refusing Ecocide

"In Refusing Ecocide: From Fossil Capitalism to a Liveable World, William Carroll draws upon his decades of work in political economy and sociology to present a lucid critique of the limitations of current responses to the global crises of nature and justice, and to outline alternatives that have real potential to save what may yet be saved. While sympathetic to elements of the Green New Deal supported by social democrats in the USA, degrowth economics, and the Buen Vivir movement rooted in Indigenous Andean culture, Carroll argues that none of these approaches alone can achieve the transformation of an imperialist and capitalist system that exercises cultural and political hegemony in the Global North. Building on an understanding of revolutionary change that is deeply informed by Gramscian concepts, Carroll outlines the multi-scalar political agency required to fundamentally restructure our states and economies. This book is an essential resource for those seeking to articulate clearly why current approaches to the climate crisis are failing, and to refocus their efforts to build just alternatives to capitalist ecocide."

Laurie Adkin, Professor Emerita of Political Science, University of Alberta, Canada

“The deepening climate crisis is caused by the capitalist mode of production and living and its main agents, fossil capital, supported by imperial politics. William Carroll gives us a historical understanding of how fossil capital´s power has led to a civilizational crisis and the current ecocide. The promise of Green Capitalism is a false one, based as it is on technological and market fetishism, “clean growth” (which usually means “dirty” capitalist accumulation) and a largely unsustainable hegemony of the everyday, e.g. the dominance of a car-centred mobility system. Historical materialism at its best! Carroll also contributes to the urgently needed creation of emancipatory alternatives. Democratic eco-socialism has the potential to unite these into a coherent project against fossil capitalism because it intervenes in production relations, promotes democratic planning and develops strategies to unite progressive forces. A must-read for activists, progressive decision-makers, scholars and anyone interested in critical thinking and radical change!”

Ulrich Brand, Professor of International Politics, University of Vienna, Austria, and co-author of The Imperial Mode of Living (2021) and Capitalism at the Limit (forthcoming)

"Refusing Ecocide presents a bold and unapologetic analysis of the climate crisis. William K. Carroll shows how the roots of ecological collapse lie in capitalism’s relentless drive for profit and extraction, and calls for rejecting superficial fixes like green capitalism. Carroll pushes us to imagine a future grounded in eco-socialism, where collective stewardship and democratic control reshape our relationship with the Earth. In this era of deepening environmental collapse, Refusing Ecocide delivers a powerful and transformative vision for those seeking to dismantle capitalism’s destructive logic and reimagine a regenerative way of living."

S. A. Hamed Hosseini, Senior Lecturer in Sociology, University of Newcastle, Australia and co-author of Capital Redefined: A Commonist Value Theory for Liberating Life (2024)