Bruno Latour explores the concept of the Critical Zone in Down to Earth: Politics in the New Climatic Regime (2018) and Critical Zones: The Science and Politics of Landing on Earth (2020), developed in collaboration with scientists. He describes the Critical Zone as a fragile, thin layer of Earth where life, human activity, and environmental processes intersect—a delicate shell where biological, geological, and technological systems collide. Latour presents the Critical Zone not only as a physical layer but also as a conceptual, interdisciplinary space. It serves as a framework for collaboration across fields such as ecology, geology, anthropology, and political science to understand the interconnected and fragile systems that support life. Latour emphasized the Critical Zone as a “landing space” where scientific and humanistic disciplines meet, fostering a holistic approach to studying the impact of human activities on our shared environment.
Bruno Latour explores the concept of the Critical Zone in Down to Earth: Politics in the New Climatic Regime (2018) and Critical Zones: The Science and Politics of Landing on Earth (2020), developed in collaboration with scientists. He describes the Critical Zone as a fragile, thin layer of Earth where life, human activity, and environmental processes intersect—a delicate shell where biological, geological, and technological systems collide. Latour presents the Critical Zone not only as a physical layer but also as a conceptual, interdisciplinary space. It serves as a framework for collaboration across fields such as ecology, geology, anthropology, and political science to understand the interconnected and fragile systems that support life. Latour emphasized the Critical Zone as a “landing space” where scientific and humanistic disciplines meet, fostering a holistic approach to studying the impact of human activities on our shared environment.