Louana Meloche, Undergraduate Student, University of Toronto Mississauga, Canada
The conclusion of The Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC (COP29) offered a painful but important moment for reflection on the systemic inequities in global climate policies, illustrating the gaps between the promises of climate action and the realities of implementation. The summit’s failure to provide adequate financial support for developing nations, its disregard for vulnerable populations, and the influence of fossil fuel lobbyists underscore the challenges that environmental anthropology must confront (Center for International Environmental Law, 2024). These disappointments reinforce the urgency of equipping students with the skills, curiosity, and ethical frameworks to critically engage with these global challenges and to envision sustainable, equitable futures.
Teaching environmental anthropology in this context is a call to action. It goes beyond analyzing failures in governance; it’s about fostering a profound understanding among students that their work is significant in creating equitable and sustainable futures.
A fundamental aspect of this educational journey involves embracing epistemological pluralism. As Andreotti et al., (2011) emphasize, addressing complex global challenges requires integrating diverse ways of knowing, particularly Indigenous and non-Western perspectives. These worldviews often promote concepts like interdependence and reciprocity with the environment, clashing with many contemporary climate policies (McGregor, 2018). However, Andreotti et al., (2011) and other scholars such as Natcher (2001), caution that integrating these perspectives requires careful attention to ensure they are represented authentically and respectfully, avoiding appropriation.
Curiosity is another essential tool for educators and students, as noted by van Schaik, Pradhan, and Tennie (2019) and Bineth (2023), who argue that curiosity is a key mechanism for cultural evolution and is invaluable in education. In the classroom, framing discussions around questions like, “What cultural assumptions underlie dominant sustainability models?” or “Why do international climate policies consistently fail to address equity?” encourage students to explore complex ideas and make meaningful connections to understand the foundations of local, national and global climate governance and negotiations. COP29 provides a case study for students to critically examine how systemic power imbalances shape global climate negotiations. Durbin’s (2023) work on “Teaching to Cultivate a Better Anthropocene” emphasizes the use of metaphors as an education tool in environmental anthropology. Durbin (2023) suggests that through metaphorical thinking educators can help students conceptualize and address the complex challenges of the Anthropocene more effectively, fostering a deeper understanding and engagement with environmental issues.
Collaboration is equally important in preparing students to address environmental challenges. Brondo et al., (2016) highlight the potential power of engaging students in real-world contexts, such as community-based projects with local environmental justice movements or organizations. These hands-on experiences help students bridge theory and practice, making the systemic inequities illuminated by COP29 more tangible.
Finally, Orr et al., (2015) emphasize that systemic thinking is crucial in environmental anthropology. They argue that understanding socio-ecological feedback loops such as the link between inadequate climate finance and increased vulnerability helps students see the broader implications of policy decisions (Oor et al. 2015). Bajrami (2022) complements this by urging a move beyond anthropocentrism, enabling ecological ethics that center non-human life and recognize the interdependence of all species.
Teaching environmental anthropology in the aftermath of COP29 is not just about dissecting failures. It’s about equipping students with the tools to think beyond these failures. By fostering curiosity, embracing pluralism, and emphasizing collaboration, educators can empower students to engage critically with the systemic challenges; the classroom becomes a space where students can confront the realities of the Anthropocene while envisioning, and enacting, a more equitable and sustainable future. Educating students in environmental anthropology can help youth navigate the Anthropocene not just as passive observers but as active contributors to change. In the face of global disappointments in climate action, this kind of engagement feels more necessary than ever and at its heart holds a sense of hope for our future.
References
Andreotti, V., Ahenakew, C., and Cooper, G. (2011). Epistemological Pluralism: Ethical and Pedagogical Challenges in Higher Education. AlterNative : An International Journal of Indigenous Peoples, 7 (1): 40–50. https://doi.org/10.1177/117718011100700104.
Bajrami, A. (2022). From Nature to Man: Environmental Anthropology in the Anthropocene. Journal of Biological Research-Bollettino Della Societa Italiana di Biologia Sperimentale, 95 (1). https://doi.org/10.4081/jbr.2022.10377.
Bineth, Ariel. 2023. “Towards a Sociology of Curiosity: Theoretical and Empirical Consideration of the Epistemic Drive Notion.” Theory and Society 52 (1): 119–44. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11186-021-09464-y.
Brondo, Vacanti, K., Kent, S., and Hill, A. (2016). Teaching Collaborative Environmental Anthropology: A Case Study Embedding Engaged Scholarship in Critical Approaches to Voluntourism. Annals of Anthropological Practice 40 (2): 193–206. https://doi.org/10.1111/napa.12101.
Center for International Environmental Law. (November 2024). COP29: CIEL Comment. Center for International Environmental Law. . https://www.ciel.org/news/cop29-ciel-comment/.
Durbin, T. (2023). Teaching to Cultivate a Better Anthropocene: Metaphor Work and the Conceptual Development of an Environmental Anthropology Course. Journal of Sustainability Education.
McGregor, D. (2018). Reconciliation and Environmental Justice. Journal of Global Ethics. 14 (2): 222–31. https://doi.org/10.1080/17449626.2018.1507005.
Orr, Y., Lansing, S., Dove, M., Strier, K., and Brenneis, D. (2015). Environmental Anthropology: Systemic Perspectives. Annual Review of Anthropology, 44 (1): 153–68. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-anthro-102214-014159.
Natcher, D., (2001). Land Use Research and the Duty to Consult: A Misrepresentation of the Aboriginal Landscape. Land Use Policy, 18 (2): 113–22. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0264-8377(01)00011-4.
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van Schaik, C., Pradhan, G., and Tennie, C. (2019). Teaching and Curiosity: Sequential Drivers of Cumulative Cultural Evolution in the Hominin Lineage. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 73 (1): 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-018-2610-7.
Veteto, J., and Lockyer, J. (2008). Environmental Anthropology Engaging Permaculture: Moving Theory and Practice Toward Sustainability. Culture & Agriculture, 30 (1–2): 47–58. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1556-486X.2008.00007.x.
