“Communication is nothing more than the exchange of information. Hence, at its broadest sense, environmental communication is necessary for the survival of every living system, be it an organism, an ecosystem, or a social system.”
-Alexander G. Flo (Environmental Communication, 2004)
The interdisciplinary field of environmental humanities weaves together research from the natural, applied, and social sciences with storytelling, art, creativity, and community building. It values indigenous ways of knowing as well as non-human perspectives.
ABOUT
In the Environmental Humanities, we realize that the environment is not just something “out there” to protect or save but rather is everywhere: the places we live and work, the food we eat, the water we drink, the air we breathe, the products we buy, the carcinogens we are exposed to. The environment is just as much the trees and the bears in Yosemite as the plants and the pets in our own backyards.
In the Environmental Humanities, we understand environmentalism is more than recycling and driving a fuel-efficient vehicle. We recognize that we are a part of nature and that all of our decisions—who we work for, what we wear, how often we upgrade our technology, who we vote for—have ecological consequences.
In the Environmental Humanities, we know it’s not the “planet” that needs saving. It’s us.