Talking Records: Pollution in the Archive (online)

Following on from the in person Talking Records symposium held at The National Archives on 4 December, this online afternoon of talks showcases more research into Pollution in the Archive.

Across different times and places, from local to global, the concept of pollution is intertwined with histories of land use and management, agricultural practices, public health and more. All aspects of the environment are vulnerable to the effects of harmful substances, including pesticides, industrial waste, and radioactive material. Human and non-human creatures can be vulnerable when environments, habitats, and ecosystems are contaminated.

In our records, pollution histories intersect with industrial histories (e.g. coal mining, industrial accidents, military activity) and urgent contemporary questions about energy sources and climate change. Pollution is an ever-evolving concept, and even pre-modern records can speak to us about changing scientific, social, and cultural understandings of contamination across the centuries.

Programme

Panel 1 - Local and Global Pollution

• Nuclear perpetrations in the thoughtful landscapes of Eryri National Park, Paul Wright
• Mapping the ‘Vast Fecal Resources’ of the Archive, Andrew Loyd Craig
• Pollution, Memory and the Koko Waste Incident in Nigeria, Olalekan Ojumu
• Empire, Industry and the Exportation of Pollution, Robert Fleming

Panel 2 - Preserving the Past, Protecting the Future

• Designing Digital Archives with Ecological Accountability, Tushar Kant
• Visualising Pollution and the challenges of archival preservation in developing countries: Lessons from Pakistan, Tehmash Khan
• The Pollution Reporter app and The Land and Refinery Project, Kristen Bos

This event will be online only. A separate in person-only session is taking place on Thursday 4 December.

If you have any accessibility requirements you would like to discuss or any questions, please email research@nationalarchives.gov.uk.

Read more about Talking Records: Pollution in the Archive on our website.