Book Launch: Environmental Anarchy? Security in the 21 st Century by Mark Beeson

With an introduction by the The Hon. Professor Stephen Smith

Some of the most influential ideas about national and even global security reflect untenable, anachronistic strategic views that are simply no longer appropriate for contemporary international circumstances.  At a time when climate change poses an existential threat to the continuation of life itself, there is an urgent need to rethink security priorities while we still can.

This presentation draws on Mark Beeson’s new book to provide an explanation of the failures and dangers of the conventional strategic wisdom, and outlines the case for a new approach that takes issues like environmental and human security much more seriously.

About the speaker
Mark Beeson is Professor of International Politics at the University of Western Australia, and the former Research Chair of the AIIA.  Before joining UWA, he taught at Murdoch, Griffith, Queensland, York (UK) and Birmingham, where he was also head of department.  He has also had visiting positions in the UK, France, Germany, China, Russia, Austria, and Hong Kong.  His work is centred on the politics, economics and security of the broadly conceived Indo-Pacific region.