ABSTRACT
With more than 10,000 islands scattered over 800,000 square kilometers, Oceania is a region of geographic and environmental extremes. From the white sand atolls in the Marshall Islands to the red dirt of the Australian arid lands, this continent is also on the forefront of experiencing the effects of our global environmental crisis. Rising tides, extreme weather, desertification, biodiversity loss, and waste threaten communities and ecosystems across the continent. Emerging from a history of colonial conquest and corporate acquisitions, the Oceanian environmental movement mirrors this geographic diversity of the region. Environmental groups across the four regions of Oceania – Melanesia, Micronesia, Polynesia, and Australasia – focus on different environmental issues, use different strategies for promoting environmental behaviors, and use different mobilization tactics to gain supporters. In this chapter, we examine findings from an analysis of a large database of Oceanian environmental groups, campaigns, and events, positioning this work in the context of our theoretical approach and Oceanian scholarship more broadly. We highlight the importance of three factors in the evolution of the movement: localized mobilization structures, founded in contextually important identities; context-specific framing and action repertoires, shaped by group norms; and the influence of political contexts, creating opportunities and barriers to action.
