#12,5

Today I have had an article writing day, with work done related to the article "Når gode råd er plagsomme" (When good advice is bothersome) which I co-write with Svein Tuastad. This included continuing conducting the media search and analysis related to the article´s climate policy case study.  This brings the number of writing days so far this Spring up to 12,5, including 8,5 article writing days.

#11,5

Today I have had an article writing day, with work done related to the article "Når gode råd er plagsomme" (When good advice is bothersome) which I co-write with Svein Tuastad. This included continuing conducting the media search and analysis related to the article´s climate policy case study.

This brings the number of writing days so far this Spring up to 11,5, including 7,5 article writing days.

Opinion piece "Hvor grønt har Universitetet i Stavanger blitt?" published in Khrono

An opinion piece I wrote today, "Hvor grønt har Universitetet i Stavanger blitt?" (in reply to Harald N. Røstvik´s opinion piece "Er UIS fortsatt "Oljeuniversitetet i Stavanger"?") has been published in Khrono.

New work title for book on CCS; to be finished in one year

Today I have started on my new work routine for book projects, with, among other things, half a day´s concentrated work on an academic book each week. The academic book project for the next year is a politics-relevant book I have been doing research for since 2005. Today I changed its work title from «Utslippsfrie nye verden? Hva debatten om gasskraftverk sier om natursynet i norsk offentlighet» to «Utslippsfrie nye verden? Hva debatten om gasskraftverk sier om norsk natursyn» [Emission-free new world? What the debate about gas power plants says about Norwegian nature view].

Petition against oil exploration in the Arctic signed

I am among the ones who signed the petition "Stopp grunnlovsstridig oljeleting i Arktis!" [Stop constitution-violating oil exploration in the Arctic!], along with some 200 others, most of them cultural figures (such as authors). The petition was published in the Norwegian daily Dagsavisen April 27th.

The petition triggered quite a bit of media coverage, including mention on public radio (NRK) and:

Kulturtopper truer med å saksøke staten (NRK)

Felles kamp mot ny oljeleting (Dagsavisen)

23 UiS researchers sign petition calling for climate profile

I am one of the initiators of a petition which was published in the regional daily newspaper Stavanger Aftenblad yesterday, entitled (in the newspaper) "UiS må omstilles" [University of Stavanger must be restructured]. 23 researchers at UiS have signed the petition, which calls for a change from today´s emphasis on petroleum research to more research on renewable energy and climate change perspectives.

120 people attending critical UiS debate on petroleum research and climate change

120 people attended the open meeting held at University of Stavanger by the university library on Thursday November 6th. Of the four panelists, only Head of department Hans Borge, who does not think that there is any anthropogenic climate change, defended the status quo. The three other panelists, and the majority of the audience, appeared to favour changes in research profile and/or ethical consideration of collaboration with the petroleum industry.

A video of the panel debate is available on YouTube. 

UiS library organises panel discussion on ethics of petroleum research, university strategy

The university library at University of Stavanger is arranging a panel discussion on the research ethics of petroleum research, and university strategy, on Thursday November 6th, at 6pm. The debate is entitled "Olje eller omstilling: Hvilken vei bør UiS gå?" [Oil or restructuring: In what direction should University of Stavanger go?].

Letter to the editor on oil and restructuring published on UiS debate pages

Today a letter to the editor I wrote yesterday has been published on the debate webpage of University of Stavanger. The letter, which is quite long (chronicle length), is entitled "Olje og omstilling: Ti spørsmål om fremtidens UiS" [Oil and restructuring: Ten questions concerning the future University of Stavanger].

Norwegian Oil and Gas Association replies to claims about climate benefits of reduced oil production

In a letter to the editor in the Norwegian daily Aftenposten, Norway's biggest daily, Tore Killingland, Director for strategy and environment in the Norwegian Oil & Gas Association, indirectly refers to my letter to the editor "Oljekutt og regneferdigheter" [Oil cut and numeracy skills], published June 27th, given that he refers to (my translation) the fact that "Undersecretary of the Ministry of Finance Kjetil Lund has had several replies to his letter to the editor in Aftenposten June 25th about Statistics Norway's work paper/discussion memo on oil cut as a climate measure". Killingland's letter to the editor is entitled "Oljekutt og virkeligheten [Oil cut and reality]", and focuses on arguing for the climate benefits of burning natural gas.

Letter to the editor in Aftenposten about climate benefits of reduced oil production

Today a letter to the editor written by me was published in the Norwegian daily Aftenposten. Titled, in the printed version, "Oljekutt og regneferdigheter" [Oil cut and numeracy skills], it addresses research carried out by researchers at Statistics Norway and is written as a reply to a comment by undersecretary of Ministry of Finance Kjetil Lund (Labour).

The full text is posted in my Norwegian-language blog Utopisk Realisme.