“Arrogant and short-sighted leadership; distracted people dancing on the boat; and poor preparation for the catastrophe”. Marco Armiero discusses three narratives of the Anthropocene and why the stories we tell are so important. In the end, it does not matter how well equipped or prepared the boat is; only mutiny can change its course.

Titanic at Southampton docks, prior to departure. Source: wikimedia.org

A mutiny, a shipwreck and a few wandering lifeboats. Who gets the 1st class tickets? Who finds a seat in the lifeboat while others freeze?

In the following video, Environmental Historian Marco Armiero (KTH Environmental Humanities Laboratory) addresses three boat metaphors of the Anthropocene and presents the case of hurricane Katrina’s effects in New Orleans.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gabtRVTvCI]

You can find an article by Marco Armiero on the Anthropocene here.

Other videos of the the Anthropocene Campus here.