On civilization and nature. Notes for a discussion on Latin American environmental history

Abstract

The author defines primarily that the environmental realm, as an object of historical study ,is a field at construction, which deals with the interactions between human societies and the natural world, and the consequences of these interactions for both sides along time. To clarify the definition, explores the internal structure of the field and the process leading to its formation. He proposes hen that a Latin American environmental history faces new challenges if it aspires to be universal, and that this is what will allow to work with those who, in the framework of the North's ecological culture, share the same concerns about the impact of civilization on the natural world. Finally argues that what is at stake is the need for a planetary history.