Recent Events
JUST OUT: New publication:
Turnhout, E. and M. Lahsen (2022). “Transforming environmental research to avoid tragedy.” Climate and Development: 1-5.
Use this link (or in the title just above) if you have free access via your institution. If you do not, this link allows 50 free downloads.
We are responding to the provocation by Glavovic et al., which was featured in The New York Times:
KEYNOTE at Sustainability Frontiers Conference held by Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) and Lund University:
In the presentation (viewable here), I called attention to blind spots in sustainability science bearing on the topic of “Inner transformation and future imaginaries: How are inner transformations, imaginaries and futures providing opportunity for new insights and transformations.”
“Connecting the Dots for Sustainability Transformations.” Seminar on the topic of Concepts, History and Perspectives on Earth System Science at the 10th Symposium of Postgraduate Studies in Earth System Science of the National Institute for Space Research (PG-CST/INPE), Brazil, November 22, 2021. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_t7iJ6Ym114
Mellon-Sawyer Seminar at Columbia University, 15 April 2021. Paul Edwards, Gil Eyal and Myanna Lahsen, hosted by Gil Eyal.
Publications
Big or Small Data – or both?
The growing use of Big Data and of computerized data analysis such as machine learning in social analysis begs critical assessment. Analysts must help contextualize and offer insights into what data that is used tell us, but also, at least as importantly, what they do not tell us and what they, thus, cannot readily help us understand and do. The article reviews prominent critiques of machine-assisted explorations of Big data and examines their relevance to machine-assisted Big Data research in social science research on variation in how national mass media cover climate change. It illustrates pitfalls of Big Data research and why non-statistical, meaning- and politics-attentive analyses are crucial for deeper understanding of social phenomena.
Link to Article on Big Data here:
Politics of Attributing Extreme Events and Disasters to Climate Change
Article by Myanna Lahsen and Jesse Ribot. Download here: Politics of Attributing Extreme Events and Disasters to Climate Change
For highlights and discussion about the article by Roger Pielke Jr., see: https://twitter.com/RogerPielkeJr/status/1469330421292822531
https://rogerpielkejr.substack.com/p/the-politics-of-our-climate-attribution
For a popular news article by myself and Jesse Ribot in Advanced Science News on the politics of attributing disasters to climate change, see the image below of an article accessible here.
Sociology of sustainability science:
New article calls attention to how logics of research communities need to be examined and changed to improve the usefulness of research for sustainability transformations.
AI for Sustainability Transformations:
The imperative of examining assumptions behind current policies and instating more responsible governance structures to ensure public benefits, also for sustainability
Global North-Centric communication recommendations
Study of Brazilian media coverage reveals US-centrism in assumptions about effective communication about climate change and disasters
Environment Magazine Executive Editors sharpen magazine’s focus post-Covid19
Other News:
Keynote: Upcoming
I’m excited to join the Editorial Board of Environmental Research Letters (February 2021)- link
Keynote: Launching Cornell University’s Polson Institute for Global Development
Cornell University, Seminar
Video – listen to the presentation
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Oxford University, Oxford Centre of Tropical Forests (OCTF), Seminar
Oxford University, Institute for Science, Innovation and Society (InSIS), Lecture
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Myanna Lahsen 