Just Sustainability

In this episode we return to the conversation that I had with Marceleen Mosher. Marceleen and I talk about hope and the sorts of discourse that are effective in driving social action related to climate change and sustainability.

Marceleen Mosher has taught communication studies at Augsburg University and Hamline University and is a doctoral student at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. Her scholarship examines the interplay between rhetoric/narratives and the intersection of nature, wellbeing, technology, and power.

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We’re straying a bit from the planned episode order of the Just Sustainability podcast. Because we need to do some re-recording, the remainder of Shane Epting’s episodes are going to be posted at a later date. However, I’ve kept all of you waiting for too long. So, without further ado, it’s my pleasure to introduce you all to Marceleen Mosher.

Marceleen Mosher has taught communication studies at Augsburg University and Hamline University and is a doctoral student at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. Her scholarship examines the interplay between rhetoric/narratives and the intersection of nature, wellbeing, technology, and power.

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On this episode I’m delighted to introduce you to another one of my old friends, Shane Epting. In his first episode of the Just Sustainability Podcast, Shane offers us a primer about philosophy of the city — the field that (I would argue) he played a central role in forming (while of course philosophers have written about cities since at least the time Plato, Shane is one of the folks who did the most to shape the landscape of the discourse about cities within contemporary philosophy).

Dr. Shane Epting is an Assistant Professor of Philosophy at the Missouri University of Science and Technology. He’s the Co-Director and co-founder of the Philosophy of the City Research Group. He’s contributed an impressive amount of scholarship on topics related to how to most equitably and effectively conceptualize cities (or municipalities), socially just community design and governance, and ethics and justice in general as they apply to built environments.

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As our conversation came to a close, Jill Fellows told me about the ways that technology can empower and liberate as well as how we often talk about technology (particularly digital technology) can serve to hide the environmental and social impacts of various technologies.

Dr. Jennifer Jill Fellows teaches philosophy and is the Associate of Arts Coordinator at Douglas College. She also hosts two really terrific podcasts: “Andraste’s Gadfly” (which examines various philosophical topics as they apply to or manifest within the Dragon Age series of games) and “Gender, Sex, and Tech! Continuing the Conversation” (which is — as one might suspect from its name — about the interplay between gender, sex, and technology). And, she seems to be constantly on CBC Radio discussing super-fun topics like whether you’d make it onto Santa Claus’ nice or naughty list, our relationships with AI, and the history of feminized computers.

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In the this episode the conversation between Jill Fellows and I shifts topics. We move on from discussing podcasting and public scholarship to the content of Jill’s research: the interplay between gender and technology. Jill tells me about the digital divide and some of the ways that our biases are reflected in technology and how we think about technology.

Dr. Jennifer Jill Fellows teaches philosophy and is the Associate of Arts Coordinator at Douglas College. She also hosts two really terrific podcasts: “Andraste’s Gadfly” (which examines various philosophical topics as they apply to or manifest within the Dragon Age series of games) and “Gender, Sex, and Tech! Continuing the Conversation” (which is — as one might suspect from its name — about the interplay between gender, sex, and technology). And, she seems to be constantly on CBC Radio discussing super-fun topics like whether you’d make it onto Santa Claus’ nice or naughty list, our relationships with AI, and the history of feminized computers.

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In this episode we pick-up where we left off on the previous episode, with Jill Fellows telling me about how she identifies the guests that are featured in her podcast and how she has approached overcoming the various challenges related to integrating public scholarship into her academic career.

Dr. Jennifer Jill Fellows teaches philosophy and is the Associate of Arts Coordinator at Douglas College. She also hosts two really terrific podcasts: “Andraste’s Gadfly” (which examines various philosophical topics as they apply to or manifest within the Dragon Age series of games) and “Gender, Sex, and Tech! Continuing the Conversation” (which is — as one might suspect from its name — about the interplay between gender, sex, and technology). And, she seems to be constantly on CBC Radio discussing super-fun topics like whether you’d make it onto Santa Claus’ nice or naughty list, our relationships with AI, and the history of feminized computers.

