Forum Basiliense

Das Anthropozän begann, sagt der Literaturwissenschaftler Alexander Honold, als der Mensch die ersten Furchen durch die Erde zog, es setzte sich fort in der Schrift, die erst eine städtische Verwaltung ermöglichte. Das Anthropozän ist, ergänzt die Religionswissenschaflterin Almut-Barbara Renger, ein offenes Konzept, das sowohl buddhistische, indigene, aber auch andere Vorstellung eines neuen Zusam...

New cities in Egypt, built from scratch in the middle of the desert, might suggest that the deserts are merely empty spaces ready for expansion and construction. But that is not the case, says Vanessa Lehmann, who works on the implications of these mega construction projects in Egypt. Conservation of ancient sites against the threats of climate change, on the other hand, reflects the responsibilit...

When ice cracks, it produces sounds that are often imperceptible to the human ear. Using specialized equipment, artist and anthropologist Saadia Mirza translates these sounds into immersive installations that invite audiences to engage with the effects of climate heating. Climate change is also the subject of Doriana Cimmino's work, but in different sense: she explores the way newspapers and socia...

Industrial production today relies on complex, often global supply chains which are a major source of carbon dioxide and other polluters. Elizabeth Bennett examines, how the European Union approaches the regulation of supply chains, showing which aspects are addressed, which are ignored, and the surprising consequences of these decisions. Meanwhile, Óscar Ricardo Solis-Torres goes back in time, li...

When urban inhabitants settle in rural areas in Spain, they bring along their own ideas of how to produce food and how to engage with nature. While they bring innovation, they sometimes also cause disruption, says nature anthropologist Elena Concepción, and all this requires (new) regulations. Regulations are also an essential part of efforts to protect nature and the environment in many South Ame...