Recent research in Environmental Humanities
By demonstrating how historical, literary, cultural, philosophical and religious insights are needed in our response to the climate and ecological crises, researchers in the environmental humanities are showing how the humanities can be transformative for understanding the most urgent global issues.
Environmental Histories and Futures of the North East
The Environmental Histories and Futures of the North East group offers a platform for connecting heritage and sustainability projects in the North East of England.
Imagining the Plains of Latin America
Dr Axel Perez Trujillo, Assistant Professor at Durham University's School of Modern Languages and Cultures, explains his research ‘Imagining the Plains of Latin America’, exploring the representations of plains in literature, and the creation of dominant imaginaries of landscapes.
To engage with the current climate crisis is to also consider how our dominant imaginaries of nature validate certain practices throughout the world from intense monoculture to resource extractivism. Identifying such representations is a means of generating interstices through which to allow other modes of knowing and inhabiting the planet. My work continues to shift our attention towards other ways of seeing and imagining the world around us.
Climate Change and Human Mobilities
Much of the public conversation and research about the relationship between climate change and migration tends to focus heavily on the possibility of mass migration flows across borders. However, this focus often obscures a range of different ways that peoples’ and communities’ mobility can be impacted and thus limits the range of questions we can ask about what justice requires. I argue that such questions require us to consider the concept of livability and what it means to have a right to a livable place and how this right is implicated by the structure of the international state system under conditions of climate and environmental change.
Find out more about Environmental Humanities
Find out more about Dr Simona Capisani's research interests and work.
Talking Humanities Podcast
In this episode, learn more about the establishment of game studies, film to video game adaptations, participatory games development, issues around archiving our games heritage, and how gaming can transform the way we think about culture and the humanities.
Panel Discussion: How the US Election will Impact Climate Change
On Monday, January 13, 2025, from 6 - 8 pm, researchers from psychology, sociology, politics, philosophy, and geography discuss how the US election will influence climate change. Open to Durham University members only.
Environmental Humanities ...in conversation
Join Simona Capisani, Assistant Professor in Philosophy at Durham University, and Simon James, Professor in Philosophy at Durham University, in their conversation about Environmental Philosophy.
Discover Related Research Centres, Initiatives and Projects
Discover some of Durham University's research centres, initiatives, and projects related to Environmental Humanities.
Centre for Culture and Ecology
Durham Energy Institute
Centre for Sustainable Development Law and Policy
Institute for Medical Humanities
Environmental Humanities Programmes
MA in Environmental Humanities
The MA in Environmental Humanities programme aims to explore how the methods and insights of humanities disciplines can contribute to developing a response to the environmental crisis.
Durham University Courses
Our research-led education ensures our broad range of courses will challenge and inspire you.
Discover more
Transformative Humanities Research
Visit the Transformative Humanities page to find out more about current research projects of other Transformative Humanities strands.
Faculty of Arts and Humanities
Find out more about the Faculty of Arts and Humanities at Durham University.