Joppe van Driel

I am doctoral candidate at the University of Twente, Department of Science, Technology and Policy Studies. I am currently writing up my dissertation, working title "Towards a sustainable past: Chemistry and oeconomy in the Netherlands, 1750-1850". I am interested in the long-term history  of resource management and sustainability (approached as a historical, rather than analytical category, the meaning of which gained context-bound meaning over time and space). In my own research I focus on the role of chemistry in 18th- and 19th-century recycling practices and governance of productivity (fertilization, stewardship, health, responsible citizenship). Such practices were central to early forms of industrial up-scaling and global commerce, yet obscured by traditional narratives of 'the industrial revolution' and 'the chemical revolution'.

My research is part of the NWO-funded project 'Chemistry in Everyday Life', headed by prof. Lissa Roberts.