Bad Gays Special Episode: Alexander von Humboldt (with Michael Huldt)
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Apr 30, 2025 In this discussion, Michael Huldt, host of Worm From Home, dives into the life of Alexander von Humboldt, a pioneering naturalist known for his revolutionary ideas on ecology. They explore Humboldt's tension between intellectual curiosity and colonial ties, as well as his vocal opposition to slavery, despite benefiting from colonialism. The conversation also touches on his complex personal relationships, particularly with his companion Bonpland, and how his insights are crucial for understanding the contemporary moral implications of nature and inequality.
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Nature As An Interconnected System
- Alexander von Humboldt developed an ecological view seeing nature as interconnected rather than only taxonomic categories.
- He combined fieldwork with intellectual networks to form this systemic understanding of plants, climate, and terrain.
The Naturgemälde Visualizes Ecosystems
- Humboldt mapped species by elevation to show environmental patterns across hemispheres.
- His Naturgemälde presented a mountain cross-section linking plants, climate, and terrain as a single system.
Early Environmental Critique Of Extraction
- Humboldt recorded early observations of deforestation causing soil erosion and environmental decline.
- He tied colonial extraction to local environmental damage decades before modern climate discourse.
