Compiled by Millie Barker, Laidlaw Leadership student scholar.
Journal articles
Anderson, Suse, and Ed Rodley. ‘Museopunks Episode 41: Digitization Is Not Neutral’. Accessed 17 June 2021. https://www.aam-us.org/2019/12/19/museopunks-episode-41-digitization-is-not-neutral/.
Austin, Jonathan Luke, and Anna Leander. ‘Designing-With/In World Politics: Manifestos for an International Political Design’. Political Anthropological Research on International Social Sciences (PARISS) 2, no. 1 (13 July 2021): 83–154. https://doi.org/10.1163/25903276-bja10020.
Barnes, Pamela, and Gayle McPherson. ‘Co-Creating, Co-Producing and Connecting: Museum Practice Today’. Curator: The Museum Journal 62, no. 2 (2019): 257–67. https://doi.org/10.1111/cura.12309.
Brown, Karen. ‘Museums and Local Development: An Introduction to Museums, Sustainability and Well-Being’. Museum International 71, no. 3–4 (29 November 2019): 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1080/13500775.2019.1702257.
Brown, Karen, and François Mairesse. ‘The Definition of the Museum through Its Social Role’. Curator: The Museum Journal 61, no. 4 (2018): 525–39. https://doi.org/10.1111/cura.12276.
Cameron, Fiona R. ‘From Sustainable Development to Sustaining Practices for Human, More-than and Other-than Human Worlds’. Museum International 75, no. 1–4 (2 January 2023): 214–21. https://doi.org/10.1080/13500775.2023.2348883.
Chan, Seb. ‘Museums and Technology — a Gentle Provocation’. Presented at the ICOM Prague 2022, Prague, 24 August 2022. https://sebchan.medium.com/museums-and-technology-a-gentle-provocation-b9992c2e4455.
Czuba, Amy. ‘Digital | Environmental Policies Must Include Digital’. Museums Association. Accessed 5 October 2022. https://www.museumsassociation.org/museums-journal/opinion/2022/09/digital-environmental-policies-must-include-digital/.
Dhar, P. The carbon impact of artificial intelligence. Nat Mach Intell 2, 423–425 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s42256-020-0219-9
Gosling, Kevin. ‘Digital column | We need to look at digital carbon footprint.’ Museum Association. Accessed 23 May 2024. https://www.museumsassociation.org/museums-journal/opinion/2023/06/digital-column-we-need-to-look-at-digital-carbon-footprint/
Gram-Hanssen, Irmelin, Nicole Schafenacker, and Julia Bentz. ‘Decolonizing Transformations through “Right Relations”’. Sustainability Science 17, no. 2 (1 March 2022): 673–85. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11625-021-00960-9.
Hodgkinson, Ian and Jackson, Tom. ‘How firms can reduce their digital carbon footprints.’ Journal of Business Strategy volume 44 issues 6 (2023): pp. 363-370. Accessed 29 May 2024. https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/JBS-03-2022-0048/full/pdf?title=keeping-a-lower-profile-how-firms-can-reduce-their-digital-carbon-footprints
———. ‘Is There a Role for Knowledge Management in Saving the Planet from Too Much Data?’ Knowledge Management Research & Practice 21, no. 3 (4 May 2023): 427–35. https://doi.org/10.1080/14778238.2023.2192580.
Kershaw, Anne, Kerrie Bridson, and Melissa A. Parris. ‘Encouraging Writing on the White Walls: Co-Production in Museums and the Influence of Professional Bodies’. Australian Journal of Public Administration 77, no. 1 (2018): 19–34. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8500.12245.
———. ‘The Muse with a Wandering Eye: The Influence of Public Value on Coproduction in Museums’. International Journal of Cultural Policy 26, no. 3 (15 April 2020): 344–64. https://doi.org/10.1080/10286632.2018.1518980.
Lacoste, Alexandre, Alexandra Luccioni, Victor Schmidt, and Thomas Dandres. “Quantifying the carbon emissions of machine learning.” arXiv preprint arXiv:1910.09700 (2019).
Li, Pengfei, Jianyi Yang, Mohammad A. Islam, and Shaolei Ren. “Making AI less” thirsty”: Uncovering and addressing the secret water footprint of ai models.” arXiv preprint arXiv:2304.03271 (2023). https://arxiv.org/pdf/2304.03271
Madianou, Mirca. ‘Technocolonialism: Digital Innovation and Data Practices in the Humanitarian Response to Refugee Crises’. Social Media + Society 5, no. 3 (1 April 2019): 2056305119863146. https://doi.org/10.1177/2056305119863146.
