Time: Sept 13, 2023 14:00 CET (2:00 PM)
The global petrochemical industry is surrounded by and infused with conflicting interests between jobs, prosperity, and health. Amidst significant lived experiences of pollution and health issues that surround petrochemical industrial sites around the globe, in what ways does “expertise” work in this this industry? What strategies and perspectives inform deliberate political struggle both against and in favor of the industry’s expansion? And what kind of monograph emerges from ethnographic study of environmental justice movements and industry logics across more than three geographic zones: Grangemouth, Scotland; St. James Parish, Louisiana; and Nanjing and Guangzhou, Chinaꟷas well as field trips to Porto Marghera, Italy, and Antwerp, Belgium?
On 13 September, we will convene to discuss Alice Mah’s book Petrochemical Planet: Multiscalar Battles of Industrial Transformation (2023), which is open-access. At the time that the project underpinning this book was planned, it was described as “the first systematic and wide-ranging sociological analysis of the global petrochemical industry in relation to environmental justice and corporate social responsibility” [1].
We are a network of scholars interested in political ecology, political economy, and energy transitions, regularly offering international videoconference meetings to debate and discuss the newest publications in political economy, political ecology, and energy studies. The group currently has a density of anthropological participation, but also engages significantly with other disciplines and also welcomes diversity beyond academia. As with previous book-length works, we suggest that attendees read the introduction, conclusion, and at least one internal chapter of Petrochemical Planet that speaks to their interests. At this 13 September meeting or afterwards, we also hope to shape perspectives on what our group should read in academic year 2024-2025.
For more information or the videoconference link, please email: [email protected]
