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Glacial Deaths, Geologic Extinction

Glacial Deaths, Geologic Extinction In 2019 several funerals were held for glaciers. If enough glaciers die, could they go extinct? Is there geologic extinction? Yes. This article develops three arguments to support this claim. The first revisits Georges Cuvier’s original argument for extinction and its reliance on geology, especially glaciers. Retracing connections to glaciers and the narrowing of extinction to biological species in the nineteenth century, the author argues that anthropogenic forcing on how the Earth system functions—the Anthropocene—warrants rethinking extinction geologically. The second argument examines the specificity of ice loss and multiple practices responding to this loss: from art exhibits at United Nations climate change meetings to anticolonial claims for the right to be cold. The third argument consolidates a theme built across the article regarding how Isabelle Stengers’s notion of ecologies of practices provides an approach to geologic extinction that recognizes both relational and nonrelational loss. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Environmental Humanities Duke University Press

Glacial Deaths, Geologic Extinction

Schmidt, Jeremy J.
Environmental Humanities , Volume 13 (2) – Nov 1, 2021
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20 pages

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Copyright
© 2021 Jeremy J. Schmidt
ISSN
2201-1919
eISSN
2201-1919
DOI
10.1215/22011919-9320156
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

In 2019 several funerals were held for glaciers. If enough glaciers die, could they go extinct? Is there geologic extinction? Yes. This article develops three arguments to support this claim. The first revisits Georges Cuvier’s original argument for extinction and its reliance on geology, especially glaciers. Retracing connections to glaciers and the narrowing of extinction to biological species in the nineteenth century, the author argues that anthropogenic forcing on how the Earth system functions—the Anthropocene—warrants rethinking extinction geologically. The second argument examines the specificity of ice loss and multiple practices responding to this loss: from art exhibits at United Nations climate change meetings to anticolonial claims for the right to be cold. The third argument consolidates a theme built across the article regarding how Isabelle Stengers’s notion of ecologies of practices provides an approach to geologic extinction that recognizes both relational and nonrelational loss.

