Wilderness, Freedom, and the Limits of Commodification
Join us for an evening with ACES 2026 Writer in Residence at Toklat, Dr. Chris Dunn
About the Presentation
Chris will provide a broad, brief overview of wilderness and place it in historical context to better shed light on our current moment—one marked by domination, cruelty, ignorance, and exploitation, as many powerful individuals and entities pursue maximum commodification. He will define commodification, explain how it is often mistakenly equated with freedom, and explore how wilderness has been, and continues to be, a vital counterforce to these dynamics that should inform our everyday lives. Time will be reserved after the talk for open discussion of these and related issues.
Chris is one of ACES’ three 2026 Residents at Toklat. Learn more about ACES Residency at Toklat!
About the speaker
Dr. Chris Dunn is an interdisciplinary environmental humanities scholar whose research bridges philosophy, literary studies, and social theory to address urgent environmental issues. Chris’s interests include environmental philosophy, wildlands conservation, how nature is known and conceived, energy, climate solutions, Arctic and mountain geographies, philosophy of technology, environmental literature, and how visions of utopia and dystopia shape our world.
Since completing a PhD in Environmental Studies from the University of Colorado-Boulder in 2021, Chris lived in Iceland for a year from 2023-24 as a Fulbright Scholar, taught at the Colorado School of Mines and Rocky Mountain College, and will be teaching at the University of California San Diego. Prior to this PhD, Chris completed an MA in philosophy and taught as a contract humanities instructor for the U.S. Navy in Japan and for six months on the open ocean.
Chris has a conservation background, having worked seasonally for the National Park Service and other federal agencies, and is a world traveler, outdoor adventurer, writer, and photographer who brings visual storytelling to his research on climate solutions. Read more about him at https://www.chrisdunnonplanetearth.com/
Wilderness, Freedom, and the Limits of Commodification
Price
Free
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