Research Project
For this project, choose (or invent) a single term or concept that you feel is important to envisioning and shaping life on Earth during a dramatic climate shift.
It can be a familiar word that you’d like to redefine or repurpose;
a word that has changed in denotation or connotation over time;
a neologism that has emerged to describe some feature of contemporary life, such as “doomscrolling” or “wishcycling”;
a technical term, derived from new scientific knowledge, professional jargon, or innovations in technology; or a word you’ve made up altogether and feel we need.
Once you’ve decided on a word, you will research its history (or the history of its absence–a history of failure to address an issue in these terms), its etymology and/or origins, the contexts in which it is or should be used (or not used), and make a case for its relevance in contemporary climate discourse.
OBJECTIVE
For this assignment, create your own entry in a class ecotopian lexicon. In addition to defining your term for readers, your essay should argue for the value of its inclusion in contemporary conversations around climate change and climate futures.
All students have the option to share their final assignment with the editors of An Eco-topian Lexicon to be posted on their website:
https://www.ecotopianlexicon.com/
