Remaking Appalachia: Ecosocialism, Ecofeminism, and Law (Introduction)
Introduction chapter reprinted with permission from West Virginia University Press, book catalog page: https://wvupressonline.com/node/862
21 Pages Posted: 6 Aug 2018 Last revised: 20 Mar 2021
Date Written: July 24, 2018
Abstract
Environmental law has failed spectacularly to protect Appalachia from the ravages of liberal capitalism, and from extractive industries in particular. Remaking Appalachia chronicles such failures, but also puts forth hopeful paths for truly radical change.
Remaking Appalachia begins with an account of how, over a century ago, laws governing environmental and related issues proved fruitless against the rising power of coal and other industries. Key legal regimes were, in fact, explicitly developed to support favored industrial growth. Aided by law, industry succeeded in maximizing profits not just through profound exploitation of Appalachia’s environment, but also through subordination along lines of class, gender, and race. After chronicling such failures and those of liberal development strategies in the region, Remaking Appalachia explores true system change beyond law “reform.” Ecofeminism and ecosocialism undergird this discussion, which involves bottom-up approaches to transcending capitalism coordinated from local to global scales.
Keywords: Critical Environmental Law, Appalachian Studies, Ecofeminism, Ecosocialism, Degrowth, Critical Legal Theory, Law and Social Movement Studies
JEL Classification: K00
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation