Nature and Culture

If humanity can be considered a geological force at war with Earth, can Earth be considered a social force gravitationally imprisoning humanity? The answer is “yes,” and this explains why new concepts and hypotheses are advanced. Among others, these include the idea of the Gravity Wars, anthropomorphism, the anthropocentric picture of humanity as a geological force as the dual face of human vanity, and humanity's collective Stockholm syndrome, evident in its seeing itself as the sole actor in global warming.

The mid-twentieth century marks the proposed beginning of the Anthropocene, wherein human activities have irreversibly changed the environment, partly due to the accumulation of plastics from food packaging. Practice theories have contributed to understanding these activities, with some studies shifting the focus from isolated practices to the configurations they form to explain such significant social phenomena. This article uses the rise of packaging foods as an example to investigate how practices emerge as part of a configuration. Based on archival issues of the magazine Neue Verpackung (1948–1958)—pioneering magazine of the German packaging industry—I elaborate how the paradigm of rationalization orchestrated formerly separate practices toward converging and aligning, forming a configuration of densely interconnected and interdependent practices that eventually established food packaging as an essential component of transportation and retail sale. Insights into the emergence of a past configuration that remains relevant today can help transform current configurations, leading to the reduction of packaging waste.

This article illuminates how diverse experiences of emotion and futurity constitute equally diverse responses to the climate crisis. It draws on research among participants in the Transition movement for climate resilience to illustrate how a unique kind of climate activism arises from a distinctive combination of emotional engagement (embracing grief while emphasizing joy) and positive futurity (embracing inevitability while emphasizing efficacy). Transition participants’ anticipation of a future of postapocalyptic regeneration has important implications for their present actions; instead of resistance and protest, they model practical everyday alternatives and actively confront the painful emotions evoked by the climate crisis. Ultimately, this article suggests that exploring complex intersections of emotion, futurity, and action can reveal otherwise overlooked dimensions and sites of climate change response.

This article explores the role of sacred fossils, specifically ammonites called “Shaligrams,” in criminal acts and norm violations. It challenges conventional theories of criminal motivation via object agency, where nonhuman entities significantly impact crime conceptualization and perpetration. Originating from Nepal, Shaligrams are revered as living manifestations of Hindu gods and possess unique agency that influences human behavior. The relationships that humans form with Shaligrams blur the lines between rational human choice and response to the needs and desires of “agentic” objects. By examining instances where Shaligrams inspire criminal actions or where they themselves violate norms, we broaden the understanding of criminal agency beyond human-centric perspectives. Inclusion of Shaligrams in criminal networks and their impact on decision-making highlights the interplay between humans, natural objects, and cultural beliefs. This anthropological approach to criminology offers new insights into the dynamics of crime, challenging traditional notions of agency and rationality in criminal acts.

Sunaura Taylor. 2024. Disabled Ecologies: Lessons from a Wounded Desert. Oakland: University of California Press.

Anthony J. Nocella II and Amber E. George, eds. 2022. Vegans on Speciesism and Ableism: Ecoability Voices for Disability and Animal Justice. New York: Peter Lang Publishing Inc.