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Anthropocene dwelling: Lessons from post‐disaster Christchurch
Author(s) -
Westgate Justin
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
new zealand geographer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.335
H-Index - 25
eISSN - 1745-7939
pISSN - 0028-8144
DOI - 10.1111/nzg.12242
Subject(s) - anthropocene , quake (natural phenomenon) , history , literal and figurative language , planet , ground zero , geography , environmental ethics , geology , political science , law , seismology , philosophy , astronomy , linguistics , physics
This article takes circumstances of post‐quake Christchurch as an analogue for Anthropocene emergency. I argue that Christchurch events are more than a reminder of the Earth's geologic volatility; for the Anthropocene‐as‐disaster, it is a prompt to contemplate what it is to dwell on unstable ground. Urban locations—towns, cities, mega‐cities—are all rendered vulnerable on the surface of an unruly planet, offering no absolute refuge from planetary fluctuations. Such unsettling is deeply felt, physically and psychologically, resulting in homelessness both literal and figurative. Ensuing analysis offers insight into potential strategies for unsettled planetary dwelling to come.