Blogs
Spotlight on the latest blogs from across the Institute.
Can we reduce water demand to 80 litres a day? And what can the government do to support it?
25 November 2019
Dr Claire Hoolohan (Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research) and Dr Alison Browne (Sustainable Consumption Institute) reflect on their consultation submission to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on measures to reduce personal water use.
All Food is “Plant-Based” – Particularly Meat and Dairy
25 November 2019
Academics, policy makers and businesses increasingly consider a shift towards so-called “plant-based” diets that principally require less land, energy, and other resources.
Imagined Futures of Consumption: Lay Expectations and Speculations
25 November 2019
Imagined futures of consumption have played a central role politically and economically since the end of the Second World War.
The Sustainable Consumption Institute at the European Sociological Association Conference 2019
18 November 2019
SCI research was well represented at ESA2019 in Manchester.
Inequalities and climate change
14 November 2019
World scientists have collectively endorsed the proposition that the world is facing a climate emergency. Social scientists need to address the burning issue of inequality at the heart of this emergency.
International Repair Day, the Right to Repair and the Politics of Practice
21 October 2019
As International Repair Day celebrates its third anniversary, Ulrike Ehgartner, Steffen Hirth and Dan Welch discuss the “Right to Repair” and endangered practices.
Don’t bet on the UN to fix climate change
3 October 2019
It’s failed for 30 years.
The Green New Deal's contradiction
3 October 2019
New infrastructure and redistribution may boost carbon emissions.
What the Amazon fires tell us about the geopolitics of the climate emergency
23 September 2019
Two climate denying Presidents, growing demand for soya in China and deforestation in Brazil have created the perfect climate-change storm, argues Mark Harvey.
Vegan is the new vegetarian – why supermarkets need to go 'plant-based' to help save the planet
17 September 2019
Veganism is arguably the biggest food trend of the moment.
A vegan meat revolution is coming to global fast food chains – and it could help save the planet
17 September 2019
A few years ago, convincing meat-free “meat” was nothing more than a distant dream for most consumers. Meat substitutes in supermarkets lacked variety and quality. Plant-based burgers were few and far between in major fast food outlets – and meaty they were not.
New net zero emissions target won’t end UK’s contribution to global warming – here’s why
2 July 2019
Joe Blakey and Marc Hudson disagree with the UK Government’s much vaunted target of zero-carbon by 2050 constitutes the country’s “highest possible ambition”
Dr Alison Browne presents to Defra’s Joint Water Evidence Programme 'Grand Challenges' policy workshop
5 June 2019
The SCI’s Ali Browne was invited to present to the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and Environment Agency’s ‘Joint Water Evidence Programme’ policy workshop on 6th June 2019.
Education for sustainability, action-oriented research and the value of building bridges
24 April 2019
During March 2019 the Sustainable Consumption Institute held a series of activities around sustainability education and hosted Rachel Trajber, Cemaden (National Monitoring and Early Warning and Centre of Natural Disasters).
Why the meat industry could win big from the switch to veggie lifestyles
27 March 2019
One of the largest meat processors in the UK, has launched a plant-based meat alternative. Before long, the meat producers could take over this growing market for meat-free alternatives.
Everyday Thriftiness: Austerity and Sustainability
5 March 2019
With 12.4 million people living in absolute low income poverty in the UK in 2016/17, continued uncertainty from Brexit, and persistent issues with the new benefits system, Universal Credit, life remains bleak for many in the UK.
School climate strikes: what next for the latest generation of activists?
22 February 2019
Last Friday students across the UK (and the world) went on strike, leaving their lessons to protest about the lack of effective action on climate change.
Victims, saviours or villains? Children in popular climate imaginaries
15 February 2019
With the school children’s #ClimateStrike movement reaching the UK, Catherine Walker explores how children are framed in climate change discourse and asks how can children moves us beyond our current political impasse?
Gilets jaunes, Extinction Rebellion and neoliberal climate policy
4 February 2019
Two protest movements erupted in the UK and France on November 17th, with apparently opposite logics. Matthew Paterson argues that both movements result from the the way carbon pricing has been both regressive socially and woefully inadequate in climate terms.
Meat-free alternatives are dull – we need exciting vegan Christmas dinner ideas
9 January 2019
Before Christmas SCI doctoral researcher Malte Rödl had a piece published in The Conversation challenging cooks to look beyond “meat –eating without the meat”. With ‘Veganuary’ in the headlines we thought it was a viewpoint still worth looking at.
Professor Mark Harvey - a political and intellectual trajectory
26 November 2018
The SCI co-sponsored a conference to mark the retirement of Professor Mark Harvey. Read Mark’s inspiring talk on the political and intellectual trajectory of his career.
To tackle inequality, we must first understand the exploitation that creates it
3 July 2018
We need a theory of exploitation fit for the twenty-first century, argues Mark Harvey.
Why France banned meat names for vegetarian alternatives
14 May 2018
France recently passed an amendment to its Agriculture Bill, prohibiting any product that is largely based on non-animal ingredients from being labelled like a traditional animal product.
