Human rights, fossil fuels and contemporary structures of power. A study of fracking in the UK

Master's Thesis from the year 2017 in the subject Politics - Topic: Public International Law and Human Rights, grade: A, University of London (School of Advanced Studies, Institute of Commonwealth Studies), language: English, abstract: In the UK, successive governments since 2010 have positioned unconventional fossil fuels at the centre of their energy policy in spite of overwhelming scientific evidence that the planet cannot sustain the current level of fossil fuel consumption and that anthropogenic ecological degradation is driving us towards an extinction-level event. They have continued to push forwards with it despite fierce public opposition and mounting evidence of violations of human rights due to its negative ecological consequences and the way the police handle the continuous demonstrations against it.

Through a qualitative study of the policing tactics used at anti-fracking protests; I explore how UK politics and policy-making have moved away from the foundational ideas of democracy (a representative government to protect and promote the wellbeing of the many) to an institutional system that exists to ensure the wealth and power of the few - a hegemonic elite, in Gramscian terms. I argue that the logic of neoliberal capitalism has given rise to structures of power and policy choices are resulting in human rights violations and making it almost impossible to adopt environmental policy options that will prevent ecological destruction.