Climate Weirding and Queering Nature: Getting Beyond the Anthropocene
Though many scientists and scholars of the environmental humanities are referring to the current geological era as the anthropocene, this article argues that there are some problems with this trope and the narrative that emerges from it. First, responsibility for the current era of climate weirding...
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2015-06-01
|
| Series: | Religions |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/6/2/742 |
| _version_ | 1819154628087906304 |
|---|---|
| author | Whitney A. Bauman |
| author_facet | Whitney A. Bauman |
| author_sort | Whitney A. Bauman |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Though many scientists and scholars of the environmental humanities are referring to the current geological era as the anthropocene, this article argues that there are some problems with this trope and the narrative that emerges from it. First, responsibility for the current era of climate weirding is not shared equally, some humans are way more responsible than others. Second, the claim of the anthropocene works rhetorically to maintain a sense of human exceptionalism from the rest of the evolution of life on the planet. Third and finally, the suggestion that this geological era be named the anthropocene suggests that the problem and the solution to our ecological crisis lie with Homo sapiens. Does this not re-create the sense of mastery that has fueled contemporary planetary ills in the first place? This paper argues that the idea of agency must be reconfigured and redistributed throughout the planetary community in order to deal with the wicked problems arising from climate weirding and an uncertain future. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-22T15:24:06Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ea72f0ffbfda4f97a6322d70df14779c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2077-1444 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-22T15:24:06Z |
| publishDate | 2015-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Religions |
| spelling | doaj.art-ea72f0ffbfda4f97a6322d70df14779c2022-12-21T18:21:33ZengMDPI AGReligions2077-14442015-06-016274275410.3390/rel6020742rel6020742Climate Weirding and Queering Nature: Getting Beyond the AnthropoceneWhitney A. Bauman0Department of Religious Studies, Florida International University, 11200 SW 8th Street, Miami, FL 33199, USAThough many scientists and scholars of the environmental humanities are referring to the current geological era as the anthropocene, this article argues that there are some problems with this trope and the narrative that emerges from it. First, responsibility for the current era of climate weirding is not shared equally, some humans are way more responsible than others. Second, the claim of the anthropocene works rhetorically to maintain a sense of human exceptionalism from the rest of the evolution of life on the planet. Third and finally, the suggestion that this geological era be named the anthropocene suggests that the problem and the solution to our ecological crisis lie with Homo sapiens. Does this not re-create the sense of mastery that has fueled contemporary planetary ills in the first place? This paper argues that the idea of agency must be reconfigured and redistributed throughout the planetary community in order to deal with the wicked problems arising from climate weirding and an uncertain future.http://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/6/2/742Queer theorynew materialismanimalitywicked problemshuman exceptionalismethics of uncertainty |
| spellingShingle | Whitney A. Bauman Climate Weirding and Queering Nature: Getting Beyond the Anthropocene Religions Queer theory new materialism animality wicked problems human exceptionalism ethics of uncertainty |
| title | Climate Weirding and Queering Nature: Getting Beyond the Anthropocene |
| title_full | Climate Weirding and Queering Nature: Getting Beyond the Anthropocene |
| title_fullStr | Climate Weirding and Queering Nature: Getting Beyond the Anthropocene |
| title_full_unstemmed | Climate Weirding and Queering Nature: Getting Beyond the Anthropocene |
| title_short | Climate Weirding and Queering Nature: Getting Beyond the Anthropocene |
| title_sort | climate weirding and queering nature getting beyond the anthropocene |
| topic | Queer theory new materialism animality wicked problems human exceptionalism ethics of uncertainty |
| url | http://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/6/2/742 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT whitneyabauman climateweirdingandqueeringnaturegettingbeyondtheanthropocene |