PROPOSAL TYPE
Roundtable
SEEKING
- Seeking General Feedback and Interest
- Seeking Specific Expertise
- Seeking Additional Presenters
RELATED TOPICS
- Environmental Sustainability
- Labor and Economy
- Social Justice
ABSTRACT
Climate change mitigation and advocacy are growing topics in museums, but it is rare for sites with historical connections to industry or fossil fuel to interpret the origins of the crisis. What sites are planning programs on the history of climate change, and what strategies are they considering? What are the benefits and risks of this work? How does it connect with racial and economic disparity in the effects of the crisis today?
As the effects of climate change increase, historic sites connected to the fossil fuel industry assume new meaning, from railroad museums to industrialist mansions. This panel is a conversation on how history institutions can actively meet this paradigm shift, using concrete examples from the US and the UK.
DESCRIPTION
Goals:
– Propose and refine the idea of interpreting climate change history using the material culture of historic sites, as a distinct but related topic to educating the public about the effects of climate change on historic sites and communities.
– Share case studies to illustrate what public history institutions are currently implementing or considering to interpret climate change history.
– Encourage history institutions to consider adding climate history interpretation to what is offered by their organization.
– Begin a dialog and connections between public history institutions that are or are interested in interpreting the history of the climate crisis.
Looking for:
– Panelists – individuals who work at public history institutions and are implementing or planning climate change history programs.
– Leads on institutions or people who are doing this work.
– Any feedback or ideas this proposal generates.
(I have a few leads for panelists but none confirmed enough to share)
If you have a direct offer of assistance, sensitive criticism, or wish to pass along someone’s contact information confidentially, please get in contact directly: Aislinn Pentecost-Farren, University of Pennsylvania, [email protected]
ALL FEEDBACK AND OFFERS OF ASSISTANCE SHOULD BE SUBMITTED BY JULY 7, 2022. If you have general ideas or feedback to share, please feel free to use the comments feature below.
Hi Aislinn,
This is a really interesting concept! I recall that last year, someone else put forth a topic proposal for feedback about interpreting climate change. I think they were focused on maritime historical sites, and I don’t think their final proposal made it into the conference last year. I can’t remember their name, but hopefully they see this and connect with you. Or perhaps the folks at NCPH can do some digging and connect you all.
I wonder if there are enough sites that are thinking about the roots of climate change in this way to complete a full panel, so I think it’d be interesting to include other perspectives.
Hi Julie, Very helpful to know about this. I will try to dig up that maritime idea from last year. It would be ideal to have a panel of different sites to get the various perspectives you reference. Thank you! – Aislinn
You’ve probably already seen it, but the History@Work blog series “Climate Emergency” could also be a good place to find potential panelists and other perspectives —
https://ncph.org/history-at-work/tag/climate-emergency-series/
Thank you, Jackie! Very helpful suggestion, I’ll make sure I review the series.
Hi Aislinn,
This topic is dear to my heart—I co-organized the “Public Historians in Our Climate Emergency” working group with David Glassberg and just finished a Fulbright project in the UK on these ideas, with a strong focus on historic sites associated with the industrial revolution. And I’m currently completing co-development of a toolkit for the National Park Service titled “History and Hope: Interpreting the Roots of Our Climate Crisis and Inspiring Action.” I have lots of ideas and potential projects to discuss with you, maybe we can have a zoom in the next week or so? I’m still traveling in Europe, so we’d have to find a good time. Best, Donna
Thank you for getting in touch Donna! Looking forward to it. – Aislinn
This is a fascinating topic and one that we have been discussing at Museum of the Rockies. Between increasing forest fires, superfund sites such as MT’s Berkley Pit (we did a small exhibit on this last year), and the recent flooding of the Yellowstone River, the historic effects on climate change are around us.
If you are still looking for some speakers, you might want to reach out to the Director of Exhibits at Mystic Seaport (I could place her in contact with you). Like many maritime history museums, I am pretty sure that Mystic has explored causes of sea level rise.
Hope this helps, Chris