Despite widespread acknowledgment of climate change and other environmental issues, many people continue to live as though these challenges are distant concerns. This paradox, often described as “soft denial,” is the focus of a new series curated by its co-editors, who aim to spark a meaningful conversation about our ecological past and future. They pose critical questions:
- What insights can Victorian literature offer about pollution, disease, and ecology that are applicable today?
- In what ways did the literature of the Victorian era influence contemporary scientific and environmental paradigms?
- How can prioritizing marginalized perspectives in global literary works from this period reshape the dominant narratives influencing current environmental policies?
Victorian Passion for Science
The Victorian era marked a pivotal junction of burgeoning mass literacy, realist narrative art, and the formalization of scientific disciplines. As scientific and medical innovations advanced, they reached a broader audience, increasingly aware of their effects. The rise of evolutionary biology, led by figures like Cuvier and Darwin, transformed traditional perceptions of the natural world and economic systems. During this time, amateur botanists, technology enthusiasts, and explorers flourished, and while some celebrated these advances, others expressed concern over the environmental and social impacts of industrialization and colonial exploitation.
Understanding Industrialization’s Impacts
An early 19th-century essay, “The Miseries of the Artist,” highlighted pollution’s detrimental effects on air quality, describing the “effusions of gas pipes, tan yards, chimneys, dyers, blanket scourers, breweries, sugar bakers, and soap boilers,” which led to London’s infamous smoky fog. Later, in 1883, John Ruskin’s The Storm Cloud of the Nineteenth Century critically examined industrial pollution, linking it to broader climate change issues. The imperialistic and extractive activities of the time drastically altered ecosystems and societies worldwide, from the Caribbean’s sugar monocultures and slavery to infrastructure developments in South Asia that possibly triggered the first global cholera pandemic.
Innovative Monographs Addressing Current Challenges
This series seeks to bridge literature, science, and environmental studies, encouraging interdisciplinary academic work that addresses today’s global issues. The shorter format of these monographs allows for dynamic and fresh contributions, enriching the existing academic landscape. Embracing digital media, the series integrates podcasts, videos, and interactive content, aiming to engage scholars, students, and the general public in a more immersive learning experience.
Click here to learn more about the series.
Original Story at www.cambridge.org