Podiumsdiskussion: Mobilität im Zeitalter des Anthropozäns

29. Mai 2017, von Sophie Palm

Am Donnerstag, den 1. Juni 2017 findet von 18:15 Uhr bis 19:45 Uhr im Hauptgebäude der Universität Hamburg (Edmund-Siemers-Allee 1, Hörsaal C) eine Diskussion zum Thema „Mobilität im Zeitalter des Anthropozäns“ statt. Hintergrund der Debatte sind die enormen gesellschaftlichen Herausforderungen, die sich in den Bereichen Mobilität und Migration aus der Globalisierung und den fortschreitenden Klima- und Umweltveränderungen ergeben.

Gäste:
Anita Engels (Universität Hamburg, Sprecherin des Exzellenzclusters CliSAP)
Andrew Baldwin (Universität Durham, UK)
Jairus Grove (Universität Hawaii, Manoa)
Silja Klepp (Universität Kiel)

Abstract:
Evidence is mounting that the planet has entered a new geological epoch: the Anthropocene. The Anthropocene names the latest episode in Earth’s history, in which humanity finally took control over the planet. The implications are grave: The planet is warming up, sea-levels are rising, oceans and whole landscapes are polluted with plastic particles, and many species are going extinct.

The Anthropocene epoch is crucially related to the issue of mobility. In a globalized world, goods, people, ideas and services are circulated across the planet. Species migrate in order to adapt to changing environmental conditions. The Anthropocene also forces some humans to leave their homes: people living at places contaminated by chemical or nuclear waste, the inhabitants of low-lying island, or people relocated for large-scale infrastructure projects like dams or mines. Yet, while some forms of mobility in the Anthropocene are welcomed and even promoted by Western politics, others are stigmatized and impeded.

In the panel discussion "Anthropocene Mobilities”, four renowned international researchers challenge such discourses that understand mobility as a problem or even a threat and discuss alternative perspectives on migration and mobility in the Anthropocene.