Critical Perspectives on Environmentalism and the Left
May 4, 2009
Today, environmental crisis saturates public discourse, and the "green" economy is now on the national agenda. What will environmentalism on the Left look like in the coming century? On the verge of possible catastrophe, what is to be done? The University of Chicago's Program on the Global Environment proudly invites you to its annual Student-Run Conference Saturday, May 9th in Harper Memorial Library, 130. The conference will bring together renowned intellectuals and researchers to discuss the philosophical, political, and social implications of the environmental crisis.
9:00 - 11:00 AM, Intersections of Philosophy, Politics, and the Environment in the 21st Century
The first panel will discuss the relationship between philosophy, politics and the environment. Which kind of philosophy is adequate to understanding the environment in the 21st century? What are the major problems that philosophy can help address, and how have previous attempts clarified or obscured the task ahead? Is the framework of political or human rights adequate to understanding environmental problems--If so, why? If not, what other frame do you suggest?
Chair: William Wimsatt, University of Chicago, Timothy Morton, University of California, Davis, Steve Vanderheiden, University of Colorado at Boulder, Peter Cannavo, Hamilton College
12:15 - 2:00 PM, Applications and Implications of Environmental Justice On the Ground
The second panel will discuss the practice of environmentalism, sensitive to the strengths and limitations of particular groups or individuals involved in these struggles. How have different environmentalist movements or groups conceived of environmental politics? What do the struggles for indigenous land rights, environmental conservation, and against urban pollution have in common? Conversely, can all these movements for environmental justice truly stand on common ground? What are the broader political and social implications of environmental justice movements on the ground?
Chair: John Kelly, University of Chicago, Thomas Sheridan, University of Arizona, Yayoi Lagerqvist, University of Chicago, Martha Kaplan, Vassar College
3:00 - 5:00 PM, The Turn to Green: A Left Turn?
The third panel will discuss the critical theory of society and environmental politics. Must critical theory take into account the environment--and if so, to what extent? For what end? Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, a number of tendencies on the Left have gravitated to notions of "eco-socialism," and there are many popular interpretations of Marx as an ecologist. More recently, green capitalism has been touted by politicians and environmentalists alike as a size- fits-all panacea to impending environmental crisis. How can we explain the "green" turn, and what are its limits and possibilities?
Chair: Moishe Postone, University of Chicago, “Timothy Luke, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Steve Vogel, Denison University, Stanley Aronowitz, City University New York
Co-sponsored by the Green Campus Initiative, the Sustainability Council. For more information visit the PGE website, conference blog, or contact gregg@uchicago.edu. Persons with a disability who may require assistance should contact pge@uchicago.edu or 773.702.1673.
