Elite and marginalised actors in toxic treadmills: challenging the power of the state, military, and economy

Abstract

The theoretical frameworks of the treadmill of production and the treadmill of destruction are used to explore how the expansionary dynamics of capitalism and militarism, along with a complicit state apparatus, harm the environment and human health. The treadmill analysis is extended beyond a structural explanation of the occurrence of environmental inequality by showing how elite shareholders interact with marginalised stakeholders. A historical-comparative study of uranium mining on the Navajo Nation's lands and the toxic contamination of the North Carolina military base, Camp Lejeune, is carried out to explore claims-making strategies, to understand how each claimant negotiates their position, and to unearth power differences among multiple interests. Secondary data analysis is conducted on government documents, journalists’ accounts, public health records, and scholarly research to elucidate resistance to these treadmills, and bridge the role that the economy, the state, and the military play in degrading human health and the natural environment.