Archive/Past Events
Past Events
Click on each collapsible below to reveal the events that took place in the respective timeframe. If any event has additional content needed, it is attached within a zip file. We would recommend either .7zip or WinRAR to extract the files as they are both free.
PRESENTATION - Keynote Lecture and Intergenerational Conversation: Intergenerational Justice and the Human Dimensions of the Environment
Newcastle University Campus - Boiler House - Professor Stephen Gardiner
The Humanities Research Institute, the Anthropocene Faculty Research Group and the Decisive Decade Challenge Lab student interns are delighted to be welcoming Professor Stephen Gardiner to Newcastle University to deliver a keynote lecture on climate ethics and intergenerational justice.
Stephen M. Gardiner is Professor of Philosophy and Ben Rabinowitz Endowed Professor of the Human Dimensions of the Environment at the University of Washington, Seattle, where he is also Director of the Programme on Ethics. His research focuses on global environmental problems, future generations and virtue ethics. Notably, Stephen is the author of A Perfect Moral Storm (Oxford, 2011), and co-author of Debating Climate Ethics (Oxford, 2016) and Dialogues on Climate Justice (Routledge, forthcoming 2023). He is also the editor of the Oxford Handbook of Intergenerational Ethics (Oxford, in press), and co-editor of the Oxford Handbook of Environmental Ethics (Oxford, 2016), Climate Ethics: Essential Readings (Oxford, 2010) and The Ethics of “Geoengineering” the Global Climate: Justice, Legitimacy and Governance (Routledge, 2020).
This keynote lecture is part of the Humanities Research Institute’s Challenge Labs programme. Challenge Labs are interdisciplinary, co-researching spaces that are designed to bring staff and students at all stages together as co-researchers. In the spirit of intergenerational justice and equity, the keynote lecture will be framed by the voices and work of our next generation voices.
PRESENTATION - “The Anthropocene and the Concept of Reversibility: The Ethics and Politics of Self-Restraint”
Professor Hartmut Behr: 25 May, Newcastle University - Old Library Building - Room 2.03
Professor Hartmut Behr of the School of Geography, Politics, and Sociology at Newcastle University has offered to perform a talk about his concept of 'reversibility'. Reversibility has been born out of the critique of modernity by many (inter alia Frankfurt School Critical Theory, Hannah Arendt, Ulrich Beck, Hartmut Rosa, Dipesh Chakrabarty, Peter Haff, Ilja Prigonine, Bruno Latour, and Hans Jonas already in the 1970s). Effectively centralised upon the idea of how the earth become subjected as human possessions to instrumental relations and unrestricted commodifying exploitation following the illusion of infinite technological, social, and political progress and growth.
Building upon Jonas, the concept of reversibility is based upon ethical and action-theoretical self-restraint, that promotes a novel form of responsibility: responsible political action must act only in such a way that its consequences are reversible (or at least not irreversible) as we can never control or predict the consequences of our action. Radical precaution and self-restraint in our intellectual and policy approaches to society, politics, nature, and the cosmos – thus in planetary dimensions – attempt to bridge and recapture the separation and divergence between our actions/policies and their consequences that modern instrumentalism and technology have caused
The concept of reversibility of general significance in a world that is inherently fragile, contingent, and uncertain. I thus expand reversibility as ethical and action-theoretical concept for the human condition of contingency as such and suggest it as promising approach to the philosophical Anthropocene debate as well as to warnings of irreversible environmental consequences by, amongst others, the UN Environment Program (UNEP, 2013), the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD, 2013) or the International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD 2013).
Poster for “The Anthropocene and the Concept of Reversibility: The Ethics and Politics of Self-Restraint”
Workshop - Dipesh Chakrabarty and The Climate of History in a Planetary Age
Various Scholars: 25 February 2022, Newcastle University via Zoom
Dipesh Chakrabarty (University of Chicago) performed a workshop for us on February 25th. This consisted of a Lecture and Discussion on 'The Climate of History in a Planetary Age'. More information about this event can be found on the attached poster below. Additionally, the Anthropocene Research Group offered three reading group sessions to prepare and details can be found on both the attached post and below on this page.
