Energy and human ecology: a critical security approach

Energy security has long been an important aspect of state security, but has only rarely been thought of as an environmental issue. Yet given our dependence on fossil fuels, a finite natural resource, energy security is fundamentally an ecological issue. Many observers see the impending ‘peak’ in world oil production as a greater threat to political order than climate change or terrorism, yet few governments are openly discussing peak oil, and there is virtually no international governance mechanism to address the issue. Building on the insights of Critical Security Studies, a case is made for reading peak oil as an important security issue for both importing and exporting states. The probable consequences of peak oil are examined in terms of three parameters that constitute ‘security’ issues – threats to freedom, uncertainty for the future, and the possibility of death – and it is shown that peak oil constitutes a compelling security threat in these terms. This formula suggests a novel perspective on energy security, approaching it as a problem of human ecology rather than merely one of state security.