Wilcox+Historical+Moment

James Wilcox, Spring 2013
 * Historical Moment**



Times are strange. Dystopian-catastrophic imaginaries are suddenly not so imaginary. However, captivating projects like the Svalbard Global Seed Vault remain rare and--when developed--are often caught up in the networks and logics of late industrialism that precipitated their need in the first place.

Everyone knows what ought to be done, but it’s just so complicated. So complex. Everything’s interconnected, right? These are //wicked// problems. Meanwhile all of our machines keep things moving. Better to steer development than to thwart capacity once it’s built. (You can’t stop progress.) Aim for market transformation and mitigate risk to maximize return on investment. Progress: seek out and internalize externalities to improve analyses (Total Resource Cost, Benefit-Cost, Life-Cycle Analysis). Effective project management is key.

Climate models predict catastrophe while economic models hold out the promise of growth snatched from the jaws of recession. Model homes now promise more efficient climate control.

The Anthropocene. The Carbon Interval. The End of Nature. The Risk Society. All are attempts think and name the current historical moment in which the ecological consequences of industrialism have manifested themselves at all scales, from the local to the planetary. These moves are reflexive, calling attention to the modes of interaction among various groups of humans and the local and global ecosystems on which human well-being depends. Geographical, temporal, and epistemological conflicts abound, along with their attendant partisans. Should urban spaces be reclaimed? Should “land use planning” be reformed? Short-term prosperity or long-term resilience? Which rationality takes precedence? Who decides?