Slowing travel & decarbonizing working culture in academia, at Think Corner & online 16.5.

Join Gianluca Grimalda and Stuart Capstick on May 16th, 13:00-15:00, at Think Corner for a seminar and panel Q&A (and drinks) about how academia remains caught in a carbon-dependent working culture and what we can do about it. Why does the academic community still allow carbon-heavy and climate-unjust practices to define success and prestige?

Final workshop of the series "Get fossil fuels out of academia!" by Scientist Rebellion and HELSUS.

You might not think about it much, but many of the ways we do business as academics rely on fossil-fuel-heavy practices. We see it as necessary, certainly prestigious, to travel often, quickly and far, mostly by air. We are encouraged to let work take up our free time, leaving little energy for social action or a more sustainable lifestyle. We never even think about the resources going into our constant computing power or online connections. Can we, the community who has created much of the knowledge about the climate crisis and its available solutions, lead by example to reform these practices?

Register now!

Please register here, and share with anyone who might be interested, including outside the university! These issues pervade a lot of professional arenas.

Speakers & schedule

We are very pleased to welcome two prominent international speakers (online, not flown in!) to this session:

Dr Gianluca Grimalda, a researcher in the social impacts of climate change who famously was fired from his university position after refusing to fly long-haul at short notice. His story has been made into a film, and he remains a visible advocate for slow travel and climate action in and by the academic community
Dr Stuart Capstick, a climate scientist who has published on multiple aspects of academics' role in the climate crisis, including the academic flying culture and why academics want to but don't take more action. He is himself a prominent climate activist, and wrote a famous letter to the future apologising to his children that society did not do more to avert climate catastrophe (watch Benedict Cumberbatch read it).

The speaker's talks will be followed by an open-floor Q&A session including a broader panel, representing a broader range of experiences. The event will finish with a mingle including drinks and snacks. Come along to learn, contribute and meet others with the same concerns. Friday 16th May, 13:00-15:00, at the Think Corner Stage (Central Campus).

In-person attendees, please register here to help us plan catering. Online attendees should join using this streaming link.

This workshop is the last of a 4-part series held throughout the spring. See more about the series here.

Other sessions have been: How academic publishing is stained by fossil fuels; Fossil-free publishing and beyond - degrowing academia; and Climate obstruction at universities.

The workshops are organised by Scientist Rebellion Finland, a climate activist group for people involved in research, and funded by HELSUS.

The privilege to know, the duty to act.