ABSTRACT
This chapter argues for the critical relevance of queer theory at a moment when the widespread notion of environmental apocalypse intensifies the association of the future with both children and nature, all three threatened by climatic change and eco-systemic disasters. At the same time, it contests dominant approaches in the field of queer ecology which have tended either to disregard or distance themselves from the futural negativity espoused by queer theorists such as Lee Edelman. The importance of an ‘apocalyptic turn’ as a point of articulation between queer theory and ecological thought is demonstrated through an exploration of the varieties of negativity that animate and engender different forms of eco-social critique. Inquiry into the theological resonances of this argument further illuminates the meaning of apocalyptic queer negativity in an ecological register and shows how this proposal tracks broader questions in humanities scholarship.
