Session 1: Different Statuses for Nature

“Nature” and “wilderness” are cultural representations: they are reflections of our own desires and phantasms. Despite their meanings and differences, these concepts both refer to what is non-human. The evolution of these notions reflects our relationship with the world. Are the notions of “nature” and “wilderness” helpful when thinking about our relationship with the environment or are they restrictive and outdated concepts? What happens when parts of nature become legal entities? How do we discuss the notion of “property” in the Anthropocene? How do we evaluate our moral responsibility for climate change? How do non-human made objects raise ethical questions about their legal statuses in our contemporary society?

Friday, September 13, 7:30 – 9pm
Nature, Property, and Legal Rights
Lecture by Ben Price, Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund

Saturday, September 14, 2 – 3pm
Haunted Ground: Slavery, Trash, Soil, and the Logics of Ecological Destruction
Workshop with the artist Raina Martens