Petti, Luigi, Claudia Trillo, and Busisiwe Ncube Makore. ‘Cultural Heritage and Sustainable Development Targets: A Possible Harmonisation? Insights from the European Perspective’. Sustainability 12, no. 3 (January 2020): 926. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12030926.
Pendergrass, Keith L., Walker Sampson, Tessa Walsh, and Laura Alagna. ‘Toward Environmentally Sustainable Digital Preservation’. The American Archivist 82, no. 1 (1 March 2019): 165–206. https://doi.org/10.17723/0360-9081-82.1.165.
Prescott, Andrew and Hughes, Lorna. ‘Why do we digitise? The case for slow digitisation’. Archive Journal. Accessed 20 May 2024. https://www.archivejournal.net/essays/why-do-we-digitize-the-case-for-slow-digitization/
Recio, Eugenia, and Dina Hestad. ‘Policy Brief #36: Indigenous Peoples: Defending an Environment for All’. Policy Brief. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2022. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2022-04/still-one-earth-Indigenous-Peoples.pdf.
Schwarzer, Stefan, and Pascal Peduzzi. ‘UN Environment Programme Foresight Brief 027: The Growing Footprint of Digitalisation’. UN Foresight Brief, November 2021. https://wedocs.unep.org/bitstream/handle/20.500.11822/37439/FB027.pdf.
Sundberg, Niklas. ‘Tackling AI’s Climate Change Problem’. MIT Sloan Management Review, 62, no.2 (2024), pp. 38-41.
Taffel, Sy. ‘AirPods and the Earth: Digital Technologies, Planned Obsolescence and the Capitalocene’. Environment and Planning E: Nature and Space, 31 January 2022, 25148486221076136. https://doi.org/10.1177/25148486221076136.
———. ‘Archaeologies of Electronic Waste’. Journal of Contemporary Archaeology 2, no. 1 (2 September 2015): 78–85. https://doi.org/10.1558/jca.v2i1.27119.
———. Digital Media Ecologies: Entanglements of Content, Code and Hardware. New York: Bloomsbury Academic, 2019.
Wan, Evelyn “Labour, Mining, Dispossession: On the Performance of Earth and the Necropolitics of Digital Culture.” International Journal of Performance Arts and Digital Media 15 (3): 249–63 (2019) https://doi.org/10.1080/14794713.2019.1669358
Wilson, Rebecca J., Alexandre Fioravante de Siqueira, Stephen J. Brooks, Benjamin W. Price, Lea M. Simon, Stéfan J. van der Walt, and Phillip B. Fenberg. ‘Applying Computer Vision to Digitised Natural History Collections for Climate Change Research: Temperature-Size Responses in British Butterflies’. Methods in Ecology and Evolution n/a, no. n/a. Accessed 17 October 2022. https://doi.org/10.1111/2041-210X.13844.
Books
Cameron, Fiona. ‘Ecologizing Experimentations in the Museum’. In Climate Change and Museum Futures, edited by Fiona Cameron and Brett Neilson. New York: Routledge, 2014. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203752975.
Cameron, Fiona. ‘7. Curating Sustaining Practices in and for more-than-humans’. In Museum Practices and the Posthumanities: Curating for Planetary Habitability. Taylor & Francis, 2023.
Crawford, Kate. Atlas of AI: Power, Politics, and the Planetary Costs of Artificial Intelligence. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2021. https://doi-org.ezproxy.st-andrews.ac.uk/10.12987/9780300252392
Hajri, Oumaima. ‘The hidden costs of AI: decolonisation from practice back to theory.’ In AI in Museums: Reflections, Perspectives, and Applications. Edited by Thiel, Sonja and Bernhardt, Johannes C, 57-64. Bielefeld: transcript Verlag, 2023. https://doi.org/10.14361/9783839467107-fm
Hughes, Lorna. “Why Digitise? The Costs and Benefits of Digitisation.” In Digitising Collections: Strategic Issues for the Information Manager, pg.4-30. London: Facet, 2003.
Kimmerer, Robin Wall. 2015. Braiding Sweetgrass. Minneapolis, MN: Milkweed Editions.
