Matt McDonald is Reader in International Relations in the School of Political Science and International Studies, University of Queensland, Australia. He is the author of Security, the Environment and Emancipation (2012) and co-author (with Anthony Burke and Katrina Lee-Koo) of Ethics and Global Security (2014).

• Introduction; 1. The construction of security; 2. Climate security discourses; 3. Ecological security: a definition; 4. Means and ends of ecological security; 5. Towards Ecological Security?; Conclusion.

'Making a compelling case for engaging security in the face of climate catastrophe, this clearly argued volume is required reading for anyone interested in how to rethink international relations in the twenty first century. Doing so requires taking the rapidly changing ecological context of the contemporary world seriously as the premise for political thinking and action. Matt McDonald shows both the urgency and necessity of escaping the constraints of traditional forms of security thinking if a liveable world is to be made for future generations of humans and all the other species that constitute our essential life support system.' Simon Dalby, Balsillie School of International Affairs