Earth Science and Extractive Capitalism in the Age of Empire

Abstract

This chapter situates the practice of geology within the history of European imperialism, arguing that the earth sciences are deeply bound up with the political economy of extractive capitalism. On a mundane level, the practice of geology primarily consists of extracting specimen collections from far-flung parts of the world to make broader claims about the history, morphology, and physical structure of the earth. In addition, the earth sciences also developed in tandem with the imperial project of resource extraction. In what follows, I draw out these connections by offering a schematic history of geology that links the practice of science to the political economy of extractive capitalism.