Lyons, Steve, and Kai Bosworth. ‘Museums in the Climate Emergency’. In Museum Activism. Routledge, 2019.
Rudiak-Gould, Peter. ‘“Peoples Who Still Live”: The Role of Museums in Address Climate Change in the Pacific’. In Curating the Future: Museums, Communities and Climate Change, edited by Jennifer Newell, Libby Robin, and Kirsten Wehner, 67–76. London: Routledge, 2016. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315620770.
Simon, Nina. The Participatory Museum. Santa Cruz, California: Museum 2.0, 2010.
Guidelines/toolkits
Green Web Foundation. ‘Our Story’. The Green Web Foundation (blog). Accessed 6 October 2022. https://www.thegreenwebfoundation.org/our-story/.
ICOM. ‘ICOM Approves a New Museum Definition’. International Council of Museums, 24 August 2022. https://icom.museum/en/news/icom-approves-a-new-museum-definition/.
ICOM. ‘On sustainability and the adoption of Agenda 2030, Transforming our World’. Kyoto, Japan. Accessed 24 May 2024. https://icom.museum/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Resolutions_2019_EN.pdf
———. ‘ICOM Establishes New Working Group on Sustainability’. International Council of Museums. Accessed 6 October 2022. https://icom.museum/en/news/icom-establishes-new-working-group-on-sustainability/.
McGhie, Henry. ‘Museums and the Sustainable Development Goals: A how to guide for museums, galleries, the cultural sector and their partners’. Curating Tomorrow. Accessed 29 May 2024. https://curatingtomorrow236646048.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/museums-and-the-sustainable-development-goals-2019.pdf
———. ‘Action for climate empowerment, a guide for galleries, libraries, archives and museums’. Accessed 23 May 2024. https://curatingtomorrow236646048.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/action-for-climate-empowerment-curating-tomorrow-2022.pdf
Museums Association. ‘Empowering Collections.’ (campaign) Accessed 29 May 2024. https://www.museumsassociation.org/campaigns/collections/empowering-collections/recommendations-empowering-collections/
———. ‘Decolonising Museums’. Museum Association (campaign). Accessed 23 May 2024. https://www.museumsassociation.org/campaigns/decolonising-museums/
NEMO, ‘European Museum Survey: Museums in the Climate Crisis.’ Accessed 3 June 2024. https://www.ne-mo.org/fileadmin/Dateien/public/Publications/NEMO_Report_Museums_in_the_climate_crisis_11.2022.pdf
———. ‘Mapping of Climate Action by European Museums’. Accessed 23 May 2024. https://www.ne-mo.org/news-events/article/contribute-to-nemo-mapping-of-climate-action-by-european-museums
———. ‘Museum, Climate, and Politics: Taking political action in the sustainable transition’. Accessed 29 May 2024. https://www.ne-mo.org/fileadmin/Dateien/public/Publications/NEMO_Report_Museums_Climate_and_Politics_11.2023_01.pdf
———. ‘Working group sustainability and climate action’. Accessed 23 May 2024. https://www.ne-mo.org/activities/working-groups/working-group-sustainability-and-climate-action
———. ‘The Sustainable Development Goals: Helping Transform Our World Through Museums’. International Council of Museums. Accessed 6 October 2022. https://icom.museum/en/news/the-sustainable-development-goals-helping-transform-our-world-through-museums/.
The London Data Company. ‘LDCo CO2 Sustainability Calculator’ Accessed 29 May 2024. https://carboncalculator.ldco.ai/home
Stanford University Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence. ‘Artificial Intelligence Index Report 2023.’ Accessed 4 June 2024. https://aiindex.stanford.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/HAI_AI-Index-Report_2023.pdf
Stonham, Scott. ‘Exploring Digital Carbon Footprints’. Bristol: Jisc, 10 June 2022. https://repository.jisc.ac.uk/8782/1/exploring-digital-carbon-footprints-report.pdf.
The Natural History Museum. ‘Augmented Reality Application Workshop’. The Natural History Museum (blog). Accessed 17 October 2022. http://thenaturalhistorymuseum.org/events/augmented-reality-application-workshop/.
———. ‘The Natural History Museum: About’. The Natural History Museum. Accessed 17 October 2022. http://thenaturalhistorymuseum.org/about/.
