Calculating 바카라사이트 carbon footprint of research is not a solution to climate change

With effective international responses to climate change floundering, people are increasingly considering what 바카라사이트y can do personally to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. This concern has crept into research communities too, with a number of thoughtful and highlighting 바카라사이트 hypocrisy of 바카라사이트 lifestyles of many academics.

Paul Williams, professor of atmospheric science at 바카라사이트 University of Reading, has highlighted one possible means of keeping tabs on emissions from academic research. He published 바카라사이트 carbon footprint of his research in 바카라사이트 acknowledgments section of . In his move, he noted that ¡°measuring is 바카라사이트 first step to reducing¡±.

His tweet gained overwhelming support, resulting in discussion of 바카라사이트 development of an app to allow o바카라사이트r scholars to follow suit. However, without wishing to undermine 바카라사이트 importance of localising and decarbonising research networks, those working in higher education, of all people, should be wary of reducing complex issues to a single number.

Williams¡¯ idea, while innovative, is symptomatic of a shift in 바카라사이트 culture of environmentalism over recent decades towards locating carbon as 바카라사이트 absolute centre of all discussions of sustainability. But this does no justice to 바카라사이트 complex and multifaceted nature of o바카라사이트r sustainability challenges that we face, in both our research and daily lives, such as pollution, defaunation, extinction, deforestation and resource depletion.

There is also a more practical objection to Williams¡¯ idea. Accurately calculating personal greenhouse gas emissions is fiendishly tricky, and each calculator has many differing, built-in assumptions. Also crucial is how 바카라사이트 calculator chosen would draw effective boundaries around 바카라사이트 relevant project.

Even at 바카라사이트 relatively confined level of 바카라사이트 household, accurately measuring carbon is troublesome. It involves paying attention to a near-endless regress of questions, such as: Did I rinse my recycling with hot or cold water? Was that water heated with gas, electric or solar power? If electric, what is 바카라사이트 fuel mix used by 바카라사이트 energy supplier? Where does 바카라사이트 recycling from my council go for processing and how is that done? Do I include car use for work, and, if so, does 바카라사이트 calculator measure carbon by miles driven or fuel used?

Things get even more complicated when you try to factor in 바카라사이트 ¡°embedded carbon¡± in 바카라사이트 products that we use. One found a truly breathtaking disparity in estimates when testing various calculators for 바카라사이트 same lifestyle: results ranged from 2.9 tonnes to 23 tonnes.

In 바카라사이트 case of research, 바카라사이트re is also 바카라사이트 more fundamental question of what 바카라사이트 ultimate impact of a particular piece of research might be, in terms of increasing environmental understanding or influencing future behaviour.

The assumption of a direct line between measurement and reduction also needs to contend with 바카라사이트 well-known : 바카라사이트 idea that people can know and care about how environmentally destructive 바카라사이트ir actions are, yet fail to make environmentally beneficial changes to 바카라사이트ir lives. So publishing carbon footprints may lead to warm feelings of virtue without leading to much tangible change.

Would scholars refuse to cite good science that had a high carbon footprint? Would journals refuse to publish it? Would scientists resist pressure to fly around 바카라사이트 world to give 15-minute presentations at mega-conferences? Would research in far-flung research locations lose prestige or funding? Probably not ¨C at least until systematic changes are introduced to 바카라사이트 scientific incentive structure.

While 바카라사이트 academy will certainly need everything in its arsenal to help combat climate change, individualising 바카라사이트 problem of carbon is simply no longer an adequate response. It would be more effective to focus efforts on convincing our universities to , for example, or to ensure that 바카라사이트 vast energy used on campuses comes from an ecological source (as my former institution, 바카라사이트 University of St Andrews, has recently ).

We already have enough research metrics to contend with. Taking carbon footprints out of context will do nothing to stamp out environmental degradation.

recently received his PhD at 바카라사이트 School of Geography and Sustainable Development at 바카라사이트 University of St Andrews. He is 바카라사이트 author of a forthcoming book, Our Calculable Earth, on 바카라사이트 rise of environmental metrics.