Threats to Heritage

In 1909 a balloonist photographed the Mer de Glace in the Alps from the air, creating a uniquely detailed visual record of the glacier. A century later two photographers recreated his flight to measure glacial recession during the 20 th century. The results are striking.

Why safety of world seed vaults is crucial to future food security.

Geographer Shari Gearheard reflects on one of many ways in which environmental change can impact and challenge longstanding local and traditional knowledge as reinforced through cultural practice and language. The stakes may be very high.

Cultural sites in peril

Through the ages societies have faced major crises. Historian Mahesh Rangarajan reminds us that, historically speaking, environmental and economic crises have resulted not only in societal decline or collapse, but in reform as well as social and political reorganization. Adopting broader historical perspectives of long-term change, he argues, can be one way to avoid the traps of paralyzing despair or naïve optimism in times of socio-ecological crisis.

Interactive images show long-term sea-level rise set in motion by near-term carbon emissions threatens major global cities.

Environmental humanities scholar Joni Adamson reflects on “cli-fi” (climate fiction) in contemporary writing, not so much as a new development but as part of a tradition of storytelling about human relationships to climate and the future reaching back to antiquity.

In 2016 alone, over 24 million people were displaced by unexpected climate-related disasters. It is commonly understood that there is a correlation between climate change and human mobility, however, the lack of evidence-based findings has hindered necessary changes to being made in this regard.

UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee has issued its strongest decision yet about climate change, acknowledging the worldwide threat posed to many World Heritage properties.

The principles of reconciliation, cooperation & mutual respect lie at the heart of Milton Born With A Tooth’s plea for solidarity & purposeful action. It is a warrior’s message on the brink of a campaign to protect our common home, the earth, & a future worth fighting for.

Part 1 of 4 linked installments on the case of the Norse Greenlanders and the role that climate change and other factors played in the curious fate of their society, which died out 500 years after original settlement in the Viking Age. Focus of this segment: conjunctures.

Climate change threats to Cherished Historic Sites

Environmental humanities scholar Stephanie LeMenager discusses different ways in which culture in its various forms is at risk in the present era of accelerated climate change.

Learning from loss

An overview of current progress in developing and sharing climate stories across the US National Park Service.