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I’m really excited to share this episode because I get to introduce all of you to an old friend of mine who also happens to be my favorite public philosopher: Dr. Jennifer Jill Fellows. Jill teaches philosophy and is the Associate of Arts Coordinator at Douglas College. She also hosts two really terrific podcasts: “Andraste’s Gadfly” (which examines various philosophical topics as they apply to or manifest within the Dragon Age series of games) and “Gender, Sex, and Tech! Continuing the Conversation” (which is — as one might suspect from its name — about the interplay between gender, sex, and technology). And, she seems to be constantly on CBC Radio discussing super-fun topics like whether you’d make it onto Santa Claus’ nice or naughty list, our relationships with AI, and the history of feminized computers.

Because she’s such an active, effective, and accomplished podcaster and public scholar, I decided to start our conversation by asking her about her approach to podcasting and public scholarship.

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This episode contains the second half of the conversation where liz Thomson interviewed me. In it, liz asks me to discuss what I’m most proud of or pleased about Just Sustainability, whether there are dream listeners or guests that I have for the show, and how my career arc has influenced how I approach this podcast.

Clement Loo is a Lecturer/Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies and the Student Success Coordinator in the Office of Equity, Diversity, and Intercultural Programs at the University of Minnesota Morris. In those roles I write, podcast, and teach classes about sustainability, climate ethics, and environmental/sustainability justice. I also coordinate the Gateway Program and co-coordinate the Sustainability Leadership minor (with Ed Brands) and the Intercultural Sustainability Leaders Program (with Troy Goodnough, Michelle Montgomery, and Paisley Sierra) at UMN Morris.

In addition to my work at UMN Morris I am also a member of the Faculty Leadership Council and an Educator at the Institute on the Environment, a member of the board of the Southwest Regional Sustainability Partnership, and a member of the Advisory Council of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education.

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In this episode we decided to do something slightly different from what we usually do on the Just Sustainability Podcast. When we finished recording for their episodes at the end of last season, liz Thomson suggested that it might be fun for them to interview me for this podcast. I agreed that the idea did sound fun and thought a couple of episodes featuring me might be a good way to start season 4. Moreover, it seems only fair — after I’ve invited 25 of my friends to appear on this show, be remarkably vulnerable, and reveal a lot about themselves and their work — that I should also perhaps reveal a bit more about myself as well.

I usually provide a bit of a professional introduction of the guests on this podcast to contextual the conversations that I have with them. So, I will do the same for myself:

Clement Loo is a Lecturer/Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies and the Student Success Coordinator in the Office of Equity, Diversity, and Intercultural Programs at the University of Minnesota Morris. In those roles I write, podcast, and teach classes about sustainability, climate ethics, and environmental/sustainability justice. I also coordinate the Gateway Program and co-coordinate the Sustainability Leadership minor (with Ed Brands) and the Intercultural Sustainability Leaders Program (with Troy Goodnough, Michelle Montgomery, and Paisley Sierra) at UMN Morris.

In addition to my work at UMN Morris I am also a member of the Faculty Leadership Council and an Educator at the Institute on the Environment, a member of the board of the Southwest Regional Sustainability Partnership, and a member of the Advisory Council of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education.

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In the second half of the conversation that I had with liz Thomson, we spoke built on our discussion about the relationship between equity and disability by talking about universal design principles and the creation of counter- and home-spaces as a framework for improving sense of belonging. liz and I finished our chat reflecting upon interdependence, mutual support, and community.

Elizabeth (liz) Anh Thomson, PhD is 5’2″, dark-skinned, disabled, Vietnamese adoptee, gender non-conforming person with shaved black hair, black eyes, and tortoise colored thick-rimmed glasses. They’re the Interim Associate Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the University of Minnesota Morris. They’re a disability studies scholar that studies cultural centers and works to create counter and home spaces for students belonging to marginalized populations.

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