This chapter from the virtual exhibition “The Life of Waste” considers the ways in which waste relates to power. It aligns with power structures, can be an empowering feature, or possess power in and of itself.

Once an environment in which the notion of nations was unheard of, the Arctic region is now a disputed space among superpowers. This is a chapter of the virtual exhibition “The Northwest Passage: Myth, Environment, and Resources”—written and curated by historian Elena Baldassarri.

This chapter from the virtual exhibition “The Life of Waste” considers the myriad practices of managing waste, such as burning, burying, discarding, disposal, reuse, and recycling.