New Book Highlights Hope Amid Environmental Challenges

University of Illinois professor examines how citizens and writers in the Global South are imagining alternative futures in the face of environmental harms.

Published on Mar. 4, 2026

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In her new book "Reading Better States: Utopian Method and Environmental Harm in the Global South," University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign English professor Rebecca Oh explores how people and writers in the Global South are responding to environmental problems with both criticism of their governments and demands for greater protections and action. Her research found that despite the environmental challenges they face, these communities are also imagining alternative, more hopeful futures.

Why it matters

Oh's work provides an important perspective on how marginalized communities are engaging with their governments and the state in the face of environmental crises, moving beyond just critique to envision positive change. Her findings offer insight into how citizens can leverage the power of the state to address environmental harms, even in the face of weak citizenship rights and disenfranchisement.

The details

Oh's research expertise is in postcolonial studies and environmental humanities, and she looked at a range of examples, including the 1984 Bhopal gas disaster in India, oil spills in the Niger Delta in Nigeria, Cape Town's drought response, and the challenges faced by Pacific island nations like Tuvalu, Kiribati, and the Marshall Islands due to rising sea levels. In each case, she found that while these communities were critical of their governments' actions, they were also petitioning the state to provide greater protections and redress for environmental harms.

  • The 1984 Bhopal gas disaster occurred in India.
  • In the five years between the Bhopal disaster and the 1989 settlement, the Indian government passed a law regarding the processing of claims that took a wide view of the grounds on which victims could seek compensation.
  • The Nigerian government has tried, through legislation or court proceedings, to hold corporations accountable for damage caused by oil spills in the Niger Delta.
  • During a severe drought in Cape Town, South Africa, the city instituted water-use restrictions and called out "water heroes" who were doing their part as well as "water delinquents" who were violating the restrictions.
  • The Pacific island nations of Tuvalu, Kiribati, and the Marshall Islands have taken actions like building sea walls and using diplomacy to address the threats posed by rising sea levels.

The players

Rebecca Oh

A professor of English at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, whose research expertise is in postcolonial studies and environmental humanities.

Union Carbide Corporation

The company that operated the pesticide factory in Bhopal, India that experienced a disastrous explosion in 1984, killing several thousand people and causing long-term health and environmental damage.

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What they’re saying

“It was simultaneously a critique but also an attachment to the actions the state could take. Their complaints weren't just a catalog of negativity but also a demand on power.”

— Rebecca Oh, Professor, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (Mirage News)

“The government acknowledged that they were the problem and went after them, rather than blaming poor residents.”

— Rebecca Oh, Professor, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (Mirage News)

What’s next

Oh's book "Reading Better States: Utopian Method and Environmental Harm in the Global South" is set to be published in 2026, providing further insights into how marginalized communities are responding to environmental challenges.

The takeaway

Oh's research offers a nuanced perspective on the role of the state in addressing environmental harms, showing that even in the face of critique, disenfranchised communities are still turning to the state as a potential source of redress and positive change. Her findings suggest that environmental concerns can be a powerful catalyst for civic engagement and the reimagining of state-citizen relationships.