Abstract

Situating Energy Literacy within Reconsidering the Chornobyl Zone in Nuclear Fiction for Young Adults: Tierratrauma, Permaculture and Intermedial Ecocriticism Synchronized

In this paper, the focus of studying the literary dimensions of framing ‘energy literacy’ (‘the domain of basic energy-related knowledge, coupled with an understanding of the impacts of energy production and consumption on the environment, energy usage and the adoption of energy-saving behaviors’ (DeWaters, Powers, 2011)) within narrating the Chornobyl disaster and its aftermath helps reveal the narrative toolkit of emoting nuclear knowledge in nuclear fictional writings in a wide context of world energy literature (Szeman, 2018). Such perspective on fictionalizing the Chornobyl Zone in children’s nuclear fiction is made via appealing to tierratrauma (Albrecht 2006) of ‘nuke’ experience communities, which helps distinguishing the set of narrative components (emotional/unemotional; factual/fictional) of applying the sustainable/indigenous knowledge (Houde 2007) as an act of resilience/eco-therapy within reconsidering ‘survival’ rhetoric of narrating ‘tierratrauma experienced’ communities of the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone.

This paper intends to demonstrate the framing of energy literacy via emotionalizing/personalizing nuclear knowledge in fictional writings by appealing to permaculture ethics (‘earth care’-focused practices) which should lead to framing critical thinking and understanding of survival (physical/spiritual) practices within considering the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone as a zone of inspiration/resilience/hope. Such perspective intends to contribute to defining the critical reconsideration of the contemporary Chornobyl under the umbrella of profiling ‘energy literacy’ as a phenomenon, enhanced by the nuclear traumatic experience.