In the spirit of Halloween (and existentialism), we discuss apocalypse and urban collapse this week! Contrary to the doom and gloom we typically associate images of the post-human world with, the word “apocalypse” has roots in both change and revolution. We explore how capital and religion have utilized power and fear to morph its’ modern connotations. And what of urban collapse, you ask? Think of cities like Chicago, New York, Tokyo - all of these seem like behemoths of construction that will long outlast us. Funnily enough, if we humans were to disappear today, nature has an entirely different plan. Our anthropological footprint will remain on the earth in various forms, but how fast could nature begin to reclaim a city like NYC if we humans just evaporated? While seemingly indestructible, this heavy-ass concrete jungle is more fragile than you could believe. In typical O.o.E fashion, we seek to find ways to center community and belonging as mobilizing forces in the face of catastrophe and collapse with, of course, some nonsensical digressions.

Works Cited:

The Importance of Apocalypse: The Value of End-­Of­‐The­‐World Politics While Advancing Ecocriticism

USGS Survey

The World Without Us by Alan Weisman

How’s that for an ending? A political ecology of apocalypse

Apocalypse Soon?: Dire Messages Reduce Belief in Global Warming by Contradicting Just-World Beliefs

Ecological Gentrification in Response to Apocalyptic Narratives of Climate Change: The Production of an Immuno‐political Fantasy - Harper - 2020 - International Journal of Urban and Regional Research - Wiley Online Library

From revelation to revolution: apocalypticism in green politics: Environmental Politics

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