The episode draws upon the field of environmental humanities, which examines the intersections between human cultures, histories, and the natural environment.
Rosamund Portis is a researcher and artist working in the field of environmental humanities, which examines the relationships between humans and the natural world from an interdisciplinary perspective.
The podcast episodes provided offer a glimpse into the diverse and interdisciplinary nature of the Environmental Humanities field.
Several episodes delve into topics such as the cultural and historical dimensions of extinction Joshua Schuster, "What Is Extinction?: A Natural and Cultural History of Last Animals" (Fordham UP, 2023), the exploration of Indigenous cosmologies and ecoliterature Robin Visser, "Questioning Borders: Ecoliteratures of China and Taiwan" (Columbia UP, 2023), and the study of ecological grief and multispecies ethics Joshua Trey Barnett, "Mourning in the Anthropocene: Ecological Grief and Earthly Coexistence" (Michigan State UP, 2022).
Other episodes cover the cultural and social implications of technologies like air conditioning Hsuan L. Hsu, "Air Conditioning" (Bloomsbury, 2024), as well as the intersection of nature, romanticism, and capitalism Greg Ellermann, "Thought's Wilderness: Romanticism and the Apprehension of Nature" (Stanford UP, 2022).
The episodes highlight the diverse approaches and perspectives within the Environmental Humanities, drawing from fields such as literature, anthropology, geography, and more to explore the complex relationships between humans and the more-than-human world.