Over the years I have become used to hearing about yet another unethical corporate act, eg the inter-bank lending scandal (Libor) or Exxon lying to customers and shareholders about climate change. Knowing it can be a few individuals who rot the barrel, or economic system flaws that can force decision-makers to act without broader society in mind, I actively try not to condemn all companies because of the worst offenders. However, I have to admit being especially shocked on hearing of how Volkswagen (VW) fitted at least 11 million cars with a “defeat”Read more
Where the Environment meets Art
Sandra Masterson grew up in Brighton but currently lives and works France. Her interest in art and the environment goes back to her childhood; Sandra’s father was a gamekeeper and she first started work as a technician in a plant physiology and microbiology teaching laboratory in Brighton. She also spent a year working as a technician for the Milk Marketing Board at a cheese producing factory in Cannington Somerset before starting her career in the arts. Whilst working at theRead more
OPAL – explore nature, wherever you are, whoever you are
OPAL (OPen Air Laboratories) is a Lottery-funded citizen science project, led by Imperial College, London, which has been running since 2007. Plymouth University has been one of the OPAL partners from the very beginning. Activities were originally limited to England, but since 2014 we‘ve been working in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland too. OPAL exists to encourage people to get outside and start exploring their environment, while taking part in real scientific studies. Working locally, our participants help contribute toRead more
Rewilding: wild by nature?
Rewilding has been causing a storm in recent months: debates over the reintroduction of beavers, wolves and lynx; renewed challenges to food and farming systems; recent calls to shake up what has been termed a ‘feudal system’ of land-ownership in Britain. The concept and practice of rewilding seems to generate a stream of (often quite polarised) opinions and sentiments – some romantic, others quite militant. So why is this; why is the term ‘rewilding’ so provocative in a way that,Read more
Celebrating Five Years: Plymouth Institute of Education’s MSc in Learning for Sustainability
The Masters in Learning for Sustainability (MLS) has just enrolled its 6th cohort and is now officially 5 years old. Reflecting on the last five years is an interesting and enjoyable process, for as always with such reflections the frustrations of setting things up and the hassle of running a programme are always outweighed by the memories of the genuinely fantastic students that have passed through. The course was originally developed in the Centre for Sustainable Futures (CSF) with aRead more
The potential of Art-Science-collaborations for sustainability research
SEI PhD student Johanna Ickert reports on a scoping workshop at the IASS Potsdam There is much appraisal of the mutual benefits of Arts and Science in an abstract sense, but in practical terms what are the appropriate spaces for their meaningful interactions? What do Artists really think of scientists, and vice-versa? Can Arts and Science truly complement each other, and if so, how? Theses were questions addressed during the scoping workshop “Synergies between Arts and Science for Sustainability Transformations”,Read more