This course explores the notion of the Anthropocene, the idea that the Earth has been significantly and permanently altered by human activity. Through the lens of environmental history, the course examines the material, social, political, and conceptual technologies used to relate and manipulate environments over the last 12,000 years.
Students enrolled in this course are eligible for the Dr. Rowland Marshall History of Science and Technology Prize in Ecology and Environment. An award will go to the student with the best research essay written in Engineering the Planet: the Anthropocene Era, from Prehistory to Today’s Global Crisis, Ecology and Religion, and Environmentalism: origins, ideals and critiques each year. This prize value is between $800 and $1,000.
