The problem of climate change forces us to rethink many of the basic analytical categories in the humanities and humanistic social sciences. Within the humanities, writers and artists are experimenting with new ways in which their practices can catalyze environmental awareness, and emerging research is beginning to integrate the history of culture with the history of the earth’s climate.

This project brought together faculty and graduate students from across the humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences in a reading group. We were especially interested in the place of the humanities in meeting the challenge of climate change. How might humanistic perspectives inform the science and politics of climate change? We also considered how climate change is transforming our understanding of history, politics, literature, and ethics, inspiring new approaches within the humanities.