Dipesh Chakrabarty Workshop Poster - 25 February
READING GROUP - "TOWARD AN ANTHROPOLOGICAL CLEARING"
Various Scholars: 22 February 2022, Newcastle University via Zoom
In preparation for the upcoming workshop with Dipesh Chakrabarty, we will be reading chapter eight (pp. 182-204) of Dipesh Chakrabarty’s "The Climate of History in a Planetary Age" (Chicago 2021) which is available online through Newcastle University library. In addition there will be 'A Conversation with Bruno Latour' discussed too (pp. 205-217) The book can be accessed through the link below:
Access Dipesh Chakrabarty's "The Climate of History in a Planetary Age" >
READING GROUP - “The Planet: A Humanist Category”
Various Scholars: 8 February 2022, Newcastle University via Zoom
In preparation for the upcoming workshop with Dipesh Chakrabarty, we readchapter three (pp. 68-92) of Dipesh Chakrabarty’s "The Climate of History in a Planetary Age" (Chicago 2021) which is available online through Newcastle University library. The book can be accessed through the link below:
Access Dipesh Chakrabarty's "The Climate of History in a Planetary Age" >
READING GROUP - “The Globe and the Planet: Four Theses”
Various Scholars: 25 January 2022, Newcastle University via Zoom
In preparation for the upcoming workshop with Dipesh Chakrabarty, we read chapter one (pp. 23-48) of Dipesh Chakrabarty’s "The Climate of History in a Planetary Age" (Chicago 2021) which is available online through Newcastle University library for those who missed the event but remain interested.
The book can be accessed through the link below:
Access Dipesh Chakrabarty's "The Climate of History in a Planetary Age" >
READING GROUP - COP 26 Q&A, AND A CRITICAL READING OF TWO SHORT SECTIONS FROM DAVID CHRISTIAN'S ORIGIN STORY
Various Scholars: 7 December 2021, Newcastle University via Zoom
We continued with our Anthropocene reading group discussion on Tuesday, 7 December at 4pm. Scott Ashley, from our Department of History, Archaelogy and Classics, gave a short introduction to and reflection on the concept of 'Big History' in an Anthropocene context. We then continued our discussion of David Christian's Origin Story by looking at its brief Introduction (pp. 3-12) and final chapter ("12: Where Is It All Going?"). The book can be found online through our library:
You can access the book here through the Newcastle library >
We supplemented this reading by looking at Neil MacGregor's anthropological take on 'origin stories' in his engagement with objects from the British museum in Living with the Gods (based on a BBC Radio 4 series). We focused on the introduction to that project, but you may also find the final chapter useful for our context. Both parts are enclosed as .pdf and available for download below.
READING GROUP - COP 26 Q&A, AND A CRITICAL READING OF TWO SHORT SECTIONS FROM DAVID CHRISTIAN'S ORIGIN STORY
Various Scholars: 23 November 2021, Newcastle University via Zoom
Our very own Andy Large, Professor of River Science and PI of the Living Deltas Research Hub, has attended COP 26 in Glasgow; he gave a brief first-hand account of his experiences during the conferences and took questions. We supplemented this Q&A with Andy with a critical reading of two short sections from David Christian's Origin Story: chapters 10 ("On the Verge of Today's World") and 11 ("The Anthropocene: Threshold 8").
You can access the book here through the Newcastle library >
Creating better Anthropocenes (2): Virtual Network meeting with Anthropocene scholars from Newcastle, Leicester, Exeter, and Indiana with a focus on the Anthropocene Curriculum
Numerous Scholars (NCL, UOL, UOE, IUB): 16 July 2021, Newcastle University
Find out more about 'The Creating Better Anthropocenes' initative
Reclaiming Romanticism: Towards an Ecopoetics of Decolonization
Prof. Kate Rigby (Bath Spa University): 03 June 2021, Newcastle University
Newcastle University's Anthropocene Research Group and Environmental Humanities Research Group are proud to host Professor Kate Rigby (Bath Spa University) who will be reading from and discussing her new book Reclaiming Romanticism. In this original intervention she rediscovers the importance of the European Romantic tradition to the ways that writers and critics engage with the environment in the Anthropocene era. Kate’s book is available through Newcastle University’s library and she has recommended reading the first chapter prior to the event.
