The Great Derangement - Amitav Ghosh

‘The Great Derangement – Climate Change and the Unthinkable’ by Amitav Ghosh; University of Chicago Press, 2016

“Climate change- Anthropocene-climate anxiety-the future is here- and the future is horrible, we should all TAKE ACTION. NOW!”

Discussions about the environment, Gaia, Planet Earth, or "Mother" Earth are often infused with urgency, panic, and concern, and there's no sign that these discussions will abate in the near future. In his book "The Great Derangement," Amitav Ghosh provides a concise yet compelling examination of the Anthropocene, colonialism, and climate change. Rather than leaving readers mired in despair, Ghosh assures them that their experience is not unique and there is a way to change things.

Focusing on the role of the imagination, art and humanities, Ghosh critically examines the literary domain's propensity to center human endeavors, reducing climate and the natural environment to mere backdrops. He notes that literature addressing climate change often frames it in terms of impending 'disasters,' relegating such narratives to the realm of "science fiction" and thus, diminishing the immediacy of environmental issues. Ghosh contends that this narrative strategy suggests climate change is a distant worry or one that affects only a few, thereby underestimating its universal impact. He skillfully highlights how climate change, in reality, spares no one when disaster strikes.

Ghosh is attentive to the diverse experiences of different communities, positioning marginalized perspectives at the forefront of the discourse. He proposes that the anxiety one person feels about the climate may well be another's daily experience. He argues that the crisis we face is less about the climate itself and more about our collective failure to envision sustainable ways of cohabitating with our planet, pointing to a broader failure of imagination. Ghosh reiterates the critical role of the humanities and the arts in giving voice to the silenced aspects of our world and illuminating subjects that have been rendered invisible.

Furthermore, Ghosh's exploration of the Anthropocene underscores the significant impact of colonialism on climate change. As discussed in both "The Nutmeg’s Curse" and "The Great Derangement," he urges a critical examination of the colonial legacy and its continuing influence on our environmental interactions.

Indeed, industrialization, capitalism and colonialism, militarization, or simply carbon intensive economics are the driving forces of the climate change which includes deforestation, and burning fossil fuels for energy. Such forces produce climate refugees, Ghosh argues. But it is also important to remember that not only humans, but plants, and animals also are forced to migrate/ adapt to such changes. Thus, colonialism, as Kyle Whyte says, is planting and displanting both humans and nonhumans.

The Anthropocene is a helpful term for beginning to understand what humans do on and to this planet. The Anthropocene era is accepted to have started by the mid-twentieth century when industrialization had its "official," "universal" beginning, with the invention of the steam engine and its role in agriculture marking the onset of the Anthropocene. Some Indigenous scholars, such as Zoe Todd and Heather Davis, disagree with this timestamp as it focuses on Western framing and neglects to acknowledge colonial histories. According to them, the Anthropocene should include the 1600s as the "golden spike" of colonial history. The 1600s highlight the period when animals and plants were transported between the Americas and Europe, which changed the ecosystems. This era is also marked by genocides and ecocides in the Americas.

The Anthropocene depicts a certain kind of humanity that has been abusing the Earth with its colonial habits enmeshed with capitalism. Indigenous scholars such as Kyle Whyte and Audra Mitchell argue that the Anthropocene points out only one segment of humanity. According to them, the concept of human is not hierarchical but relational, thus Indigenous peoples have always been in a kin-centric relationship with the more-than-human world.

What Amitav Ghosh does with his book is to bring the Anthropocene to the center of attention, and the "beginning" moment of discussions, to highlight that if the West is in crisis because of climate change, then it should look at its habits and history which are present today. In this regard, not only politics and history, but also literary art plays a role in bringing the Earth to the center of discussions, and not treating it as a setting for a novel or an atmosphere for a love affair.

I strongly suggest this book for those looking to enrich their comprehension of climate change within the framework of our worldwide political, economic, social, and cultural systems.

Leaving you with two compelling questions for reflection:

• Who can overlook the instances when the seemingly inanimate reveals itself to be alive, perhaps even posing a threat?

• In contemporary literature, what role is attributed to the nonhuman elements?

In this regard, the conversation between Chris Shaw and Tim Sahay might be insightful. We need to have language for all, including the working class people and voices of the Earth. You can read the interview here.