Ecological States: Politics of Science and Nature in Urbanizing China

__Ecological States__ critically examines ecological policies in the People's Republic of China to show how campaigns of scientifically based environmental protection transform nature and society. While many point to China's ecological civilization programs as a new paradigm for global environmental governance, Jesse Rodenbiker argues that ecological redlining extends the reach of the authoritarian state. Although Chinese urban sustainability initiatives have driven millions of citizens from their land and housing, Rodenbiker shows that these migrants are not passive subjects of state policy. Instead, they creatively navigate resettlement processes in pursuit of their own benefit. However, their resistance is limited by varied forms of state-backed infrastructural violence. Through extensive fieldwork with scientists, urban planners, and everyday citizens in southwestern China, __Ecological States__ exposes the ways in which the scientific logics and practices fundamental to China's green urbanization have solidified state power and contributed to dispossession and social inequality. Ecological States critically examines ecological policies in the People's Republic of China to show how campaigns of scientifically based environmental protection transform nature and society. While many point to China's ecological civilization programs as a new paradigm for global environmental governance, Jesse Rodenbiker argues that ecological redlining extends the reach of the authoritarian state. Although Chinese urban sustainability initiatives have driven millions of citizens from their land and housing, Rodenbiker shows that these migrants are not passive subjects of state policy. Instead, they creatively navigate resettlement processes in pursuit of their own benefit. However, their resistance is limited by varied forms of state-backed infrastructural violence. Through extensive fieldwork with scientists, urban planners, and everyday citizens in southwestern China, Ecological States exposes the ways in which the scientific logics and practices fundamental to China's green urbanization have solidified state power and contributed to dispossession and social inequality With support from the Henry Luce Foundation, our goal is to produce all titles in this series both in Open Access, for reasons of global accessibility and equity, as well as in print editions.

Ecological States critically examines ecologicalpolicies in the People's Republic of China to show how campaigns ofscientifically based environmental protection transform nature andsociety. While many point to China's ecological civilizationprograms as a new paradigm for global environmental governance,Jesse Rodenbiker argues that ecological redlining extends the reachof the authoritarian state.

Although Chinese urban sustainability initiatives have drivenmillions of citizens from their land and housing, Rodenbiker showsthat these migrants are not passive subjects of state policy.Instead, they creatively navigate resettlement processes in pursuitof their own benefit. However, their resistance is limited byvaried forms of state-backed infrastructural violence.

Through extensive fieldwork with scientists, urban planners, andeveryday citizens in southwestern China, Ecological Statesexposes the ways in which the scientific logics and practicesfundamental to China's green urbanization have solidified statepower and contributed to dispossession and social inequality.

Contents 7 Foreword 9 Acknowledgments 11 Introduction: Ecological States 17 Part I ECOLOGY AND STATE POWER 41 1. Making Ecology Developmental 41 2. Botany, Beauty, Purification 70 3. Ecological Territorialization 92 Part II ECOLOGY AND SOCIAL TRAJECTORIES 119 4. Ecological Migrations, Volumetric Aspirations 119 5. Rural Redux 146 6. Infrastructural Diffusion 176 Epilogue: Global Ecological Futures 202 Appendix: Research Methods 211 Notes 217 References 235 Index 255