As I begin tackling my Critical Environmental History/Environmental Justice comps list, I am struck by one significant difference (beyond the obvious white-washing/white-centering of traditional environmental history in the US):

Environmental histories (certainly not all, but a significant number) of resources like old growth forests, rivers, etc. suggest that people “used up” these resources without realizing what would ultimately occur—deforestation, drought, pollution, etc.

That only when confronted with a transformed/depleted landscape did officials/scientists/capitalists realize something must be done to stop the pattern.

But this wasn’t really the case, was it? You don’t awaken one day to a barren landscape that once was a thriving ecosystem. These groups watched the transformation occur, they facilitated it, they participated in it.

And it wasn’t the realization that precious environmental resources were depleted that catalyzed changes/protections. It was the realization that a commodity source was depleted.

This narrative really obscures the centrality and violence of capitalism to more-than-human environments and perpetuates the idea that once folks realize what’s happening, they will adjust to slow their detrimental impact on said environment.

^ This is particularly obvious in a 21st century world in which discussions of the mere existence of climate change are considered polarizing.

Environmental Justice literature, on the other hand, largely has no qualms in drawing attention to the violence of capitalism and its victims, both human and more-than-human.

And it really isn’t a wonder that EH has traditionally been overwhelmingly white. Because the beneficiaries of capitalist systems have historically been overwhelmingly white. And in order to identify those harmed by violence, you have to name the violence in the first place.

I should also say, BIPOC folks studying and writing on the environment have been saying this same thing for a LONG time. And it is not only the contents of academic EH that have been predominantly white but the authorship as well.

Obviously this is a broad generalization of a nuanced issue and literature. But putting together a list of readings in both EH and EJ has brought these differences into sharp relief. I am encouraged by more recent EH work that applies a critical lens, but wow we have a way to go

Super grateful to be part of the conversation at all, and to have advisors like @maliniranga calling out these disparities and challenging me to think ever more critically about why they exist and address them in my own work.

Also continually learning from the work of @JTRoane @sous_rature and Justin Hosbey
@BlkPerspectives, others working to highlight #blackecologies

And glad to see @envhistnow and @envhistwomen pushing beyond these limitations and imposed silences to share critical environmental histories.