An End to History?

Climate Change, the Past and the Future

3rd April 2008
Birmingham and Midland Institute, Margaret Street, Birmingham, B3 3BS (map)

Conference papers and PowerPoint presentations ( updated: 9 May 2008)

To play a Powerpoint presentation, click on the links below and select "open with Java"; click with your mouse to see next slide.

Jonathan Coope 'Climate Chaos/History Chaos: identifying an ethical role for the humanities in climate change debates'

Benjamin Morris and Bradon Smith (University of Cambridge), ‘The Rhetoric and Iconography of Climate Change’

Patrick Ainley, ‘Education and Climate Change – some systemic connections’ (PDF file - this paper first appeared in the British Journal of Sociology of Education)

Updated: 25 January 2008: Download the Registration form (PDF or Word)
List of papers and participants (updated 8 Feb)
Download the conference poster (27 February 2008 update)
Conference Programme (6 March 2008 update)

Call for Papers and Contributions (now closed)

The premise of this conference is that human society has had a potentially catastrophic effect on the earth’s climate. For some commentators it is not out of the question that we will bring about our own extinction unless we modify our behaviour. And while the scientific community has had a major influence on governments’ and the public’s understanding of climate change, the contribution of the humanities has been less significant. Therefore this conference seeks contributions from across the humanities, from historians, archaeologists, anthropologists, sociologists, psychologists, human geographers, demographers, philosophers, writers, and from students of politics, economics, international relations, religion, literature and culture.

Contributions should aim to:

explore how this potentially catastrophic situation has arisen
understand how societies, polities and cultures have previously, or currently, sustained themselves in conditions of scarcity and adversity
learn from the experiences of past and current societies which have coped with severe climate or environmental change
raise awareness of the value of humanities for understanding climate change and its impact on past and present societies

The conference is open to everyone with an interest in the development of our understanding of climate change, whether they are researchers, students, campaigners or others. There will be a conference fee of £15 per day for waged delegates. For students and the unwaged there will be a fee of £10 per day and a small number of bursaries will be available to allow free attendance. A list of accommodation in Birmingham can be provided to delegates.

Organisers: Dr Chris Callow (Birmingham University); Dr Mark Levene (Southampton University); Dr Jean-Francois Mouhot (Birmingham University)

Contact: EndofHistoryConference@googlemail.com

The conference is supported and co-organised by the University of Southampton and University of Birmingham.