Boston Athenæum

February 15, 2017 at the Boston Athenæum. The warnings come one after another, from biologists, meteorologists, pathologists, and hydrologists, all offering some variation on the same story: the world we inhabit is changing rapidly—and not always for the better. Centuries of fossil fuel consumption has caused atmospheric levels of carbon to spike beyond anything our species has ever experienced. Each month brings record temperatures as clean water grows scarce. 200 million environmental refugees are expected by 2050. In a world increasingly characterized by the effects of climate disruption—political, environmental, economic, and social—it comes as no surprise that writers and artists have begun to seize and depict the personal and collective implications of climate change. Across media and genre, writers and artists convey urgency and bear witness to the ongoing destruction of our planet, while encouraging humanity to rise to the challenges ahead. This presentation will explore the ways in which American w