You can access the chapter here >
Creating better Anthropocenes (1): Virtual Network meeting with Anthropocene scholars from Newcastle, Leicester, Exeter, and Indiana.
Numerous Scholars (NCL, UOL, UOE, IUB): 14 May 2021, Newcastle University
Find out more about the Creating Better Anthropocenes initiative here >
Creating better Anthropocenes (1): Virtual Network meeting with Anthropocene scholars from Newcastle, Leicester, Exeter, and Indiana.
Numerous Scholars (NCL, UOL, UOE, IUB): 14 May 2021, Newcastle University
Find out more about the Creating Better Anthropocenes initiative here >
Kelly McGeorge (co-organised with the School of Modern Languages): 13 May 2021, Newcastle University
THE SLOW VIOLENCE OF SENSORY LOSS: COVID-19 AND THE ANTHROPOCENE
Dr. Duika Burges Watson (Newcastle University): 20 April 2021, Newcastle University
Is the Anthropocene beyond human representation and experience? A key appeal of the Anthropocene concept and the ‘great acceleration’ is how they help reframe the ‘slow violence’ of environmental change into a contemporary hothouse earth. Bruno Latour suggests COVID-19 is the ‘dress rehearsal’ that demonstrates our capacity to act. And yet, people are booking international holidays for the end of lockdown, policy makers continue to vacillate on timelines and commitments, and knowledge, no matter how it is framed, results in varied socio-political responses whose collective result is a boiled frog. I want to appeal to the senses and show the slow violence of sensory loss. I want to appeal to visceral experience. COVID may be less dress rehearsal than lesson in how the visceral matters. I want more than talk, I want you to feel it.
ESSENTIAL ITEMS FOR THE EVENT:
- Jelly babies and/or skittles
- Spicy salami OR vegetarian equivalent
- Any essential oil or strong smelling herb
"FROM RADIOACTIVITY TO DATA MINING: GÜNTHER ANDERS IN THE ANTHROPOCENE"
Dr. Christopher Muller (Macquarie University): 16 February 2021, Newcastle University
Dr Muller is a Lecturer in Cultural Studies & Media at Macquarie University in Sydney. He is one of the foremost authorities on the philosophy and cultural theory of Günther Anders in the English-speaking world and has translated, edited, and commented central works by Anders. As a cultural theorist he pursues questions such as these: How do technological objects, artificial and linguistic structures shape human perception, emotion and interaction? What is at stake when engaging in literary and cultural analysis today? In what ways is criticism a creative practice?
Günther Anders (1902-92) was a philosopher and political activist with a specific interest in the correlation between the bodily senses, media and technology. He was a disciple and antagonist of Martin Heidegger and the first husband of Hannah Arendt, with whose philosophy he shares central political concepts. During the past ten years he has been rediscovered as one of the most original and probing theorists reflecting on the Great Acceleration, which is now recognised as a decisive phase in the chronology of the Anthropocene.
Timefulness – a reading and writing workshop
Linda France (Poet in residence): 12 January 2021, Newcastle University
THE ETHICS OF HUMAN WELLBEING AND SPECIES CONSERVATION IN THE ANTHROPOCENE
Prof. John A. Vucetich (Michigan Technological University): 27 November 2019, Newcastle University
John Vucetich is a biologist and philosopher who has pioneered interdisciplinary research in the field of environmental ethics. He is a leading expert on wolf ethology and predator-prey systems.