United Nations United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs Sustainable Development. ‘THE 17 GOALS | Sustainable Development’. Accessed 6 October 2022. https://sdgs.un.org/goals.
UNITAR. ‘The Global E-waste Monitor 2024.’ Accessed 13 June 2024. https://www.itu.int/hub/publication/d-gen-e_waste-01-2024/
News articles
Ashtine, Masao and Mytton, David. ‘We are ignoring the true cost of water-guzzling data centres’. The Conversation, 2021. Accessed 28 May 2024. https://theconversation.com/we-are-ignoring-the-true-cost-of-water-guzzling-data-centres-167750
Bailey, Brian. ‘AI Power Consumption Exploding’. Accessed 4 June 2024. https://semiengineering.com/ai-power-consumption-exploding/
Boydell, Ran. ‘How sewage plants and data centres could help heat one in five UK homes’. The Conversation, 2021. Accessed 28 May 2024. https://theconversation.com/how-sewage-plants-and-data-centres-could-help-heat-one-in-five-uk-homes-161612
Heikkilä, Melissa. ‘AI’s Carbon footprint is bigger than you think.’ Accessed 4 June 2024. https://www.technologyreview.com/2023/12/05/1084417/ais-carbon-footprint-is-bigger-than-you-think/
———. ‘Making an image with generative AI uses as much energy as charging your phone.’ Accessed 4 June 2024. https://www.technologyreview.com/2023/12/01/1084189/making-an-image-with-generative-ai-uses-as-much-energy-as-charging-your-phone/?truid=&utm_source=the_algorithm&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=the_algorithm.unpaid.engagement&utm_content=12-04-2023
Hicks, Jacqueline. ‘‘Digital colonialism’: why some countries want to take control of their people’s data from Big Tech’. The Conversation, 2019. Accessed 28 May 2024. https://theconversation.com/digital-colonialism-why-some-countries-want-to-take-control-of-their-peoples-data-from-big-tech-123048
ITU. ‘Digital Technologies to Achieve the UN SDGs’. ITU, December 2021. https://www.itu.int:443/en/mediacentre/backgrounders/Pages/icts-to-achieve-the-united-nations-sustainable-development-goals.aspx.
Jackson, Tom and Hodgkinson, Ian. ‘Dark Data is killing the planet – we need digital decarbonisation.’ Accessed 28 May 2024. https://theconversation.com/dark-data-is-killing-the-planet-we-need-digital-decarbonisation-190423
Kettle, Jeff. ‘The internet consumes extraordinary amounts of energy. Here’s how we can make it more sustainable.’ The Conversation, 2021. Accessed 28 May 2024. https://theconversation.com/the-internet-consumes-extraordinary-amounts-of-energy-heres-how-we-can-make-it-more-sustainable-160639
Leffer, Lauren. ‘The AI Boom could use a shocking amount of electricity.’ Accessed 4 June 2024. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-ai-boom-could-use-a-shocking-amount-of-electricity/
Funded projects
Atkinson, Rebecca. ‘Kew Gardens and NHM announce £4.5m mycological research programme’. Accessed 23 May 2024: https://www.museumsassociation.org/museums-journal/news/2024/05/kew-gardens-and-nhm-announce-4-5m-mycological-research-programme/
Knott, Jonathan. ‘Scotland offers £1m in climate and capital funds’. Accessed 23 May 2024: https://www.museumsassociation.org/museums-journal/news/2023/08/scotland-offers-1m-in-climate-and-capital-funds/
NEMO. ‘7 tips for advocating the sustainable transition of your museum’. Accessed 23 May 2024. https://www.ne-mo.org/fileadmin/Dateien/public/Publications/NEMO_7_tips_Museums_Climate_and_Politics_2-pager_01.24.pdf
———. ‘Museums, Climate and Politics: Taking action in the sustainable transition’. Accessed 23 May 2024. https://www.nemo.org/fileadmin/Dateien/public/Publications/NEMO_Report_Museums_Climate_and_Politics_11.2023_01.pdf
Squidsoup. ‘Power of Art Project’. Accessed 11 June 2024. https://www.squidsoup.org/portfolio/the-power-of-art/
Stephens, Simon. ‘Horniman Museum secures funding for nature project’. Accessed 23 May 2024: https://www.museumsassociation.org/museums-journal/news/2023/08/horniman-museum-secures-funding-for-nature-project/