“Monday 23 November[…]

People used to think this kind of making or whatever was lowly work, too mundane for even a kernel of curiosity. They wanted everything but the knowing of how things worked. And maybe that’s how the planet got so sick; why yesterday could only ever conjure the deep darkness of apathy for us here today. It’s not that everything was irreparable. It’s that their hands didn’t know how to go about fixing. Making space for life – the necessary work, the mundane work. Now it’s treasure. For brokers like Sansemin, this is quite literal. But for Chicken Man, it’s the inheritance he got and the inheritance he’s leaving behind. All that time working on the offshore wind farms that powered the climate modelling systems turned into seeds and sown into me and Sula. How will I change this inheritance? Maybe it’ll be like those mushrooms that make you dream and see the magic in the small. There’s power in that too, you know.”

Swirling Sulas, a short story by Superflux for Branch Magazine Issue 2, 2021

In late 2020 the design studio that I worked for, Superflux, were invited to join a workshop hosted by the Mozilla Foundation on Artificial Intelligence and the Climate Crisis. The workshop brought together experts in digital rights, AI technology, racial justice and the climate movement in Europe. The aim: to define and demand “weak ai” systems (the ai systems we’re encountering today and in the near future) that take into account both environmental sustainability and inequality/ digital rights.

The workshop built on a core issue that had been identified relating to the topic: the fact that climate policy experts do not often discuss the impacts of ai; and that digital rights experts to not often weave their work into the topic of climate justice. Amongst many topics, we discussed issues around the environmental impact of the processing of big data such as the carbon emissions of these processes; reclaiming technology for public good; and the tangible next steps that can be made to influence policymaking in the future.

As an outcome of the workshop, Superflux were commissioned to produce a creative response to the workshop. I conceived of, and developed the piece of work we produced in response. I then worked with my colleague, writer Nicola Ferrao, who produce the final piece from my outline ideas and worldbuilding (it was Nicola who wove in all the magic and details, making the story human and relatable). You’ve just read an excerpt of the piece above.

The diary entries are made by a woman in a post-climate-collapse future who collects data from the environment as part of a mass program to understand climate patterns and extreme events. We imagined that, in an energy-scarce future, technological development (including the development of deep learning, big data processing) would be limited to purposes that would help to mitigate against further effects from extreme weather events. Every citizen must contribute to the effort in some way—the narrator having been tasked with maintaining and taking readings from a network of distributed sensors around the city. The story alludes to a community of others, working in different parts of this complex system of data gathering and processing.

The piece was published in Mozilla Foundations’ Branch Magazine Issue 2. You can find this here, should you be interested in reading the full story. The cover image that I’ve selected for this post was actually part of a much older project that I carried out at university. I’ve included it, however, as a visual reference of what these sensing devices might look like.

This experience working with, and responding to the work of, Mozilla foundation shaped my desire to study on the Data, Inequality and Society program. I hope that, with my final year project, I can develop my skills and knowledge in the intersection of the areas I was introduced to at the workshop: climate justice; trustworthy ai (I would prefer to redefine this slightly to not only include AI but big data in general); data futures.

Possible Theme to Explore in my Final Project: Data and Climate Justice

To explore the intersection of big data, and climate justice; I’ve identified two possible ways to approach it. In my final project, I imagine that I’ll work across both themes but it may be that my time limits me to choosing to more thoroughly explore one only.

1. Technology’s (specifically big data’s) impact on the environment. Topics that I might explore include machine learning being used for climate detrimental purposes and the energy consumption/ environmental harms of the physical infrastructure behind big data. This topic could be quite broad if I were to explore the environmental harms felt across the planet caused by increased Co2 emissions that could be attributed to big tech. This project would sit at the intersection of technology studies and climate justice; focusing on how the harms produced are unequally distributed and who benefits or suffers the most as an outcome.I’d like to explore how such harms could be avoided through technological changes; policy and advocacy; legal restrictions etc..

2. Technology solutions that could help mitigate against the effects of climate change such as a greener model for the internet; citizen data platforms; smart energy systems etc..As part of such a solution-based proposal; I would also be rooting the research in the study of inequalities. When exploring the new technology, the research would focus on which inequalities might be built in to the development of this system; and who might be unexpected benefactors or victims.Of course, the benefit of this climate positive technology on the planet could also be analysed from a climate justice perspective: ensuring that the benefits of general reduced global Co2 emissions were also evenly distributed.

Format/ Medium of Final Project

I find it interesting that we’re being given the option to combine a written piece of work with a more creative response. Due to my background in product design and, later, speculative exhibition/film/media design, I’m tempted to produce a creative response if my project allows it. However, I’m trying to keep in mind that it’s my aim to improve my academic reading and writing skills in taking this course, not to improve my design skills. Therefore, my priority should like in producing a convincing, well researched, and well written report.

One possible creative format that I would consider is carrying out a futures project centred on my research—similar in format and ambition as the ‘Swirling Sulas’ piece. To do this, I’d consider taking the ‘Building Near Futures’ module next year and also referencing Smith and Ashby’s 2020 book ‘How to Future’ to refine my skills, and to ensure that the future world was rooted in extrapolations of the trends unearthed through my research.

As part of this, I could consider building an artefact from that particular future to visualise and make tangible my possible future scenario.

Handmade crystal radio, Leanne Fischler, 2015

Exclusion and Inequality First Submission (Starting Point)

Of course, these themes are very broad and for the Exclusion and Inequality submission I need to choose a specific inequality to write about. I’ve been a little confused about this submission, if I’m honest: are we expected to just choose one specific example/ area of inequality from the many that pertain to my chosen area of research (e.g. a community that might benefit from what I’m suggesting implementing); or do we keep it very broad at this stage?

Possible Subject 1 – Climate Justice

Although it is a very broad topic, I’m interested to learn more about the area of climate justice. This term usually refers to the fact that the effects of climate change will not be felt evenly across all groups of people. Climate change is often seen as a multiplier of existing threat, in the same way that intersectionality multiplies overlapping inequalities.

Unfortunately, I’m not sure how to tackle such a broad topic within this short time period for the Exclusion and Inequality submission so I might choose the concept below instead.

Possible Subject 2 – Energy Data

This area is a very specific example of an end/ target community that could benefit from a community data sharing model:

In my first blog post, I wrote about my current job at Community Energy Scotland where, amongst other things, I install energy monitors in, and control the data coming out of, fuel-poor individuals’ homes across the island. I’m considering beginning my study by looking at the inequalities faced by fuel poor homes in the UK and technological solutions that are increasing these inequalities or that might help bring people out of fuel poverty. I’m interested in exploring fuel poverty through a community energy lens; looking at innovative solutions that might help communities to improve their situation that also benefit the planet such as community data ownership. I believe this will contribute to my final project but I’m also aware that it might not be a direct link.

All thoughts and suggestions are welcome! I’d also be curious to hear if anyone else is considering working on climate plus big data as part of their final project?

Weeks 5 and 6: Exploring Project Ideas / Knowledge Integration and Project Planning: Data, Inequality and Society (2022-2023) by blogadmin is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution CC BY 3.0