Psychology

Climate change and nighttime rest

I like to sleep in a cool room. When the temperature goes up during the day I kind of dread nighttime because I know I’ll overheat even with windows open and fans on. I just learned though about all the potential health risks of hotter nights from climate change. I admit, I was surprised. He … Continue reading →

What are the benefits of plant based meat alternatives?

I have switched to a number of plant based meat alternatives. Generally, I’ve done this where I’m trying to keep a particular style of meal like a burger (although I also enjoy a portobello mushroom burger). So convenience and familiarity play a role. But I admit to wondering whether these alternatives are actually environmentally better … Continue reading →

Too nice to use?

I built a wooden kayak last year. This past weekend I paddled 120 km with it down a river. This makes sense to me. I built it, I used it. But apparently this is not always the response. A lot of people build the boat and then don’t use it because it is too nice. … Continue reading →

Paying more to do harm

Carbon taxes? Nope, not what this blog is about. This one is about a new study by Lee and Winterich (2022) that found that when unsustainable goods like individually wrapped foods are more expensive, wealthy people felt more entitled to them and were more likely to make the purchase. That’s right, charge more and you’re … Continue reading →

Does nature help everyone’s mental health?

Well, we don’t actually know. There’s a problem in a lot of research. We study who we have access to and forget that might not be representative of the broader world. Don’t get me wrong, efforts are often made to ensure generalizability but too often we overlook the lack of diversity completely. For example, I … Continue reading →

What would make you choose a meat alternative?

In the past two years I have mostly switched to being a weekday vegetarian. I was able to do this largely because I also switched to using meal kits. The reason these two go together is that I didn’t have to do a ton of research to find tasty vegetarian recipes. So that’s the how … Continue reading →

Which images of climate change would capture your attention?

I’m quite fascinated by how we use imagery to communicate information and inspire action. In previous projects I have analysed the photographs used in a textbook chapter on climate change – in short, anything negative was clearly foreign and everything positive was obviously local. I even used a photographic method to see how local outdoor … Continue reading →

Indigenous cultures and Indigenous renewable energy projects

I learned about a concept called the third space in my PhD. Coined by Homi Bhabha, the third space, as originally conceived, is a meeting or transition space between post-colonial Power relations and everyday practices. This has been adapted in a number of other contexts. One of these adaptations has been used to describe the … Continue reading →

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