Sustainability is one of the most pressing and general topics in todays (Western) society. How the world of sport is contributing to climate change and what that implies for the world of sport is stressed by e.g. Gammelsaeter & Loland (2022) and Goldblatt (2023). The perspective found in the work of Thomas Nail, is very much suited for the challenges of 21st century. In Theory of the Earth (2021) he presents his new materialist ontology in which the continuous flow of matter is the core principal. There is no such thing as a discrete object or fixed position, only metastable patterns of matter in motion. Building on this ontological position I am exploring the concept of bioregionalism and the sport experience in both conceptual and creative ways.
MULTIFILE
Until the recent outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the growth of tourism had confronted many destinations with policy decisions that had impacted regional ecosystems and the quality of life of their resident population. To counter the threats driven by dominant tourism growth models, a number of tourism scholars have called for revisiting the philosophical foundation upon which tourism activities are developed. Informed by debates in philosophy and the wider social sciences, including tourism scholarship, this conceptual paper, therefore, suggests an alternative governance paradigm for tourism destinations, which is articulated in four propositions that reflect a new materialist perspective. These propositions are a monist post-anthropocentric ontology, a participatory epistemology, resilient forms of tourism and participation as methodologies, and social eudaimonia as societal value. The core argument presented in this paper is that the Anthropocene requires tourism destinations to espouse alternative governance approaches drawing from ideas emerging from new materialist scholarship.
LINK
Attending to the broader wellbeing debates, this study examines the interplay between forest-based tourism practices and sustainability. It does so by building on Max Weber’s notion of disenchantment of the world to explore how planetary wellbeing can be cultivated through the commercial practice of forest bathing. In positioning the study within the Serbian context, we build on feminist new materialist ideas to explore the ways in which broken ties between postmodern humans and forests as our primordial home can be reclaimed through this tourism practice. Using the empirical data collected during two forest tours, we take the relational approach in our analysis of the meanings the forest tour attendees ascribed to their experiences. In extending scholarly understandings of the notion of sustainability, we discuss the ways of achieving planetary wellbeing through forest bathing and the potential of more-than-human entanglements to re-enchant the world. To conclude, we discreetly illuminate one way of reconceiving the idea of enchantment and encourage rethinking our everyday and tourist practices in disenchanted Anthropocene.
LINK
The actual non-sustainable way of living has to be changed fundamentally. Despite all efforts to create a better environment, to improve building designs and to ameliorate existing buildings, often contradictory factors are faced which make it difficult to decide what the best solutions are.The discussion around the Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) house insulation is a typical example how complicated the relation between, energy efficiency, human comfort and health can be. Clearly positive effects like energy efficiency are sometimes associated with e.g. potential flaws in aesthetics caused by growth of algae, poor indoor climate, and health risks which can result in negative responses of residents when implementation of these measures is proposed. Therefore often substances are added which may cause implications with existing regulations if reused again. Smart and highly efficient products are often in contradiction with our aims to create a circular economy due to the fact that different materials are often treated with chemicals or put together in infrangible combinations. The aim of this paper is to highlight the balancing act being faced when trying to introduce new more sustainable materials and methods into the building process. Based on some examples the paper want to demonstrate that principally good intentions like improved energy savings can cause problems in other fields like environmental impact or limited re-use in a circular economy. Basic problems are described and potential approaches to minimize the risk of using building materials which might not meet the requirements for reuse in a second use phase are suggested.
DOCUMENT
This article traces the emergence of one particular genre of discourse, the genre of "new realism" in the Dutch public debates on multicultural society from the early 1990s till Spring 2002. The focus upon different "genres" implies an interest in the performative power of discourse, i.e. the way in which any discourse, in or by its descriptions of reality, (co)produces that reality. Four distinctive characteristics of "new realism" are detected in three subsequent public debates, culminating in the genre of "hyper-realism", of which the immensely successful and recently murdered politician Pim Fortuyn proved to be the consummate champion. Cet article explique le développement d'un genre particulier de discours, le "nouveau réalisme", au sein du débat public sur la société multiculturelle aux Pays Bas. La période étudidée s'étale du début des années 1990 jusqu'au printemps 2002. L'importance attribuée aux différents "genres" reflète un intérêt pour le pouvoir performatif du discours, notamment la facon dont le discours (co)produit la réalité qu'il décrit. On décèle quatre traits distinctifs du "nouveau réalisme" dans trois débats publics qui débouchent sur le "hyper-réalisme" genre dont Pim Fortuyn, homme politique ayant connu un grand succès et victime récente d'un meurtre,s'était fait le champion attitré.
