Unlikely Stories: Apprehending Climate Change in the Anthropocene

Unlikely Stories: Apprehending Climate Change in the Anthropocene

A conversation with Amitav Ghosh and Adam Sobel, moderated by Nikhil Anand, PPEH Topic Director

As improbable events increasingly disrupt pretenses of legible, predictable environments, how might we notice, narrate and inhabit the uncertain and vibrant naturecultures of the anthropocene?  Join writer Amitav Ghosh and earth scientist Adam Sobel in a conversation about how unlikely data and stories inform the work that they do.

Adam Sobel is a professor at Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory and Engineering School. He studies the dynamics of climate and weather phenomena, particularly in the tropics. In recent years he has become particularly interested in understanding the risks to human society from extreme weather events and climate change. He is author or co-author of over 150 peer-reviewed scientific articles; a popular book, Storm Surge, about Hurricane Sandy; and numerous op-eds and articles in the mainstream media, including several recently for the New York Times.

Amitav Ghosh was born in Calcutta and grew up in India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. He is the author of two books of nonfiction, a collection of essays, and eight novels. His work has been translated into more than 30 languages and he has served on the jury of the Locarno and Venice Film Festivals. In 2007, he was awarded the Padma Shri, one of India’s highest honors, by the President of India. His books have won prizes in India, Europe, and Myanmar, and he has been awarded honorary degrees by the Sorbonne, Paris and by Queens College, New York. He divides his time between Brooklyn, Goa, and Kolkata.