Author Archives: gesafacilitator

Keeping the buzz on – interdisciplinary reflection on the protection of bees The controversial path: the prohibition of neonicotinoids

In 1994, French beekeepers started to blow the whistle on the abnormal behaviour and disappearance of their bee colonies foraging on sunflowers and maize. Quickly, beekeepers considered “Gaucho”, a new neonicotinoid authorised the same year for the treatment of sunflower … Continue reading

Posted in agroecology, bees, chemicals neonicotinoid, colony collapse disorder, environment, Global Challenges, insects, integrated pest management, pollination, precautionary approach, precautionary principle, risk regulation, sustainable agriculture, sustainable development, trade offs | Leave a comment

Keeping the Buzz on – Interdisciplinary Reflections on the Protection of Bees

  We care about bees. Bees are unusual insects in that we humans find them so appealing. The publicity about the decline of bee populations has led to people donning bee costumes and lobbying parliaments about pesticides, the planting of … Continue reading

Posted in agriculture, arroa, bees, disease, environment, Global Challenges, humans-animal relations, insects, pesticides | 1 Comment

Urbanization of the Oceans – Blue Growth?

Dr Meriwether Wilson Over 100 years ago, a fierce philosophical debate circled the salons, cafes, balls and bars of intellectuals and pioneers alike – often known as the ‘American wilderness’ debate. The legendary icons of this debate included: John Muir … Continue reading

Posted in Blue growth, Climate Science, Environmental Ethics, Global Challenges, Interdiciplinary conversations, marine, MPA, Science Communication | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Controversies surrounding mega Marine Protected Area

Dr Laura Jeffery Until the end of the 20th century, most Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) were relatively small-scale conservation zones in coastal waters. The past decade has seen a proliferation in the designation of ever larger MPAs. Mega MPAs measuring … Continue reading

Posted in Citizenship, climate adaptations, Environmental Economics, Environmental Ethics, Environmental Justice, Global Challenges, human-environment relations, impact, Interdiciplinary conversations, island ecologies, Marine Protected Areas, resources, social justice, sustainability, sustainable development, trade offs | Leave a comment

Towards Commercial Seabed Mining – Sustainable or Sacrilege?

Dr James Harrison The presence of minerals on the deep seabed was first discovered by the HMS Challenger expedition in 1873. Polymetallic nodules and other seabed resources (polymetallic sulphides and crusts) offer abundant supplies of valuable minerals, including manganese, cobalt, … Continue reading

Posted in deap seabed mining, Energy, Environmental Economics, Environmental Ethics, Environmental Justice, Global Challenges, impact, international law, Marine Protected Areas, Responsible Investment, sustainable development, trade offs, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Meeting with Professor Sir John Beddington

  Last Wednesday along with six other PhD students, I met Sir John Beddington former chief scientific adviser to Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s government. Sir John was a very pleasant and down to earth academic who showed genuine enthusiasm for … Continue reading

Posted in educational practice, impact, Interdiciplinary conversations, learning, research, Science Communication, Technology | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Thinking about impact

I was recently asked to consider the question “What will be the impact of your research in 2025?” As a second year PhD student, the focus of my research is very much on the present (How are my interviews going? … Continue reading

Posted in educational practice, Environmental Education, Environmental Ethics, impact, Interdiciplinary conversations, learning, moral purpose, research | Leave a comment

The climate negotiations process: getting nowhere?

The 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) has been ratified by virtually all states in the world. The Convention acknowledges that the adverse effects of global climate change are a common concern of humankind, and undertakes to … Continue reading

Posted in Citizenship, climate adaptations, climate negotiations, Climate Science, consequences, Environmental Ethics, Global Challenges, Interdiciplinary conversations | Leave a comment

MASTERS NETWORK – Global Environment & Society Academy Welcomes You!

Who are we? The Global Environment and Society Academy (GESA) is a network of experts collaborating to develop innovative solutions for the world’s most challenging problems.

Posted in Citizenship, Global Challenges, Interdiciplinary conversations, learning, moral purpose, Science Communication, Social Responsibility, sustainability, Uncategorized | Leave a comment