Day three of my policy of writing about each paper/book I read under three categories (in escalating importance a) highlight interesting theory/facts b) relate the reading to other (academic) reading, and c) how it helps me move forward on my Thesis, (Handing Over M-phatically August/September ’17) (aka "THOMAS"). Today's article (and yes, having... Continue Reading →
Blame games and framing battles over renewables in South Australia
Adelaide and energy systems have one thing in common – they rarely dominate the news agenda in Australia. However, twice in the past three months they have been front and centre. That reveals something interesting about the 'framing battles' taking place over renewable energy and whose vision for Australia's future will win. Price spike and... Continue Reading →
Concern trolling, gaslighting, lying and other corporate strategies versus transition…
Day two of my new policy about writing what I read. a) highlight interesting theory/facts b) relate the reading to other (academic) reading, and c) how it helps me move forward on my Thesis, (Handing Over M-phatically August/September (’17) (Thomas). This paper below came via my supervisor and it is bloody fantastic. Smink,... Continue Reading →
Two Lewises and the America Empire. Oh, and resonance machines…
So, new policy. Stuff that gets read while I walk around the park with a backpack full of books and weights [walk in the park], gets written up before I am allowed to do any more reading. And the job is to try to a) highlight interesting theory/facts b) relate the reading to other (academic)... Continue Reading →
“Turn, turn, turn” -policy theory is for the Byrds…
So, there is a corking PhD that I am reading. It's called The politics of governing ‘system innovations’ towards sustainable electricity systems. You can find it here. Mustn't quote too much, obviously (copyright etc). but this was useful, from page 27- 8 *** Traditionally, “Political sociology and political science have focused on how the pursuit of self-interest... Continue Reading →
The upside of coal
See below for a truly extraordinary coal advert from 1975, where, looking for fresh workers, the UK National Coal Board basically says "this job is a fanny magnet." Meanwhile, I just finished Evelyn Waugh's Put Out More Flags, which some say is his best. Published in 1942, it is about the phoney war - it... Continue Reading →
Vale Erik Petersen – “Old time mem’ry”
Just found out that Erik Petersen, of Mischief Brew died earlier this year. I never saw him perform, and have only today been listening to his (excellent) work. Al Baker had covered one of his songs (co-written with Robert Blake), which he kindly played at my wedding. It's a corker; beautiful to listen to, the... Continue Reading →
Why argue with #climate denialists? It’s comforting is why
"Never wrestle with a pig, you both get muddy, but the pig enjoys it" as the old saying goes. But what if we, secretly, enjoy it too? Or if wrestling with the pig is a safer and more fun option that wrestling with the angry rabid hippo who is next in line? WTAF am I... Continue Reading →
Overflows and undertows – Callon, James and so on.
Bimbling around looking for work on how economic modelling is used to 'construct' reality/possibility, I stumbled on "An essay on framing and overflowing: economic externalities revisited by sociology" by M Callon, 1998. This (among other bits) struck me - The second attitude, typical of constructivist sociology in particular, takes the view that overflowing is the rule;... Continue Reading →
Innovation in complex systems? Oh, FFS…. And CCS
By FFS I mean “Full-Flight Simulators”. What am I on about? So, innovation in mass produced commodity products (aka “widgets”) is, cough, relatively straight-forward. Lots of opportunities for iteration, incremental learning, process and product innovation, tacit knowledge creation/management. Shakeouts after the establishment of a ‘dominant design’, followed by incremental shifts that squeeze a leetle more... Continue Reading →
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