Ecohumanities for Cities in Crisis

FAIN: LD-234315-16

Florida International University Board of Trustees (Miami, FL 33199-2516)
April Merleaux (Project Director: June 2015 to December 2017)

A series of public events, programs, and conversations addressing the environmental threat posed to Miami from rising sea levels.

We seek funding for AY 2016 to conduct a public event series called Ecohumanities for Cities in Crisis which will bring humanities scholars and the public together in Miami, FL to discuss the tension between humans and nature over hundreds of years. Miami is on the verge of an environmental crisis from a warming planet and rising seas. As the region grapples with policy and science issues, humanities scholars have a unique role to play. We can frame humanistic discussion about urban environments, risk, and resilience. The centerpiece will be a public forum in March 2016 which includes a plenary of scholars from diverse humanities disciplines, a walking tour, and a panel on diversity and justice in environmental advocacy. We will conduct five subsequent public programs through the Fall 2016, create on online archive of all events, conduct professional development for high school teachers, offer a graduate public environmental history course, and curate a museum exhibit.