By: Jessica Lee Being the only philosophy graduate in a friendship circle of scientists I often find myself in debates on the role of science and scientists in the public sphere. I recall one particular conversation where a friend of mine told me that, “Scientists shouldn’t have to deal with society. What we need is… Read more »
By Tania Williams What is climate change and how does it affect me? This is the question most climate scientists want each and every person to think about. On a daily basis I personally think about what could possibly change and how these changes affect me, but what about other people? What about those who… Read more »
I might be tempted to restate the title as “Hierarchical confusions in intellectual debate” – but then I’ll be accused (again) of using big words. However, it is my experience that as climate science engages more across communities and disciplines, increasingly the conversations initially miss their targets, and finding convergence requires iteration. In my dialogues… Read more »
Dianne Scott and Chris Jack (co-authored) What are narratives? Narratives are really just an academic way of talking about stories. Narratives, or stories, have a number of important elements. They describe different actors which can be people, institutions, environments, species, etc. Some actors may be villains, others may be victims, yet others may be saviors. … Read more »
I’m wary of fads or help-yourself-models that promise to change one’s life substantially. However, sometimes these self-help suggestions (or parts of them) include strategies or ideas that resonate with me as they do with most people, and it’s more about the way the suggestions are packaged (a “one size fits all” suite on offer) that… Read more »
The City of Cape Town currently has a draft Climate Change Policy out for public participation. Having been through numerous rounds of internal deliberation and refinement between public officials and councillors, the draft policy represents the local government’s proposed position on addressing climate change within the spatial extent of Cape Town, in coordination and collaboration… Read more »
Given the week that has just past, it would be remiss of me not to utilise the friendly reminder of “it’s your turn to write a blog” to reflect on the events of last week, which may have far-reaching ramifications for the field we work in. So ignoring my parent’s advice of “never bring up… Read more »
There is not yet a definitive answer to this question. But a few of us in the FRACTAL project (Di Scott, Anna Steynor, Alice McClure and I) have worked together to develop an answer, the best we can for now based on the literature we have reviewed and the experiences we have accumulated to-date. Seeing… Read more »
There has been much written, discussed, and argued about uncertainty, and in recent weeks this typically academic topic has taken a completely different spin as uncertainty over the university has arisen. The opinions voiced are often emphatic, absolute, accusatory, and demanding, leaving individuals little room to maneuver. At the same time the discourse between individuals… Read more »