Journal

Environmental Humanities – Duke University Press

Published: Nov 1, 2021

References

  • Geosemiosis
    Baker, Victor
  • Ok is the first Icelandic glacier to lose its status
    Belcourt, Billy-Ray
  • Climates of Anxiety: Comparing Experience of Glacier Retreat across Three Mountain Regions
    Brugger, Julie Dunbar, K. W. Jurt, Christine Orlove, Ben
  • The History of Ice: How Glaciers Became an Endangered Species
    Carey, Mark
  • Living and Dying with Glaciers: People’s Historical Vulnerability to Avalanches and Outburst Floods in Peru
    Carey, Mark
  • Glaciers, Gender, and Science: A Feminist Glaciology Framework for Global Environmental Change Research
    Carey, Mark Jackson, M. Antonello, Alessandro Rushing, Jaclyn
  • Biological Annihilation via the Ongoing Sixth Mass Extinction Signaled by Vertebrate Population Losses and Declines
    Ceballos, Gerardo Ehrlich, Paul Dirzo, Rodolfo
  • The Persistence of Epistemic Objects through Scientific Change
    Chang, Hasok
  • Structure and Properties of Water in Its Various States
    Chaplin, Martin Maurice, Patricia
  • Big Is a Thing of the Past: Climate Change and Methodology in the History of Ideas
    Coen, Deborah
  • ‘Are Glaciers ‘Good to Think With’? Recognising Indigenous Environmental Knowledge
    Cruikshank, Julie
  • On the Distribution of the Erratic Boulders and on the Contemporaneous Unstratified Deposits of South America
    Darwin, Charles
  • On the Importance of a Date, or Decolonizing the Anthropocene
    Davis, Heather Todd, Zoe
  • Estimating the Normal Background Rate of Species Extinction
    De Vos, Jurriaan M. Joppa, Lucas N. Gittleman, John L. Stephens, Patrick R. Pimm, Stuart L.
  • Environmental Justice, Unknowability, and Unqualified Affectability
    Dotson, Kristie Whyte, Kyle
  • Critical Insolation-CO2 Relation for Diagnosing Past and Future Glacial Inception
    Ganopolski, A. Winkelmann, Ricarda Schellnhuber, Hans
  • I’m glad the loss of this glacier is being marked with a funeral
    Ghosh, Amitav
  • Q&A: Author of ‘Feminist Glaciology’ Study Reflects on Sudden Appearance in Culture Wars
    Gramling, Carolyn
  • James Geikie, James Croll, and the Eventful Ice Age
    Hamlin, Christopher
  • The Creatures Collective: Manifestings
    Hernández, K. J. Rubis, June Mary Theriault, Noah Todd, Zoe Mitchell, Audra Country, Bawaka Burarrwanga, Laklak, et al
  • Appropriating the Weather: Olafur Eliasson and Climate Control
    Hornby, Louise
  • Italian Team Covers Glacier with Giant White Sheets to Slow Melting
  • How to Mourn a Glacier
    Johnson, Lacy
  • After None: Memorialising Animal Species Extinction through Monuments
    Jørgensen, Dolly Cushing, Nancy Frawley, Jodi
  • Blackness and the Pitfalls of Anthropocene Ethics
    Karera, Axelle
  • Dynamic Ice Loss from the Greenland Ice Sheet Driven by Sustained Glacier Retreat
    King, Michalea Howat, Ian Candela, Salvatore Noh, Myoung Jeong, Seonsgu Noël, Brice Broeke, Michiel Wouters, Bert Negrete, Adelaide
  • Defining the Anthropocene
    Lewis, Simon Maslin, Mark
  • Moving Glaciers: Remaking Nature and Mineral Extraction in Chile
    Li, Fabiana
  • Nonhuman Charisma
    Lorimer, Jamie
  • Acceleration of Ice Loss across the Himalayas over the Past 40 Years
    Maurer, J. M. Schaefer, J. M. Rupper, S. Corley, A.
  • Morton, Agassiz, and the Origins of Scientific Racism in the United States
    Menand, Louis
  • Beyond Biodiversity and Species: Problematizing Extinction
    Mitchell, Audra
  • Poulett Scrope on the Volcanoes of Auvergne: Lyellian Time and Political Economy
    Rudwick, Martin
  • The Moral Geography of the Earth System
    Schmidt, Jeremy
  • Science for the West, Myth for the Rest? The Case of James Bay Cree Knowledge Production
    Scott, Colin Nader, Laura
  • Giving Water Its Place: Artificial Glaciers and the Politics of Place in a High-Altitude Himalayan Village
    Sharma, Arjun
  • Ecological Community, the Sense of the World, and Senseless Extinction
    Smith, Mick
  • Trajectories of the Earth System in the Anthropocene
    Steffen, Will Rockström, Johan Richardson, Katherine Lenton, Timothy M. Folke, Carol Liverman, Diana Summerhayes, Colin P., et al
  • Comparison as a Matter of Concern
    Stengers, Isabelle
  • Including Nonhumans in Political Theory: Opening Pandora’s Box?
    Stengers, Isabelle Braun, Bruce Whatmore, Sarah
  • Introductory Notes on an Ecology of Practices
    Stengers, Isabelle
  • Living Protocols: Remaking Worlds in the Face of Extinction
    Theriault, Noah Leduc, Timothy Mitchell, Audra Rubis, June Mary Gaehowako, Norma Jacobs
  • Why Water Is Not H2O, and Other Critiques of Essentialist Ontology from the Philosophy of Chemistry
    VandeWall, Holly
  • Indigenous Climate Change Studies: Indigenizing Futures, Decolonizing the Anthropocene
