Environmental Presents and Futures: Why History Matters

Temporal understandings are critically needed to evaluate how today’s ecological challenges are outcomes of past actions, aspirations and politics, as well as how lessons from the past can generate visions for the future. 

Historical perspectives on landscape and environmental change are essential to understanding how landscapes have been shaped over long periods of interaction between people, climate, ecosystems, knowledge and technology. Without historical sensitivity, it is easy to misinterpret current conditions as ‘natural’ or permanent and, in doing so, to overlook our path dependencies. 

As contemporary environmental challenges require new and engaged ways of thinking about new and old problems, we invite several scholars working on land-water histories to share their methodological and analytical thinking as well as opportunities for collaborative working.

The workshop will be followed by a reception in the hall. 

Register for the workshop here: Filterscape - Workshop

Register for the reception here: Filterscape - Reception

List of speakers

• Etienne Benson: Director of the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science https://www.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de/people/ebenson
• Briony McDonagh: Professor of Environmental Humanities and UK national lead for the COAST-R Network Plus https://www.hull.ac.uk/staff-directory/briony-mcdonagh
• Anna-Katharina Wöbse: Chair for Economic, Social and Environmental History, University of Freiburg. https://www.wsu.geschichte.uni-freiburg.de/personen/woebse
• Nina Toudal Jessen: Historian, Filterscapes Project, Aarhus University researchprofiles.ku.dk/da/persons/nina-toudal-jessen/
• Pablo Aguilera Del Castillo: Anthropologist, Filterscapes Project, Aarhus University. https://cas.au.dk/en/about-the-school/academic-staff/show/person/aguileradelcastillo@cas.au.dk
• Pierre du Plessis: Anthropologist, Beyond-the-Hoof project, Aarhus University https://aias.au.dk/events/show/artikel/sapere-aude-research-project-explores-how-the-cattle-industry-shaped-the-kalahari-landscape
• Leonardo Aranda: Director of Media Lab Mx. Researcher working across Art, Technology, and Politics. https://medialabmx.org/ 

Programme to follow

Organisers

Ciara Kierans, PI Filterscapes Project, Aarhus University 

Heather Swansen, CI Filterscapes Project, Aarhus University

All are welcome but registration is required. 

Register for the workshop here

Register for the reception here