Hi all, To chime in with Kathy Harrison’s point re APSA, I’m hoping to follow my predecessors as ESS chair to keep prodding this on the ISA agenda - I think ISA has the same problems with the Convention hotels (after all actually having the ability to do powerpoint presentations is fairly recent). We have tried it out for a few people at GEP board meetings over the years, in part for accessibility. But it speaks to all the larger problems with Convention hotels - e.g. labor practices and everything else that goes along with them. But solutions, such as bolstering regional conferences, are out there.
On the campus side, the University of California is including an offset program for administrative travel I believe (for the rest of us they’ve done it by slashing our travel budgets, did I say that out loud?). But again, the UC system has an ambitious climate goal being undermined by climate change itself - UC Berkeley has traditionally been an air-conditioning free zone but we’re starting to need to reconsider this, and quickly. In other words, there are lots of larger struggles going on as well at this institutional level, and that’s the one I see as currently most important. It’s really difficult as everyone points out - perhaps some of you have seen this piece <https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2019/07/weight-of-the-world-climate-change-scientist-grief/?fbclid=IwAR12vP8Yzo63LtZGlApgPI5gTu4VwFQw0HrFi1BCHB-2KnG1CFP8SwKHUGw> in Mother Jones which came out just now and is very relevant to much of our work, on emotional and psychological on climate scientists (some really interesting points on how to teach future climate scientists - social, natural, humanities). Hopefully we’re coming to a point where we know we need to buy each other up rather than knock each other down, and those strategies are available. Best to all, Kate > On Jul 11, 2019, at 9:21 AM, Linda Shi <[email protected]> wrote: > > Hello all, > > I agree with Susi that these questions are deeply personal and that I > struggle daily with the cognitive dissonance between my lived life and > knowledge of the impacts of my personal actions. To function on a day-to-day > basis, I just shove that to the background, knowing that I can't become so > overwhelmed by the weight of that knowledge that it impedes my ability to > act. > > In response to Debra's point, I would argue that the discussion about > academic flying is quite institutional in its orientation, not > individualized, in the sense of universities, state university systems, > national associations, and the broader institution of "education". Having > children is a very personal choice, yet we promote family planning, free > education especially for girls, welfare and social services for the elderly - > all of which enable greater choice for individuals in ways that often result > in reduced fertility rates. The more universities take actions to reduce > emissions on other fronts, the greater air travel emissions will be as a > proportion of total emissions. Yet our accounting, whether of cities or > schools, usually doesn't even include air travel in carbon footprints. So > just as schools are discussing fossil free, carbon neutrality, net zero > buildings, etc., why not have air travel be part of that conversation? > > There is as yet no replacement for air travel, the way there is for coal > power or meat, etc. Only behavior change can reduce emissions which makes > "institutional change" on this front that much more difficult. I've noticed > that the more elite the school, the more global its profile, its "engaged" > teaching, and the lower ranked, the more local and regional. Cornell has a > fossil free goal - and it does not include travel, which is high given that > we are "centrally isolated". Carbon neutrality for buildings signals > progressive thinking, elite standing, but air travel signals elite status. > Thus we come back to Susi's point about what it mean to create knowledge, to > have impact, to be respected? To change air travel in academia is not just a > tech swap out, but seems to require whole new ways of collaborating, > engaging, and teaching. I see very little appetite for such levels of > institutional change. > > Linda > > PS I am new to #flyless, but found this article helpful. > https://ethical.net/climate-crisis/the-flyless-and-nofly-movements-would-you-stop-flying-if-you-knew-its-true-cost/ > > <https://ethical.net/climate-crisis/the-flyless-and-nofly-movements-would-you-stop-flying-if-you-knew-its-true-cost/> > > ------------------- > Linda Shi > Assistant Professor > Department of City and Regional Planning > Cornell University > 213 Sibley Hall > [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > > > From: [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>> on behalf of Debra > Javeline <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>> > Sent: Wednesday, July 10, 2019 12:53 PM > To: ''GEP-Ed List'' > Subject: [gep-ed] individualization > > Dear Michael and all, > > I was excited to have Michael chime in, because I thought he might offer a > different perspective based on the 2001 GEP article on individualization. > Curbing our flying behavior is undoubtedly more consequential than recycling > (or even planting a tree, buying a bike, etc.), but is it the best use of our > collective energy to focus on individual responsibility? If the issues are > mainly structural and institutional, are these “to fly or not to fly” debates > a distraction from the bigger debates about how we could collectively > influence outcomes, if at all? > > (I do understand that discussions about flying involve changing our > professional institutions, but in the grand scheme of atmospheric collapse > and our limited time and energy, don’t political institutions matter more?) > > I don’t have answers or judgment. I do less frequent conference and research > travel than most, I have been a vegetarian for 35 years, and I don’t even own > a smart phone (due to concern about e-waste – my 15-year-old flip phone still > works, and I don’t even use that phone too much, preferring to look up and > around). But… I have three kids with Western consumption patterns, so the > planet isn’t necessarily better off for having me in it. > > Like many of us, I struggle with “walking the walk,” but what kind of walk? > Michael’s ideas about political action (and others who write in the same > spirit) seem worthy of attention. > > All the best, > Debra > > ***** > Debra Javeline > Associate Professor | Department of Political Science | University of Notre > Dame | 2060 Jenkins Nanovic Halls | Notre Dame, IN 46556 | tel: 574-631-2793 > <tel:(574)%20631-2793> > > Fellow, Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies <http://kroc.nd.edu/>, > Kellogg Institute for International Studies <http://nd.edu/~kellogg/>, > Nanovic Institute for European Studies <http://nanovic.nd.edu/> > Core faculty, Russian and East European Studies Program > <http://germanandrussian.nd.edu/russian/faculty/program-faculty/RussianandEastEuropeanStudies.shtml> > Affiliated faculty, Notre Dame Environmental Change Initiative > <http://environmentalchange.nd.edu/> > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "gep-ed" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected] > <mailto:[email protected]>. > To view this discussion on the web visit > https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/gep-ed/01e501d5373f%24efa4a5f0%24ceedf1d0%24%40nd.edu > > <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/gep-ed/01e501d5373f%24efa4a5f0%24ceedf1d0%24%40nd.edu?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer>. > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "gep-ed" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected] > <mailto:[email protected]>. > To view this discussion on the web visit > https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/gep-ed/DM6PR04MB649675FDC3A794AFDDC1AFEFC9F30%40DM6PR04MB6496.namprd04.prod.outlook.com > > <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/gep-ed/DM6PR04MB649675FDC3A794AFDDC1AFEFC9F30%40DM6PR04MB6496.namprd04.prod.outlook.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer>. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "gep-ed" group. 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