    Whyte, Kyle
  • Geosemiosis
    Baker, Victor
  • Ok is the first Icelandic glacier to lose its status
    Belcourt, Billy-Ray
  • Climates of Anxiety: Comparing Experience of Glacier Retreat across Three Mountain Regions
    Brugger, Julie Dunbar, K. W. Jurt, Christine Orlove, Ben
  • The History of Ice: How Glaciers Became an Endangered Species
    Carey, Mark
  • Living and Dying with Glaciers: People’s Historical Vulnerability to Avalanches and Outburst Floods in Peru
    Carey, Mark
  • Glaciers, Gender, and Science: A Feminist Glaciology Framework for Global Environmental Change Research
    Carey, Mark Jackson, M. Antonello, Alessandro Rushing, Jaclyn
  • Biological Annihilation via the Ongoing Sixth Mass Extinction Signaled by Vertebrate Population Losses and Declines
    Ceballos, Gerardo Ehrlich, Paul Dirzo, Rodolfo
  • The Persistence of Epistemic Objects through Scientific Change
    Chang, Hasok
  • Structure and Properties of Water in Its Various States
    Chaplin, Martin Maurice, Patricia
  • Big Is a Thing of the Past: Climate Change and Methodology in the History of Ideas
    Coen, Deborah
  • ‘Are Glaciers ‘Good to Think With’? Recognising Indigenous Environmental Knowledge
    Cruikshank, Julie
  • On the Distribution of the Erratic Boulders and on the Contemporaneous Unstratified Deposits of South America
    Darwin, Charles
  • On the Importance of a Date, or Decolonizing the Anthropocene
    Davis, Heather Todd, Zoe
  • Estimating the Normal Background Rate of Species Extinction
    De Vos, Jurriaan M. Joppa, Lucas N. Gittleman, John L. Stephens, Patrick R. Pimm, Stuart L.
  • Environmental Justice, Unknowability, and Unqualified Affectability
    Dotson, Kristie Whyte, Kyle
  • Critical Insolation-CO2 Relation for Diagnosing Past and Future Glacial Inception
    Ganopolski, A. Winkelmann, Ricarda Schellnhuber, Hans
  • I’m glad the loss of this glacier is being marked with a funeral
    Ghosh, Amitav
  • Q&A: Author of ‘Feminist Glaciology’ Study Reflects on Sudden Appearance in Culture Wars
    Gramling, Carolyn
  • James Geikie, James Croll, and the Eventful Ice Age
    Hamlin, Christopher
  • The Creatures Collective: Manifestings
    Hernández, K. J. Rubis, June Mary Theriault, Noah Todd, Zoe Mitchell, Audra Country, Bawaka Burarrwanga, Laklak, et al
  • Appropriating the Weather: Olafur Eliasson and Climate Control
    Hornby, Louise
  • Italian Team Covers Glacier with Giant White Sheets to Slow Melting
  • How to Mourn a Glacier
    Johnson, Lacy
  • After None: Memorialising Animal Species Extinction through Monuments
    Jørgensen, Dolly Cushing, Nancy Frawley, Jodi
  • Blackness and the Pitfalls of Anthropocene Ethics
    Karera, Axelle
  • Dynamic Ice Loss from the Greenland Ice Sheet Driven by Sustained Glacier Retreat
    King, Michalea Howat, Ian Candela, Salvatore Noh, Myoung Jeong, Seonsgu Noël, Brice Broeke, Michiel Wouters, Bert Negrete, Adelaide
  • Defining the Anthropocene
    Lewis, Simon Maslin, Mark
  • Moving Glaciers: Remaking Nature and Mineral Extraction in Chile
    Li, Fabiana
  • Nonhuman Charisma
    Lorimer, Jamie
  • Acceleration of Ice Loss across the Himalayas over the Past 40 Years
    Maurer, J. M. Schaefer, J. M. Rupper, S. Corley, A.
  • Morton, Agassiz, and the Origins of Scientific Racism in the United States
    Menand, Louis
  • Beyond Biodiversity and Species: Problematizing Extinction
    Mitchell, Audra
  • Poulett Scrope on the Volcanoes of Auvergne: Lyellian Time and Political Economy
    Rudwick, Martin
  • The Moral Geography of the Earth System
    Schmidt, Jeremy
  • Science for the West, Myth for the Rest? The Case of James Bay Cree Knowledge Production
    Scott, Colin Nader, Laura
  • Giving Water Its Place: Artificial Glaciers and the Politics of Place in a High-Altitude Himalayan Village
    Sharma, Arjun
  • Ecological Community, the Sense of the World, and Senseless Extinction
    Smith, Mick
  • Trajectories of the Earth System in the Anthropocene
    Steffen, Will Rockström, Johan Richardson, Katherine Lenton, Timothy M. Folke, Carol Liverman, Diana Summerhayes, Colin P., et al
  • Comparison as a Matter of Concern
    Stengers, Isabelle
  • Including Nonhumans in Political Theory: Opening Pandora’s Box?
    Stengers, Isabelle Braun, Bruce Whatmore, Sarah
  • Introductory Notes on an Ecology of Practices
    Stengers, Isabelle
  • Living Protocols: Remaking Worlds in the Face of Extinction
    Theriault, Noah Leduc, Timothy Mitchell, Audra Rubis, June Mary Gaehowako, Norma Jacobs
  • Why Water Is Not H2O, and Other Critiques of Essentialist Ontology from the Philosophy of Chemistry
    VandeWall, Holly
  • Indigenous Climate Change Studies: Indigenizing Futures, Decolonizing the Anthropocene
    Whyte, Kyle