Mercury's WebSome Reflections on Following Nature across Time and Place

This essay examines the widespread mercury poisoning that afflicted Iraq in 1972 as an entry point into a broader discussion of boundaries and nations in global environmental history. After poor harvests, the Iraqi government invested heavily in Green Revolution “wonder wheat,” which they had coated in mercury-based fungicides to protect it in transit from Mexico to Iraq. After a series of unfortunate events, the wheat arrived late and peasants …