The wolves of Isle Royale (Lake Superior, North America) have been studied for more than six decades. It is the longest study of any predator-prey system in the world, and Vucetich has been leading that work for two decades. Vucetich’s expertise in wolf ecology also led to a life steeped in controversies about policies pertaining to coexistence between humans and carnivores. Vucetich begins the presentation sharing highlights from these controversies. From these controversies, Vucetich explains how he began to apply basic tools from applied ethics to better approach questions about what policies would yield the most appropriate allocation of benefits and burdens to humans and biodiversity, given that it may not be possible to preserve all genuine interests.
MITIGATING THE IMPACTS OF A HUMAN-RECONFIGURED BIOSPHERE (LECTURE)
Prof. Mark Williams (University of Leicester): 23 October 2019, Newcastle University
Poster of the event below:
THE UTILITY OF THE ANTHROPOCENE CONCEPT (WORKSHOP)
Prof. Mark Williams (University of Leicester): 23 October 2019, Newcastle University
Poster of the event below:
THE HUMAN PLANET: HOW WE CAUSED THE ANTHROPOCENE
Prof. Mark Maslin (UCL): 21 May 2019, Newcastle University
There is general scientific agreement that human activity has been a geologically recent, yet profound, influence on the Earth System. Humans have in fact become a geological superpower on a par with plate tectonics or a meteorite impact. It has, therefore, been proposed that we should refer to the present, not as within the Holocene Epoch but instead as within the Anthropocene Epoch. To some the Anthropocene symbolises a future of superlative control of our environment. To others it is the height of hubris, the illusion of our mastery over nature. Whatever your view, just below the surface of this odd-sounding scientific word, the Anthropocene, is a heady mix of science, philosophy, religion and politics linked to our deepest fears and utopian visions. By tracing the development of human society through its five major stages (hunter-gatherer, agricultural, mercantile capitalism, industrial capitalism and consumer capitalism) and documenting the dramatic and significant increase in the impact of humans on the Earth Mark Maslin shows what the new epoch means for the future of humanity, the planet and life itself.
HOMO AND ANTHROPOS. CONCEPTIONS OF HUMAN IN THE ANTHROPOCENE
Prof. Eva Horn (University of Vienna): 15 May 2019, Newcastle University
The notion of the Anthropocene has long been criticised for its inherent „anthropocentrism“ and „human exceptionalism“. In my talk, I will try to point out different conceptions of the human in order to better understand the inherent rifts and contradictions in thinking about the human as a subject of the Anthropocene. This will help clarify the paradoxical nature of human agency as a „geological force“. The talk will also address some of the prominent propositions for a new understanding of the human as „stewards“ of the Earth in Ecomodernism, and as „kin“ to other species in Ecological Posthumanism. I will propose a third position that takes the rift between diverging conceptions into account and that enables us to better understand the specific agency of humans.
'IS THERE ANYTHING 'NATURAL’ ABOUT NATURAL HISTORY': AN HISTORIANS VIEW OF THE ANTHROPOCENE
Phil Scarpino: 13 March 2017, Newcastle University
‘WELCOME TO THE ANTHROPOCENE – A BRIEF HISTORY OF HOW HUMANS ARE SHAPING THE PLANET’
James Syvitski: Jack Jeffrey Sustainability Lecture, 12 July 2016, Newcastle University
In this lecture, given to mark conferment of an Honorary Doctor of Science Degree on him by Newcastle University, James ‘Jai’ Syvitski outlines how the Anthropocene was formally proposed in 2000 as Earth’s newest epoch, a period during which humanity’s impact on the planet has rivalled that of the great geological forces. Humans are changing the Earth’s biophysical system but, in the past few years, this concept has escaped its geological confines to emerge as a new paradigm that embodies an altered human environment relationship. Natural and social scientists, humanists, artists, educators and journalists have examined this concept from a variety of perspectives.
This churning has thrown up many questions such as: “When did the Anthropocene begin?”; “What are the implications of this paradigm for science and policy?”; “Is it fair to hold ‘humanity’ culpable for the actions of a few?” and “Can there be a ‘good’ Anthropocene?”