Can a city ever be truly ‘carbon neutral’?
17 April 2018
Following the Greater Manchester Green Summit, Sherilyn MacGregor and Joe Blakey ask whether the vision of a ‘carbon neutral’ city-region is all that it appears.
Greater Manchester’s Green Charter: The Responsibility of Whom?
16 April 2018
In wake of Andy Burnham’s Green Summit, Julia Kasmire investigates whether the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) will take the necessary steps to take responsibility for achieving carbon neutrality.
The SCI organised a workshop on the topic of meat consumption, non-meat consumption and sustainability as part of the ESRC Festival of Social Sciences.
9 April 2018
Whilst there is a broad consensus amongst academics and other experts that meat needs to be addressed as a social-ecological problem, the minutiae of how to do so are less certain.
Planet 50:50? Linking labour and environment this International Women’s Day
8 March 2018
This blog by the SCI's Sherilyn MacGregor was originally posted for International Women's Day March 2017.
On the ‘Meat Edge’? Meat Consumption and Reduction in Middle Class Urban China
2 March 2018
Drawing on insights from a qualitative study of meat eating in urban China, Alison Browne, Josephine Mylan and Zhu Di suggest there is a need to re-think the dominant view on changing consumption.
Environmental feminists taking up space at Conference of Parties (COP)
9 January 2018
SCI PhD researcher Joanna Wilson reports back, suggesting that the voices of environmental feminists remain sidelined, despite the conference being branded as ‘inclusive’ and ‘participatory’.
Blog: How to solve the ‘monster’ fatberg problem
27 November 2017
Fatbergs – enormous solid masses of oil, grease, wet wipes and other hygiene products that congeal together to cause major blockages – are wreaking havoc on the sewers of cities around the world.
Blog: The real story behind the huge crowds gathered at iPhone launches
6 November 2017
Apple's special edition iPhone X release – what sane person would queue overnight for an over-priced, at best incrementally-changed gadget?
Blog: Reflections on the ‘Relating to Nature’ workshop: Considering the nonhuman within political theory
10 October 2017
From 11 to 13 September, The University of Manchester hosted its annual Manchester Centre for Political Theory Workshops (MANCEPT).
Blog: SCI at the British Sociological Association Conference 2017
29 September 2017
Jessica Paddock reports on SCI contributions to the BSA on home turf in Manchester
Blog: The International Sustainability Transitions Conference 2017
29 September 2017
Cameron Roberts reports on IST 2017 and the SCI’s contributions
Blog: The SCI at the GRF: 'Sustainable Lifestyles, Livelihoods, and the Circular Economy'
29 September 2017
Wouter Spekkink reports on the third international conference of the Global Research Forum on Sustainable Production and Consumption
Blog: The European Sociological Association 2017
29 September 2017
Dan Welch reports on the SCI’s contribution to the ESA’s 13th biennial conference in Athens
Blog: Sustainability: the new alchemy?
26 July 2017
Julia Kasmire asks what sustainability and alchemy have in common? And what does this mean for the sustainability movement?
Blog: Small steps for creating community resilience - The Make Do and Mend Expo
12 July 2017
In June, Dr Helen Holmes held The Make Do and Mend Expo – an interactive event that brought together third-sector organisations to debate the future of community resilience.
Blog: Re-making Greater Manchester sustainably
23 June 2017
How might the newly elected Mayor of Greater Manchester remake Greater Manchester sustainably? Joe Blakey reflects on a recent workshop by the SCI’s Mike Hodson and Sherilyn MacGregor in his latest blog post.
Blog: From meat-free days to meat-free diets?
15 June 2017
Last Monday was World Meat Free Day. In the first blog of the SCI’s new website, Jo Mylan and Nicklas Neuman argue ‘Meat Free’ days are only one piece of broader puzzle of how to limit the effects of industrial meat production.
Blog: Following the action: an approach for studying the coordination of practice
19 May 2017
A principle methodological challenge for any research is the identification of the core unit of analysis and the ‘entry point’ for empirical enquiry. Both depend on the research questions to hand. For the study of practices these challenges are particularly acute.
Blog: Overcoming ‘speciesism’: how to include other living beings
30 March 2017
In this contribution, Anna Wienhues and Steffen Hirth use theoretical considerations from philosophy and sociology to explore the ways in which ‘the nonhuman’ is – or is not – taken into account.
Blog: Turning climate governance upside down
12 January 2017
A rethink of contemporary wisdom on governing the climate is increasingly urgent. Successive climate summits, strategies, targets and action plans have been implemented, but the chances of staying within anything like safe temperature increases are diminishing fast.
Blog: Divestment, destabilisation, decarbonisation?
19 May 2017
With The University of Manchester considering divesting its assets from fossil fuel related industries, Viki Johnson considers whether divestment can really destabilise an industry.
Blog: Renewables in South Australia: blame games and framing battles
30 November 2016
With South Australia’s increase in renewables blamed for a blackout caused by high winds, Marc Hudson examines the ‘framing battles’ taking place in Australia.