environmental humanities

environmental humanities
Name	Environmental Humanities
Established	late 20th century
Focus	interdisciplinary study of human–nature relations, cultural meanings of ecological change, ethical responses to environmental crisis
Notable institutions	University of California, Berkeley, University of Oxford, Stanford University, Yale University, University of Cambridge, Columbia University, University of Colorado Boulder, University College London, Harvard University, Arizona State University
Notable scholars	Bruno Latour, Donna Haraway, Timothy Morton, Anna Tsing, Sheila Jasanoff, Dipesh Chakrabarty, William Cronon, Amitav Ghosh, Jared Diamond, Rachel Carson

environmental humanities

The environmental humanities is a cross-disciplinary cluster of scholarly practices that examines cultural, historical, philosophical, literary, artistic, and ethical dimensions of human interactions with nonhuman worlds. It connects literary studies, history, philosophy, anthropology, art history, and law to analyze environmental change, ecological perception, and responses to crises such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution. Scholars in the field engage with scientific work from institutions like Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and United Nations Environment Programme while retaining attention to values, narratives, and practices shaped by figures such as Rachel Carson, Bruno Latour, and Donna Haraway.

Overview

The field foregrounds connections among texts, images, practices, and policies as they relate to ecosystems, landscapes, and species. It draws on canons and works including Silent Spring, The Great Derangement, and The Mushroom at the End of the World alongside archival collections from Smithsonian Institution, British Library, and Library of Congress. Institutions such as Yale School of the Environment, Oxford Martin School, and Arizona State University’s Consortium for Science, Policy, and Outcomes foster collaborations between humanities scholars and researchers at National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, European Environment Agency, and regional museums. The approach informs public debates shaped by events like the Paris Agreement, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the Chernobyl disaster.

History and Origins

Roots trace to earlier intellectual movements and landmark works in the twentieth century. Influences include conservationists and authors like John Muir, Aldo Leopold, and Rachel Carson; philosophical precursors such as Martin Heidegger and Hans Jonas; and social-scientific interventions by Paul Ehrlich and E. O. Wilson. Institutional formation accelerated in the 1990s and 2000s with centers at University of California, Santa Cruz, University of Oxford, and University of Toronto, and with key events such as conferences hosted by Modern Language Association and symposia at Society for Literature, Science, and the Arts. The disciplinary consolidation engages debates from regulatory episodes like the Clean Air Act and cultural responses to crises including Hurricane Katrina.

Key Themes and Interdisciplinary Approaches

Major themes include environmental history, eco-criticism, animal studies, and climate ethics. Scholars examine representations found in works by Henry David Thoreau, Toni Morrison, Thomas King (writer), and Wangari Maathai alongside philosophical treatises by Immanuel Kant and Arne Naess. Interdisciplinary approaches connect methods from programs at Columbia University’s Earth Institute, Harvard’s Center for the Environment, and Stanford’s Woods Institute with scientific projects at Scripps Institution of Oceanography and Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology. Topics blend cultural analysis of disasters like Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster and Pompeii with legal and policy histories involving Endangered Species Act and international tribunals.

Methodologies and Theoretical Frameworks

Methodologies range from archival work using collections at National Archives (United States), oral histories collected in partnership with Smithsonian Folklife Festival participants, to visual analyses of artworks in Tate Modern and Museum of Modern Art. Theoretical frameworks include actor-network theory associated with Bruno Latour, postcolonial theory influenced by Dipesh Chakrabarty, multispecies ethnography as developed by Anna Tsing and Donna Haraway, and deep time perspectives invoked by scholarship on the Anthropocene and debates in journals and gatherings hosted by Royal Geographical Society. Ethical frameworks draw on dialogues with thinkers like Hans Jonas and activists connected to Extinction Rebellion and Fridays for Future.

Major Topics and Case Studies

Prominent case studies treat colonial resource extraction in regions such as Congo Free State and Amazon Rainforest; industrial disasters like Bhopal disaster and Minamata disease; conservation projects linked to Yellowstone National Park and Great Barrier Reef; and urban environmental transformations exemplified by London smog of 1952 and Los Angeles air pollution history. Literary and artistic analyses consider works by Cormac McCarthy, Walt Whitman, Octavia Butler, and installations at Venice Biennale. Comparative studies examine migration after Syrian Civil War, indigenous land claims involving Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, and agroecological movements led by figures such as Vandana Shiva.

Institutions, Education, and Public Engagement

Academic programs reside in departments and centers at University of Cambridge, Yale University, University of California, Berkeley, and University College London. Funding and partnerships involve agencies like National Science Foundation, European Commission, and foundations such as Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and Ford Foundation. Public engagement occurs through collaborations with museums like Natural History Museum, London, policy briefings submitted to United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change processes, and community-based projects with organizations including Greenpeace and World Wildlife Fund.

Critiques and Debates

Debates address questions about disciplinary boundaries, relevance to policymaking, and inclusivity of voices from the Global South. Critics draw on perspectives from scholars such as Amitav Ghosh and activists at La Via Campesina, challenging narratives centered on Western literatures and institutions like Harvard University and Princeton University. Other debates concern the use of concepts like the Anthropocene and methodological tensions between humanities approaches and datasets from Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and World Meteorological Organization.

Category:Environmental studies