The Question of Resources and the Birth of Ecology

This lecture explores the concept of nature, the transformation of the natural world into resources, the colonial invention of ecological awareness, and the emergence of ecology as a science. It delves into historical perspectives, such as Robert Boyle's mechanistic view of the universe, John Graunt's mortality tables, and Hugh Williamson's climate change observations. The discussion extends to the impact of human activities on climate, as exemplified by Buffon's insights on human influence on temperature. The session concludes by emphasizing the significance of ideas and metaphors in science, the colonial experience's role in shaping universal scientific knowledge, and the evolution of ecology in the United States through different ecological paradigms.