Digital Technology and Sustainability

Engaging the Paradox

Mike Hazas, Lisa Nathan

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2017
• ISBN:
  9781315465951
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Economics
• Subtopic: Sustainable Development
• Index: Economics

This book brings together diverse voices from across the field of sustainable human computer interaction (SHCI) to discuss what it means for digital technology to support sustainability and how humans and technology can work together optimally for a more sustainable future.

Contemporary digital technologies are hailed by tech companies, governments and academics as leading-edge solutions to the challenges of environmental sustainability; smarter homes, more persuasive technologies, and a robust Internet of Things hold the promise for creating a greener world. Yet, deployments of interactive technologies for such purposes often lead to a paradox: they algorithmically "optimize" heating and lighting of houses without regard to the dynamics of daily life in the home; they can collect and display data that allow us to reflect on energy and emissions, yet the same information can cause us to raise our expectations for comfort and convenience; they might allow us to share best practice for sustainable living through social networking and online communities, yet these same systems further our participation in consumerism and contribute to an ever-greater volume of electronic waste.By acknowledging these paradoxes, this book represents a significant critical inquiry into digital technology's longer-term impact on ideals of sustainability.

Written by an interdisciplinary team of contributors this book will be of great interest to students and scholars of human computer interaction and environmental studies.

Contributors

Editors

Mike Hazas (Senior Lecturer, School of Computing and Communications, Lancaster University). Mike works at the interface of human-computer interaction and studies of social practice, striving for nuanced understandings of sustainability through both qualitative and quantitative data. Inspiration: Bob the Minion

Lisa P. Nathan (Assistant Professor, School of Library Archival and Information Studies, University of British Columbia). Lisa is privileged to collaborate with fantastic people to (re)imagine and (re)design information practices – ways of stewarding information – to address long-term challenges (e.g., decolonization, social justice, environmental resilience). Inspiration: Kim Lawson

Chapter authors

Oliver Bates (Senior Research Associate, School of Computing and Communications, Lancaster University). Oliver’s research looks to understand how digital technology is situated in practices, how practices impact sustainability, and how we can redesign digital technology for more sustainable trajectories. Inspiration: Billy Bragg

Roy Bendor (Assistant Professor, Department of Industrial Design, Delft University of Technology). Roy explores the design and use of interactive media as means to disclose, provoke, and reshape our political imagination. Inspiration: John Robinson

Eli Blevis (Professor of Informatics, School of Informatics and Computing, Indiana University Bloomington; Visiting (ongoing) and Adjunct (appointed) Professor of Interaction Design, School of Design, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University). Eli is best known for his work on sustainable interaction design. He also engages visual thinking – especially photographic foundations of HCI, and design theory – especially transdisciplinary design. Inspiration: Shunying An Blevis

Teresa Cerratto Pargman (Associate Professor, Department of Computer and Systems Sciences, Stockholm University). Teresa works within the field of human-computer interaction, exploring issues of civic participation and sustainability in a future of economic and ecological limits. Inspiration: my children

Adrian K. Clear (Senior Research Fellow in Digital Living, Department of Computer and Information Sciences, Northumbria University). Adrian’s work takes a social practice orientation to understanding how technology impacts everyday life, and how design might support and promote more sustainable ways of living. Inspiration: John Dewey

Rob Comber (Lecturer, School of Computing Science, Newcastle University). Rob’s human-computer interaction research uses a lens of ‘designing for community’ to examine topics such as activism, citizen science, community education, and food and technology.

Janet Davis (Associate Professor, Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Whitman College). Janet pioneered the application of participatory design to persuasive technology. Now she is contemplating the moral risks and opportunities of using information technology to influence how people use language. Inspiration: Joseph M. Williams

Audrey Desjardins (Assistant Professor, School of Art + Art History + Design, University of Washington). Audrey uses design as a way to critically reflect on people’s creative tactics to make home and to investigate potential futures in domestic spaces. Inspiration: Traveling through multiple US national parks

Hamid Ekbia (Professor, School of Informatics and Computing, Indiana University, Bloomington). Hamid is interested in the political economy of computing and in how technologies mediate cultural, socio-economic, and geo-political relations of modern societies. Inspiration: Karl Marx

Elina Eriksson (Assistant Professor, School of Computer Science and Communication, KTH Royal Institute of Technology). Elina is interested in the social construction of denial and wants more people to engage in sustainability issues – even if it hurts. Inspiration: Kari Marie Norgaard

Sandra Burri Gram-Hansen (Assistant Professor, Department of Communication and Psychology, Aalborg University, Denmark). Sandra’s work focuses on persuasive design, co-creation, participatory design processes, and applied ethics. She is particularly interested in climate communication and sustainability, as well as designs that bridge between physical and digital realms. Inspiration: J.K. Rowling

Elaine M. Huang (Associate Professor, Department of Informatics, University of Zurich). Elaine leads the People and Computing group and conducts HCI and ubiquitous computing research that is driven by deep inquiry into human practices and communication. Inspiration: Her PhD students

Somya Joshi (Assistant Professor, Department of Computer & Systems Science, Stockholm University). Somya participates in diverse forms of activism and disruption that challenge the current worldview of unlimited resources and incumbent consumption/waste practices. Inspiration: Naomi Klein/Leonard Cohen

Samuel Mann (Professor, CapableNZ, Otago Polytechnic). Sam’s focus is making a positive difference through professional practice. He developed the role of the sustainable practitioner, the Sustainable Lens and Transformation Mindset. Inspiration: People making a difference, some of whom I’ve collaborated with on SustainableLens.org

Bonnie Nardi (Professor, Department of Informatics, University of California, Irvine). Bonnie wants to know how we can design a future that lets us keep the Internet, take from the rich and give to the poor, and have a lot of fun. Inspiration: André Gorz

