As a core aspect of the “Stuttgart approach”, interdisciplinarity, the interaction between the natural sciences, engineering, the social sciences and humanities, is integral to the University of Stuttgart’s mission statement. Olaf Zimmermann, Managing Director of the German Cultural Council, uses climate change to exemplify why this intermeshing is indispensable and what questions are raised when the subject of culture is brought into play.
The impact of human culture on nature, i.e., on our environment, is unmistakable and no place on Earth is excluded from its influences. Nevertheless, we like to differentiate between a putative natural environment and one that is unnatural in that it is influenced by humans. The word “natural” immediately evokes associations such as “pristine”, “untouched”, “pure”, “clean” - in a word “not artificial”. Yet, this idealised vision of nature is a pure fiction. This imaginary virginity has been lost wherever the fingerprints of human culture have been left. Today, this spoor of human culture can be found in the deepest depths of the ocean, on the summits of the highest mountains and even in the eternal ice.
The “blame” for this lies in human nature: we want to cultivate our environment. In the broadest sense, the word “culture” is etymologically related to the Latin “cultura” meaning “processing”, “maintenance”, “agriculture”, and refers to everything conceptualised and produced by humans. But such things are not an end in themselves; on the contrary, they are necessary for our survival within the environment. From the perspective of any given human, the idea, particularly beloved by nature enthusiasts, that nature is somehow better in the absence of cultural influences, because it is more pristine, and is more of academic than practical interest. Without doubt, nature would not equal culture in the absence of humans, and perhaps it would even be more beautiful, but ... humans would be unable to survive in it. Surely, that’s a step too far for even the most avid nature enthusiasts!
More Contrasts than Commonalities
This notwithstanding, the terms “culture” and “nature” have implied more contrasts than commonalities in debates over the past few decades. The friends of nature and promoters of culture have often faced off like two estranged brothers. But, is this dichotomy still appropriate for our times? After all, if pristine nature no longer exists then everything around us a kind of “cultural nature” or “natural culture”. Yet, that certainly does not mean that mankind should take no responsibility for the environment in which we live. Precisely because human kind is the universal designer-creator and notwithstanding the fact that we cannot simply cease our formative influence on the environment, we humans are fully responsible for our actions, i.e., for the form and ramifications of our inevitable impact. Humans are responsible for the extinction of species, global warming and the overexploitation of natural resources.
Global Warming from a Cultural Perspective
The climate is a good example of the duality of culture and nature. To a large extent, our cultural development has been influenced by climatic factors. For over two thousand years, the projection of the Roman power was facilitated by the fact that Alpine passes were easier to traverse than they are now, even in winter – because the climate was warmer. Almost a thousand years later, glaciers that formed during a significant cold snap destroyed many Roman roads across the Alps thereby accelerating the decline of the Roman Empire. At that time, North and North West Europe were ravaged by famine due to the same climatic change, which researchers believe to be one of the main causes of the Migration Period, a fundamental cultural transformation. Later, global warming caused extended droughts in the East, which had a long-term negative impact on trade and very probably also resulted in the ruination of the Silk Road.
Even in the course of everyday university life, the unity of culture and nature must be emphasized.
Olaf Zimmermann, Managing Director of the German Cultural Council (Deutscher Kulturrat)
Reciprocal Effects: Environment and Culture
In Northern Europe, by contrast, the effects of climatic warming were largely positive. It became greener and agriculture became possible at ever higher altitudes. Greater agricultural yields enabled population growth and supported the expansion of trade and industry. These cultural advances were slowed by the Little Ice Age, during which Europe was devastated by plague and starvation. Religious fundamentalism, another product of culture, expanded dramatically at that time, and war became a permanent fact of life with migration often offering the only hope of salvation. For 150 years the climate has been getting warmer again. This time, man is no longer simply the victim or beneficiary of this development but is himself a contributing factor to the change. The effects are already evident around the world. Stephen O’Brien, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator with the United Nations, sounded the alarm this March. 20 million people are threatened with starvation in Africa and Asia due to war, displacement, and mismanagement but also to climate change. Tornadoes, heat waves, floods and other extreme weather events are set to increase around the world. Parasites and tropical diseases will spread in Central Europe and ever more people will seek refuge in Europe from natural disasters, especially in Africa and Asia. Climate changes have changed our cultures in the past and will also have an enormous effect on them in the future.
About Olaf Zimmermann
Since March 1997, professional art dealer Olaf Zimmermann (born in 1961) has served as the Managing Director of the German Cultural Council (Deutscher Kulturrat), the umbrella organisation of German cultural associations with a current membership of 257 organisations. The objective of this organisation is to encourage and promote discussion on matters of cultural-political importance at all political levels and to stand up for the freedom of art, publication, and information. Zimmermann is also the publisher and Editor in Chief of the German Cultural Council publication Politik & Kultur, as well as the coordinator and moderator on the Cultural Integration Initiative.
Rapid Counter Measures Crucial
There will be no cultural benefits in the wake of the global warming that is currently taking place and to which we humans are at least contributing. We have the data and the necessity for rapid countermeasures is actually unavoidable. So, why is so little being done?
- Because climate change is perceived as a problem of science, not culture.
- Because the need to teach environmental science as an essential aspect of cultural studies and vice versa was neglected.
- Because we have allowed a paradigm to emerge in which culture and the environment are perceived as opposites.
Parallel Lives - a Thing of the Past
Yet, what are the implications of this for a cultural association such as the German Cultural Council? One change will affect responsibilities which have hitherto been nicely divided: some people deal with nature, others are responsible for culture; some are scientists, others are scholars of culture; we have environmental activists and cultural politicians; some people are active in environmental movements and others in cultural associations. Even in universities, the traditional divide between the natural sciences and the humanities is highly restrictive in terms of peering beyond the confines of one’s own academic silo. The natural sciences and humanities faculties need to come together to deal with climate change and to develop collaborative solutions. Working in splendid isolation is a luxury we can no longer afford. Even in the course of everyday university life, the unity of culture and nature must be emphasised. So far the cultural sciences have remained largely aloof from anything touching upon the natural environment. A consideration of topics such as global warming reveals how irresponsible this position has been. Because the 23rd World Climate Conference is being held in Bonn this year, the opportunity arises for the mutual reassessment of environmental issues as questions of culture. Let’s get started - together!