Julius A. McGee, PhD.
Scholar, Educator, Researcher
Historical material analysis and critique of climate mitigation strategies that do not consider the complex reality of social inequality.
Since earning his PhD at the University of Oregon, Julius has outlined the ways in which organic agriculture contributes to climate change, illustrated how renewable energy consumption expands social inequality, and advocated for a more robust understanding of how energy systems perpetuate racism.
More recently, Julius has embarked on a book project that explores the connection between anti-Black racism and the ongoing climate crises as well as an historical materialist analysis of the history of the United States from the precolonial era to the present day.
With the escalation of the climate crisis, the asymmetry of climatic effects on various human populations becomes increasingly apparent. From wildfires to flooding, the populations affected by climate change are often the ones least responsible for the crisis. This talk will explore how the socioeconomic system of capitalism has historically exposed specific racial groups to environmental harm while also contributing to the climate crisis. In doing so, I seek to prove how colonialism, white supremacy, imperialism, and patriarchy are at the center of the climate crisis and why abolishing these systems is necessary for the future.
Selected Works:
Patrick Trent Greiner, Richard York, and Julius McGee. 2022. “When are Fossil Fuels Displaced? An Exploratory Inquiry into the Role of Nuclear Electricity Production in the Displacement of Fossil Fuels.” Heliyon. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844022000834
McGee Julius. 2021. “Refinancing the Climate Crisis: The Disaster Politics of Climate Change and Datafication of Capital” Hampton Institute https://www.hamptonthink.org/read/refinancing-the-climate-crisis-the-disaster-politics-of-climate-change-and-the-datafication-of-capital
McGee Julius and Patrick Trent Greiner. 2020. “Racial Justice is Climate Justice: Racial Capitalism and the Fossil Economy” Hampton Institute https://www.hamptonthink.org/read/racial-justice-is-climate-justice-racial-capitalism-and-the-fossil-economy
McGee Julius and Patrick Trent Greiner. 2020. “How Long can Neoliberalism Withstand Climate Crisis? Monthly Review https://monthlyreview.org/2020/04/01/how-long-can-neoliberalism-withstand-climate-crisis/
McGee, Julius Alexander and Patrick Trent Greiner. 2019. “Renewable Energy Injustice: The Socio-environmental Implications of Renewable Energy Consumption.” Energy Research and Social Science (56) 101214 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2214629618310971
On capitalist power, energy markets and climate crisis at the end of neoliberalism. This is Hell: Interview with Julius Alexander McGee and Patrick Trent Greiner https://thisishell.com/interviews/1177-patrick-trent-greiner-julius-alexander-mcgee
Areas of Interest
Animals in Society
The Anthropocene is defined by the impacts humans have had on our environment. As animals, our relationship to other animals have changed drastically over time. Through colonization, industrialization, urbanization, domestication and genocides, interspecies relationships continue to change and be a site for study, research and activism.
Black Marxism and the Black Radical Tradition
The erasure of contributions from Black scientists in the academy have led to the re-discovery of explanatory theories for much of what ails and interests society increasingly urgently. By applying the historicity of capitalism developed by Oliver Cox, my research elucidates the social forces of racialized power inequality at play throughout history to better understand the climate crisis and other crises of social inequity. I have taught both undergrad and graduate courses on race and capitalism, race and ethnicity, and intersectionality.
Environmental Justice
The focus of my teaching and research have centered social theory, historical materialism, biology, soil science, and quantitative methods for assessing disparate environmental impact. I have taught both undergrad and graduate seminars on environmental sociology, and social theory.
“At best, Marxian hypotheses are "servants, not masters." Indeed, it has been said that Karl Marx himself was not Marxian because in his studies he strived to understand modern society, while the religious Marxists, in their exegetical discussions, center their attention not upon the ongoing social system but rather upon an explanation and criticism of Marx — a sort of rumination of his conclusions, incidental errors and all. If, therefore, parts of this study seem Marxian, it is not because we have taken the ideas of this justly famous writer as gospel, but because we have not discovered any other that could explain the facts so consistently.”
– Dr. Oliver Cromwell Cox
Get in Touch
Reach out to me for collaborative projects, teaching and mentoring interest or for speaking engagement opportunities.