DOCUMENT
This project explores and develops methods for open archiving of socalled "new naturals". A number of tools and templates were created to facilitate collaborative, global - but context-aware and localized - documenting and archiving of "new naturals":
LINK
New electronic tablet devices are often referred to as either saviours of newspapers or killers of traditional print media. These crude statements are based on a naive concept of media substitution and an overestimation of the actual use of new media for news consumption. It is much more likely that substitution will be marginal, and that the potential is much more in giving existing readers more options while attacking new users. Publishers should treat tablet devices as options, concentrating on issues like business models, free, freemium, sponsored and paid content, DRM, in-app payment models, partnerships, user-generated content, design and interface options. Academic research on the use of tablets is not yet available as these devices are not available on a massive scale, only appearing on the market since the spring of 2010, but experiences by many publishers of newspapers and magazines already provide us with enough material to map possibilities and no-go areas for publishers of news content
DOCUMENT
In the project I’m currently working on the aim is to understand human experience in close relation to larger planetary systems. More precisely: developing a (sportive) relation with and within a specific bioregion. Not only can this take us closer to localized traditional sports from pre industrial society, more importantly it can give us the possibility to make a shift from anthropocentrism to ecocentrism through sport. A new understanding considering our existence and to ‘planetary health’ is what is desperately needed in the unfolding process of ecological crisis (Gammelsaeter & Loland 2022) (Goldblatt, 2023).
MULTIFILE
The growing demand for food due to a global population increase has made the use of pesticides in agriculture unavoidable despite their various harmful side effects. Driven by stricter legislation, nations are now compelled to find alternatives. This situation led to accelerated research around the world, focusing on developing new chemistries to enhance the environmental safety of pesticides. In recent years, bioinspired strategies of pest control have emerged as alternatives to the development of new synthetic pesticides. In order to design innovative eco-friendly pest management techniques, a thorough understanding of naturally existing physical and chemical defences in plants is needed. Building upon this knowledge, material science provides innovative strategies for designing physical barriers, biomimetic adhesives, and targeted delivery systems that go beyond traditional chemical approaches. This tutorial review explores the intricate relationships between plants and insects, focusing on natural defence mechanisms such as plant cuticles, trichomes, and thigmonasty. We also review advances in synthetic pesticide use, including enhanced adhesion and controlled release formulations. In addition, we delve into advances in other integrated pest management domains, discussing the potential of bioinspired surfaces and biological control methods. This overview aims to foster comprehensive understanding and interdisciplinary approaches, highlighting the pivotal role of material science in improving sustainable pest control for the future.
LINK
Background: Non-technical errors, such as insufficient communication or leadership, are a major cause of medical failures during trauma resuscitation. Research on staffing variation among trauma teams on teamwork is still in their infancy. In this study, the extent of variation in trauma team staffing was assessed. Our hypothesis was that there would be a high variation in trauma team staffing. Methods: Trauma team composition of consecutive resuscitations of injured patients were evaluated using videos. All trauma team members that where part of a trauma team during a trauma resuscitation were identified and classified during a one-week period. Other outcomes were number of unique team members, number of new team members following the previous resuscitation and new team members following the previous resuscitation in the same shift (Day, Evening, Night). Results: All thirty-two analyzed resuscitations had a unique trauma team composition and 101 unique members were involved. A mean of 5.71 (SD 2.57) new members in teams of consecutive trauma resuscitations was found, which was two-third of the trauma team. Mean team members present during trauma resuscitation was 8.38 (SD 1.43). Most variation in staffing was among nurses (32 unique members), radiology technicians (22 unique members) and anesthetists (19 unique members). The least variation was among trauma surgeons (3 unique members) and ER physicians (3 unique members). Conclusion: We found an extremely high variation in trauma team staffing during thirty-two consecutive resuscitations at our level one trauma center which is incorporated in an academic teaching hospital. Further research is required to explore and prevent potential negative effects of staffing variation in trauma teams on teamwork, processes and patient related outcomes.
DOCUMENT
