Category Archives: Activism

Ethics, activism, and research

Posted on December 8, 2010 by Jorge Aranda

For some years now, as the end of my PhD drew near and my postdoctoral work began to unfold, I have felt anxious about committing my life to research. It’s an anxiety that lurks in the back of my mind: … Continue reading →

Posted in Academia, Activism | 16 Comments

Research as activism?

Posted on November 26, 2010 by Jorge Aranda

Jon Pipitone asks: If there is one strand that connects any work that I do it is my desire to to be of some benefit to the world, and for that benefit to have a certain immediacy. I am concerned … Continue reading →

Posted in Academia, Activism | 3 Comments

(Do not) aim for the eagle

Posted on April 30, 2010 by Jorge Aranda

The Second Workshop on Software Research and Climate Change is only days away –it’s scheduled for this coming Monday, May 3rd. It will take place in Cape Town, South Africa, co-located with ICSE, and I’m going to miss both the … Continue reading →

Posted in Academia, Activism | 5 Comments

Gwynne Dyer on Mexico and Climate Wars

Posted on April 22, 2010 by Jorge Aranda

Yesterday evening Val and I went to hear Gwynne Dyer and Elizabeth May speak at an Earth Day Eve event in the Annex. Gwynne Dyer mostly spoke about the same topics he covers on his Climate Wars book —about how … Continue reading →

Posted in Activism | 2 Comments

U of T grad students: please vote Yes for Bikechain!

Posted on March 23, 2010 by Jorge Aranda

Voting for the Graduate Student Union’s elections begins today and ends this Thursday, March 25. The election includes a referendum on a levy of $1 per year for Bikechain. I love Bikechain, and I’ve mentioned it here before: it’s a … Continue reading →

Posted in Activism, Toronto | Leave a comment

Reminder: Software Research and Climate Change Workshop

Posted on March 22, 2010 by Jorge Aranda

I’ve posted about this ICSE workshop before, but a reminder might be worthwhile. As you can see in the call for participation, the deadline for position papers is coming up, and for those of us that cannot or do not … Continue reading →

Posted in Academia, Activism | Leave a comment

Bathtubs, waistlines, and credit cards

Posted on February 19, 2010 by Jorge Aranda

A challenge: to come up with a metaphor for the problem of cumulative emissions of greenhouse gases that is appropriate, compelling, and accessible. Here’s a bit of context to explain why I think such a metaphor is necessary. Yesterday, Val, … Continue reading →

Posted in Activism | 4 Comments

Why We Disagree About Climate Change

Posted on December 2, 2009 by Jorge Aranda

I’ve just finished reading Mike Hulme’s Why We Disagree About Climate Change (update: you can listen to Hulme discuss some of the book’s topics here. Thanks Jon!) and felt I had to recommend it to anybody that is interested in … Continue reading →

Posted in Activism, Books, Recommendations | 5 Comments

Second Workshop on Software Research and Climate Change

Posted on November 26, 2009 by Jorge Aranda

Here is another ICSE 2010 workshop you should be interested in: the Second Workshop on Software Research and Climate Change. The call for papers is just out –you might find it a bit unusual that there will not be a … Continue reading →

Posted in Academia, Activism, Software development | Leave a comment

Global warming scepticism and academic intolerance

Posted on October 28, 2009 by Jorge Aranda

Someone very dear to me told me, a few weeks ago, that he had noticed I was becoming more and more intolerant with several positions and people —among them, climate change deniers. He felt it wasn’t fitting for a scientist, … Continue reading →

Posted in Academia, Activism | 2 Comments