Ecological Emergency Series

As part of the Research Seminar Series, the English department organizes one talk every semester about the climate crisis. These events are an opportunity for students and staff members to come together and think about the role of language, literary works and grassroots movements in the struggle for climate justice. 

 

The third talk of the Ecological Emergency Series brings Prof Alexa Weik Von Mossner, from the University of Klagenfurt, Austria. She is a writer and an ecocritical literary and media scholar. Her research explores contemporary environmental culture from a cognitive perspective with a particular focus on affect and emotion. She is especially interested in climate change (non)fiction, environmental documentaries, and food narratives. In this talk, she will present the development and methods of the field of ecocriticism along with her personal experience as someone who is coming to this interdisciplinary research as a humanities scholar and narratologist. 

You can find Prof Weik von Mossner's slides below:

Beyond Boundaries Ecocinema and the Intricacies of Trans-species Empathy  (2887 Ko)

 

The Ecological Emergency: The role of language and narratives in ecological change

In this event we will talk about the power of language in shaping our perception of the climate crisis and our attitudes towards ecological change. We will also discuss how the language used in mass media has evolved over time, and how students of the Humanities can challenge preconceived ideas of "living well" and "success" and, ultimately, help create new narratives for a sustainable future for all beings.

 

You can find the presentations below:

Language and Ecology  (2017 Ko)

Buen Vivir Imagining other worlds.pdf  (6950 Ko)

The role of Students of the Humanities in the climate crisis and societal changes  (9227 Ko)

In this guest lecture we will talk about the climate crisis and discuss several actions we can take. The first part will be presented by Dr. Cécile Heim, currently working at the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN), who will talk about the ecological situation in Switzerland. In the second part, Prof. Agnieszka Soltysik Monnet and Beatriz Duarte Wirth will discuss concrete measures that we all can take on an individual level as well as collectively. 

You will find our slides below:

Ecological Emergency 03.11.22.pdf  (14840 Ko)