Rebecca Gohn // 



“The crux of the scientific method is the establishment of complete
detachment and neutrality between the observer and the observed,
so that nature could be manipulated from a distance and used to
advance the material interests of humankind”

-Benjamin Thompson’s version of Entropy Law

Exhaustion of nonrenewable resources has caused ”entropic watersheds” to arise throughout our known industrialized history. The world has been repeatedly forced to switch from one material to another, following the depletion of the prior. Deforestation caused the first jump from wood to coal, mining complications pushed us to discover oil, and climate change’s demand for emission regulations now forces our transition to renewables. The current phase is causing a drastic switch in the way our societies function, especially in Baltimore. Various fossil fuel-based facilities have undergone large transformations to adapt to a changing climate, while others are left to the elements. My thesis work documents the processes in which our lights are powered, our cars are fueled, and our city is maintained. It is a privilege to be so detached from them, as power plants push to the edges of lower class communities and “untouched” land. They contaminate air, water, and human life with little regulation or remorse. Through the exploration of power sites and their surrounding environments, I aim to understand the full consequences of excessive energy consumption and production.

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