William Odom (Assistant Professor, School of Interactive Arts and Technology, Simon Fraser University). William investigates how (if) we can create long-term strategies for sustaining viable human and environmental futures. Inspiration: Tony Fry

Daniel Pargman (Associate Professor, School of Computer Science and Communication, KTH Royal Institute of Technology). Daniel strives to understand how the future clash between the exponential growth of computing and the limited resources of a finite planet will unfold. Inspiration: the de-growth movement

Birgit Penzenstadler (Assistant Professor, Department of Computer Engineering and Computer Science, California State University Long Beach). Birgit works on using requirements engineering techniques for developing software systems for sustainability. She is also interested in quality assurance, innovation, and open source development. Inspiration: Sara Bareilles’ song “Brave”

Christian Remy (Postdoctoral researcher, Department of Informatics, University of Zurich). Christian recently investigated issues of sustainability by trying to tackle e-waste and obsolescence through sustainable interaction design. Inspiration: hiking in the mountains

David Roedl (Lead UX Designer, 3M Design). David studies relationships among technology, culture, political economy, and the environment; he designs digital products and services with hope for a just and sustainable future. Inspiration: David Hakken and David Harvey

Vanessa Thomas (PhD Candidate, HighWire Centre for Doctoral Training, Lancaster University). Vanessa researches social practices, public policies, and the environmental footprint of digital technologies. She also co-runs the Lickable Cities project and loves cake. Inspiration: Sara Ahmed

a.m. tsaasan (PhD Student, Department of Informatics, University of California, Irvine). Marie studies playful learning contexts in local and virtual communities that improve public spaces by increasing inclusion, fun, and personal responsibility. Inspiration: Mariajose Nunes, teacher of islander aesthetics wherein all members are essential

Colin C. Venters (Senior Lecturer in Software Systems Engineering, School of Computing and Engineering, University of Huddersfield). Colin is a founding member of the Karlskrona Consortium for Sustainability Design. His current research focuses on sustainable software systems engineering for computational science and engineering in extreme-scale computing environments from a software architecture perspective. Inspiration: Bonnie “Prince” Billy

Ron Wakkary (Professor, School of Interactive Arts and Technology, Simon Fraser University and Visiting Professor in Industrial Design, Eindhoven University of Technology). Ron’s research aims to be reflective and generate design inquiries into technologies and everyday practices. Inspiration: Jane Jacobs

Xiaolan Wang (PhD Candidate, School of Interactive Arts and Technology, Simon Fraser University). Xiaolan studies social innovation projects by applying the theories of infrastructuring, aiming for exploring the potentialities design can have in supporting social change toward sustainability. Inspiration: Christopher Le Dantec

Respondents and advisory board

Enrico Costanza (Lecturer, UCL Interaction Centre, University College London). Currently Enrico’s research focuses on designing systems to help people make sense of data, and on interaction with smart and autonomous systems in everyday situations. Inspiration: Bruno Munari

Lorenz M. Hilty (Professor and Sustainability Delegate, University of Zurich; Head of Group at Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology). Lorenz is a computer scientist who is continuously looking for ways to reduce the excessive material and energy throughput of our lifestyles. Inspiration: Hans-Christoph Binswanger.

Mél Hogan (Assistant Professor of Environmental Media, Communication, Media and Film, University of Calgary). Mél’s work looks at the social implications and environmental impacts of data centers globally. Inspiration: animals

Rónán Kennedy (Lecturer, School of Law, National University of Ireland Galway). Rónán explores how law and information and communications technology influence each other, trying to see through the hype and understand the real consequences. His research focuses on the use of ICT for environmental regulation. Inspiration: Low

Jennifer Mankoff (Associate Professor, Human Computer Interaction Institute, Carnegie Mellon University). Jen’s research embodies a human-centered perspective on data-driven applications. Her goal is to combine empirical methods with technological innovation to construct middleware (tools and processes).

Janine Morley (Senior Research Associate, DEMAND Centre, Lancaster University). Janine is a sociologist who works collaboratively to study the relationships between social practices, technology, and sustainability. She is particularly fascinated by digital technologies, social change, and futures. Inspiration: Apus apus

Chris Preist (Reader, Department of Computer Science, University of Bristol). Chris studies the ways in which digital technology changes human behavior and practices, and the effects of this (both positive and negative) on the many challenges of sustainability. Inspiration: Eihei Dogen

Yolande Strengers (Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Urban Research, RMIT University). Yolande is a sociologist of technology and design and co-leader of the Beyond Behaviour Change research program at RMIT. She researches the changing role of digital and smart technologies in everyday life and their implications for energy and sustainability outcomes. Inspiration: her compost bin

Photo Essay 1

Selfie Time (2017). A monolithic LED display advertisement for Samsung proclaims, “Selfie Time”. Interaction design is implicated in this advertising use of digital energy infrastructure to promote consumption of ever more digital energy infrastructure and consumer products. Reflection on Bendor: Interaction design and sustainability futures: Towards worldmaking interactions (apropos of persuasive interactions); and Thomas: Negotiating and engaging with public policy at different scales (apropos of waste electronic equipment); and Joshi: Every little bit makes little difference: The paradox within SHCI (apropos of discourse of consumption and technological innovation); and Roedl, Odom, and Blevis: Three Principles of Sustainable Interaction Design, Revisited (apropos of invention and disposal and apropos of references to emerging work on digital energy infrastructure).

Eli Blevis

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Contents
• List of table
• List of figures
• Acknowledgements
• List of contributors
• Introduction: Digital technology and sustainability: engaging the paradox
• Part 1 Assessing the field
• Part 2 Addressing limits
• Part 3 Ways to engage with others
• Part 4 Inspiring futures
• Index