Climate Insecurity: Exploring How Environmental Security Discoursed Affect Climate Change Campaigning in the UK

气候变化的传播已经变得越来越复杂，尽管与代表抽象和复杂的科学过程相关的问题（Doyle 2011）。环境非政府组织和社会运动团体在制定气候变化框架方面发挥着至关重要的作用，努力影响英国的气候和社会政策。通常，这些框架和叙述是有争议的，是竞争政策或竞选议程的结果（Schlembach 2011）。在气候变化的调解和政策话语中，安全是一个关键叙事的基础（Dalby 2002），被国际政府组织、国家行政部门、气候科学家、非政府组织和基层活动家团体等各种各样的行动者所采用。气候变化与安全之间的联系被强调为资源和领土冲突的风险，对国家基础设施和公共安全的威胁，或犯罪增加和被迫移民。然而，“安全”本身仍然难以概念化（Neocleous 2008）。该学生将批判性地研究安全话语如何进入并改变英国从国际非政府组织到基层活动家团体的竞选组织的气候变化沟通和竞选策略。同时，该项目将批判性地探索和描绘气候变化传播中安全叙事的挑战和局限性，因为环境活动家和抗议者也被视为潜在的安全风险。因此，气候变化“证券化”的一个影响可能是对活动人士、社会运动和非政府组织的犯罪化、控制和监视。该研究将采用定性方法，并从传播学、犯罪学和社会运动理论中汲取理论见解。它将为气候传播快速变化的社会政治格局提供重要见解，并将考虑对气候行动主义和政策制定的潜在影响。该博士生将为ESRC的优先领域做出贡献，该领域将解决“与气候治理、风险和沟通有关的问题”。该项目横跨社会学、政治学和犯罪学，通过关注气候变化政策对非政府组织气候传播和活动策略的潜在影响，与UoA 22有着明显的联系。在气候变化日益证券化的背景下，探讨政府和非营利工作之间的关系，也将反映其对公众参与的潜在影响。

Climate change communication has become increasingly sophisticated, despite the problems associated with representing abstract and complex scientific processes (Doyle 2011). Environmental NGOs and social movement groups play a crucial role in framing climate change, in an effort to influence UK climate and social policy. Frequently these framings and narratives are contested and are outcomes of competing policy or campaigning agendas (Schlembach 2011). Security has underpinned a key narrative in mediated and policy discourses of climate change (Dalby 2002), employed by actors as diverse as international governmental organisations, national administrations, climate scientists, NGOs and grassroots activist groups. The link between climate change and security has been stressed as risks of conflict over resources and territory, threats to national infrastructure and public safety, or increased crime and forced migration. However, "security" itself remains difficult to conceptualise (Neocleous 2008). This studentship will critically examine how security discourses have entered and altered the climate change communication and campaigning strategies of campaigning organisations in the UK, from international NGOs to grassroots activist groups. Simultaneously the project will critically explore and map the challenges and limitations of the security narrative in climate change communication at a time when environmental activists and protesters are also seen as potential security risks. An effect of the 'securitisation' of climate change could therefore be the criminalisation, control and surveillance of activists, social movements and NGOs. The research will utilise qualitative methodologies and apply theoretical insights drawn from communication studies, criminology and social movement theory. It will offer important insights into the rapidly changing socio-political landscape of climate communication and will also consider the potential implications for climate activism and policy-making.This PhD studentship will contribute to the ESRC priority area that addresses 'issues relating to climate governance, risk and communication'. Situated across sociology, politics and criminology, this project has a clear link to UoA 22 through its focus upon the potential impact of climate change policy upon the climate communication and campaigning strategies of NGOs. In exploring the relationship between governmental and not-for-profit work in the context of the increasing securitisation of climate change, it will also reflect upon its potential impacts upon public engagement.