What Does It Mean To Be Green?

What does it mean to be green? From saving energy to recycling to eating organic food, in recent years the idea of going green has gained increasing attention. But green is not solely a proxy for environmentalism: it encompasses competing, and at times contradictory meanings. This seminar places contemporary green debates in historical and cross-cultural contexts. We'll examine multiple paradigms of greenness in the Global South as well as the Global North. Topics range from imperial visions of tropical landscapes to the green revolution emphasis on agrochemicals, from conservation to climate change. Enrollment limited to 19 first year students.