Abstract
Extraction and conservation seem to be polar opposites, yet they entertain multiple relations as the 'greening' of extractive activities mobilizes conservation efforts to address the 'extinction crisis.' Drawing on a review of the literature and two case studies, this article discusses the politics of affinity and enmity shaping the extraction-conservation nexus, and partnerships. As crisis conservation and green extraction receive increased attention, the article suggests that the convergence of extraction and conservation is not only pragmatic, but also reflects shared discursive imaginaries and valuations of nature, practices materialized through spaces of 'double exception', and common politics of enmity directed at local communities that legitimize exclusionary practices rather than solve capitalism's contradictions.
Highlights
Walking into Texaco's office in Angola in 1998 as part of an investigation on corruption in the oil sector, I was struck by a corporate poster promoting the company's oil rigs as a marvel of marine conservation
Conservation is supposed to fend off extraction, but neoliberal logics have led many conservation organizations to hypocritically embrace extractive corporations eager to revamp their image as defenders of the environment
Beyond opportunistic funding and green-washing, affinities between conservation and extraction rest on a readiness to dispossess in the name of a 'greater cause', whether through de-humanized understandings of biodiversity or false promises of economic development
Summary
Walking into Texaco's office in Angola in 1998 as part of an investigation on corruption in the oil sector, I was struck by a corporate poster promoting the company's oil rigs as a marvel of marine conservation. The main argument is that the politics of mutual affinity and common enmity between conservation and extraction mobilizes shared narratives and practices undermining opposition to neoliberal conservation and extractivism (i.e. logics of development through extractive activities), including false narratives of hope for the planet and conservationdriven spatial fixes to the damages of extraction, as well as new domains of capital accumulation from extinction and climate change mitigation. The conclusion summarizes the main arguments, discusses major implications for conservation-extraction relations, and suggests areas for further research
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