Plan of the city and suburbs of New Orleans: from an actual survey made in, by Tanesse, I, et al. 1815 (New York: Charles Del Vecchio ; New Orleans: P. Maspero). Retrieved from the Library of Congress, www.loc.gov/item/90684205/, November 24, 2024.
By Marcy Rockman, Lifting Rocks Climate and Heritage Consulting, for the SHA Climate Heritage Initiative
A recent global-scale survey by the UN Development Program (UNDP) found that far more people around the world want action on climate change than those that don’t. Eighty-six (86) percent want their governments to work together on climate despite differences on other issues, more than 50% think about climate change daily or weekly, and similarly high percentages want stronger protections for nature and higher commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Such survey results matter because individual action on climate has the most impact when it is aggregated and collective action becomes more possible as individuals hear and feel that others share their concerns and also want to take action. A recent study of climate engagement by scientists found that a vast majority of scientists surveyed are deeply concerned about climate change and most see need for fundamental change to social, political, and economic systems and do not agree that technology will provide all or most solutions. However, many are also unsure of how to balance their roles as scientists with meaningful action.
This is why it is important and fitting that in early January 2025, the Society for Historical Archaeology, in partnership with the Advisory Council on Underwater Archaeology, will host its annual conference with the theme Landscapes in Transition. The land of the host city of New Orleans has been home to many peoples over thousands of years. This land is now sinking, shifting, and rebuilding in response to fossil fuel development, storms and rising sea levels, and ongoing human connections to and love for this place. Accordingly, the conference will link archaeology with climate change in many ways, from study of impacts on sites and plastics to community-based archaeology and discussions of policy, collectively showing that archaeologists recognize the challenges of climate and are working together on it.
With this post, the Micro-Climate Blog will pause to prepare for and take part in this conference, with plans to resume in mid-January.
Featured Link: https://sha.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/SHA-2025-Conference-Preliminary-Program.pdf
For a listing of all blog posts in this series, visit our Climate Heritage Initiative page.
