Wout Saelens
Early modern historian specializing in household energy, pollution, and material culture; author of Fossil Consumerism (Leuven UP, 2026) and a postdoctoral researcher working on the history of smoke pollution in Belgium.
Best podcasts with Wout Saelens
Ranked by the Snipd community
Apr 4, 2026 • 1h 18min
Wout Saelens, "Fossil Consumerism: Energy, Ecology and Everyday Life in the Early Modern Low Countries" (Leuven UP, 2026)
Wout Saelens, an early modern historian of household energy and pollution, discusses how peat and coal reshaped warmth, light and domestic life in the Low Countries. He traces changing fireplaces, stoves and cooking practices. He examines shifting perceptions of pollution and the gendered, hidden labor that made home comforts possible.
Apr 4, 2026 • 1h 18min
Wout Saelens, "Fossil Consumerism: Energy, Ecology and Everyday Life in the Early Modern Low Countries" (Leuven UP, 2026)
Wout Saelens, early modern historian and author of Fossil Consumerism, traces how household choices in the Low Countries drove early fossil fuel use. He discusses shifts in stoves and heating, changing domestic routines and gendered labor, regional fuel differences, and how warmth became a cultural ideal amid rising indoor pollution.
