Repensando la naturaleza: encuentros y desencuentros disciplinarios en torno a lo ambiental

Este segundo volumen de colección Historia y Ambiente se centra en discusiones que dimensionan nuevas perspectivas de análisis sobre la relación naturaleza-sociedad bajo la óptica de las disciplinas sociales, concentrándose en reflexiones historiográficas y teóricas. El volumen está dividido en tres secciones: la primera recoge reflexiones y discusiones específicas de la historia ambiental; la segunda destaca los aportes de las ciencias sociales al estudio de la temática ambiental, donde se establecen replanteamientos de las concepciones duales de naturaleza, cultura, y un diálogo interdisciplinario. Finalmente, la tercera presenta discusiones que hacen más complejo el debate sobre el discurso ambiental. En síntesis, este libro agrupa una serie de artículos que someten a examen la dicotomía moderna de naturaleza y cultura y reposiciona al ser humano como fruto de la interrelación con su entorno, ligado a la acción ambiental colectiva y la critica al pensamiento especializado

Human Rights in the Context of Environmental Conservation on the US-Mexico Border

At Cabeza Priesta National Wildlife Refuge, a wilderness area on the US-Mexico border in Arizona, conflicting policies permit the provision of supplementary water for wildlife but not for undocumented immigrants passing through the area. Federal refuge environmental policy prioritizes active management of endangered and threatened species. Vast systems of water resources have been developed to support wildlife conservation in this extremely hot and dry environment. At the same time, humanitarian groups are not allowed to supply water to undocumented border crossers in the park. Human border-crossers must utilize non-potable wildlife water guzzlers for survival and face risk of illness or death by dehydration. This article analyzes human rights via an ethnographic lens. From this perspective, water policy at the wildlife refuge brings into question the value of human life in a border conservation context, especially for those entering the site illegally

Knowledge, Technology Adoption and Financial Innovation

Why are new financial instruments created? This paper proposes the view that financial development arises as a response to the contractual needs of emerging technologies. Exogenous technological progress generates a demand for new fi-nancial instruments in order to share risk or overcome private information, for example. A model of the dynamics of technology adoption and the evolution of financial instruments that support such adoption is presented. Early adoption may be required for financial markets to learn the technology; once learned, finan-cial innovation boosts adoption further. Financial learning emerges as a source of technological diffusion. The analysis identifies a causality link from technology to finance which is nonetheless consistent with empirical findings of a positive effect of current financial development on future growth

INCONSTANT UNITY: THE PASSION OF FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT

Essay appeared in FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT: ARCHITECT edited by Terence Riley with Peter Reed