Upcoming talk, 18 Sep: Global Environmental History since 1945: Into the Anthropocene

Thought this might of interest to some, an upcoming Discourse at the Royal Irish Academy on Dawson Street. Free entry, you just need to book here.

Venue: Academy House, 19 Dawson Street, Dublin 2
Date: Thursday 18 September, 18:00

Academy Discourse by Professor John McNeill

This lecture provides a global overview of environmental change since 1945 and the driving forces behind it, including energy systems, population growth, urbanization, international politics among others. It also considers the advantages and disadvantages of employing the new term 'Anthropocene' to refer to an age in which Earth history is dominated by human impacts.

Abstract
The Anthropocene is a new term increasingly used to refer to the era in Earth history in which humankind has played a dominant role in altering the Earth’s basic biogeochemical cycles, its biota, and its climate. In this presentation, environmental historian J.R. McNeill explores the scale and scope of environmental change in modern history, ranging from biodiversity to air pollution to land use. He then tries to identify the main reasons driving modern environmental change, considering the energy system adopted in the 20th century, the role of population and urbanization, and the pressures of international politics, especially of the Cold War.

Whether or not the spurt of modern environmental change merits the term Anthropocene is now a subject of lively debate among geologists, historians, archeologists, ecologists and many others. McNeill argues that it does, and that among the many proposed dates for the onset of the Anthropocene, which range from 15,000 years ago to some unspecified point in the future, 1945 is the best choice. The talk will also include a discussion of some of the leading critiques of the term and concept Anthropocene which come from anthropologists concerned with its moral implications, from conservation biologists anxious that it might convey a sense of hopelessness about nature conservation, and from geologists uneasy with the thought of christening a new era in Earth history that is a mere 70 years old.


Biography
John McNeill was born and raised in Chicago and remains passionately devoted to the professional sports teams of the Windy City. He earned, or at any rate was awarded, a B.A. from Swarthmore College and a Ph.D. from Duke University. Since 1985 he has cheerfully served two masters, as a faculty member of the School of Foreign Service and History Department at Georgetown. From 2003 until 2006 he held the Cinco Hermanos Chair in Environmental and International Affairs, until his appointment as University Professor. He teaches world history, environmental history, and international history at Georgetown; and writes books, and directs Ph.D. students, mainly in environmental history.