SLS-France Fall 2023 Week 3 

in Photos + "Ecocritical Threes"

September 08, 2023

Brigitte Stepanov

Personal (Ecological) Philosophies

We're back with another round of "Ecocritical Threes,"  a brief three-point summary of the week's theory (in-class discussions) and practice (community engagement and experimental learning). The "Ecocritical Threes" series shares questions posed, reflections had, and anecdotes told, providing a glimpse into the interdisciplinary and intersectional thinking with which we are approaching climate change and climate justice this semester. 

1. Worldmaking through transportation choices: this week we thought about how cities are encountered (differently) depending on the mode of transportation used. We visited La Maison du vélo in Metz, an organization that works to repair/reuse/recycle/upcycle bicycles and make cycling accessible and safe within the messin community. 

2. We reflected on eco-codes, that is, the principles that one can adopt in order to minimize their environmental impact (from opting for sustainable transportation options to conserving energy use to reducing, reusing, recycling, and upcycling materials in our everyday lives).

3. But we're pushing this thinking beyond the inadequacy of "eco-friendliness": what is a ecological philosophy? How does this relate to climate justice, energy equity, and grassroots community building?