Suchergebnisse

We exist within a set of rules about the value of knowledge – a hierarchy of knowledge that places quantified data at the top and the "lower" senses at the bottom. The neglect of other forms of knowledge – aesthetic, embodied, cultural and more – has created a void in our socio-political and environmental relations that has been filled by emotive, populist rhetoric that undermines the validity of the knowledge we have. Post-truth practices are answering a gap that arises from our reliance on cognitive knowledge as the main valid form of knowledge – including datafication of everything – particularly in politics. As an alternative, I propose we augment this cognitive and data derived knowledge with more emotionally connecting knowledges, to achieve a more integrated understanding of the world, and to once again embark on a quest for a type of truth. This paper reports on my research in bringing to bear multiple knowledges on problem spaces around the environment and digital culture, and in so doing questioning both the prevailing knowledge hierarchy and the institutionalisation of knowledge production. To connect with the environment, for instance, do we need to connect with how it feels? This paper draws on works exploring both the marine environment and food, using knowledge from science, art, culture, instinct and history to create happenings and instances that break out the border of "me" and "my environment" to create an empathic response linking what we traditionally consider to be inside and outside. This will be demonstrated in the context of three artistic works – the Coral Empathy Device, Vital | Flows and The Matter of the Soul.

In this pilot study, microplastic beads (5–50 μm) were tagged with fluorescent dye and introduced to the soil of pottedBetula pendula Roth. (silver birch) saplings during the growing season. After five months, root samples were examined using fluorescence- and confocal laser scanning microscopy. This paper presents the first documented indication of the incorporation of microplastic into root tissues of woody plants and discusses the phytoremediation potential of birch in soil with microplastic contamination. ; This research was carried out in the context of the creation of the multi- media interdisciplinary project Stranger to the Trees by Kat Austen. The project was realised within the framework of the European Media Art Plat- form's EMARE program at WRO Art Center with support of the Creative Europe Culture Programme of the European Union (Programme sector European Platforms, grant number 591572_PlatEMAP_2018-21), and de- veloped with thanks to the DIY Hack the Panke community. The work in this paper is partly funded by the H2020 project ACTION (grant number 824603). The authors would like to thank Dr. Frithjof Glowinski and Prof. Dr. Matthias Rillig for their advice and Prof. Dr. Susanne Liebner from GFZ Potsdam for granting access to her laboratories.

Co-designing Infrastructures tells the story of a research programme designed to bring the power of engineering and technology into the hands of grassroots community groups, to create bottom-up solutions to global crises. Four projects in London are described in detail, exemplifying community collaboration with engineers, designers and scientists to enact urban change. The projects co-designed solutions to air pollution, housing, the water-energy-food nexus, and water management. Rich case-study accounts are underpinned by theories of participation, environmental politics and socio-technical systems. The projects at the heart of the book are grounded in specific settings facing challenges familiar to urban communities throughout the world. This place-based approach to infrastructure is of international relevance as a foundation for urban resilience and sustainability. The authors document the tools used to deliver this work, providing guidance for others who are working to deliver local technical solutions to complex social and environmental problems around the world.

This is a book for engineers, designers, community organisers and researchers. Co-authored by researchers, it includes voices of community collaborators, their experiences, frustrations and aspirations. It explores useful theories about infrastructure, engineering and resilience from international academic research, and situates them in community-based co-design experience, to explain why bottom-up approaches are needed and how they might succeed.

Road lighting is a service provided at night, mainly to ensure the secure and safe passage of humans. However, lighting at night can have adverse effects on insects or ecosystems, which are not yet considered in planning. Here, we introduce a comprehensive approach for the design and implementation of a novel insect-friendly road luminaire. The lighting design provides an optimized radiation geometry that avoids emissions at the trajectory height of insects, reduces the attraction of insects and the fragmentation of their habitats, and at the same time provides adequate night-time illumination in residential areas. The effects of the new design on insect behavior and night sky brightness will be evaluated two years before and two years after the change of the road luminaires and additionally in a direct comparison, as some luminaires of the old design will remain as controls. Citizen scientists are involved in the identification of insects and the measurement of night sky brightness. A broad public engagement program also highlights discussions about the competing interests of different stakeholders in lighting design, explicitly including the effects of illumination on insect fauna and biodiversity. ; The project "Species Protection through Environmentally Friendly Lighting" with the run- ning title "Tatort Streetlight" is funded by the German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN) within the framework of the Federal Program for Biological Diversity with funds from the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU; FKZ: 3518685A-H08). Citizen science activities are supported by the project EU ACTION, a project that received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Program under grant agreement number 824603. The illustrations have been provided by funds from the ECOSLIGHT "Environ- mentally Conscious Smart Lighting" project, funded by the European Erasmus Sector Skill Alliance Program (agreement number 612658-EPP-1-2019-1-EL-EPPKA2-SSA). ...