Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

LightNews

Finis Dunaway

@finisdunaway.bsky.social

3.3K followers 270 following 71 posts

Historian | Author of DEFENDING THE ARCTIC REFUGE, SEEING GREEN, & NATURAL VISIONS | Environmental History & Visual Culture | North American West, Arctic, & other places Arctic Refuge Public History site: defendingthearcticrefuge.com .. more

Philosophy 19%

Environmental science 19%

more

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Reposted by Shannon Vallor, Mary L. Dudziak, Zen Faulkes , and 2 more Shannon Vallor, Mary L. Dudziak, Zen Faulkes, Hisham Zerriffi, Finis Dunaway

Ted McCormick @tedmccormick.bsky.social · 1d

A striking thing about articles I’ve read claiming to “study the effects” of generative AI on student writing skills and consumption of information is that (1) they nearly always find the effects are negative and (2) most “conclusions” are still written assuming that we must use AI, for some reason.

Reposted by Finis Dunaway

Natalia Cecire @ncecire.bsky.social · 2d

"Why would OpenAI and Microsoft spend $23 million to give 'free training' on how to use AI to teachers? Because they love teachers? No. Because they want to get their products into public schools in an attempt to cultivate the education market."

Jodi Jacobson @jljacobson.bsky.social · 3d

I maintain that we are in grave danger due not only to the trends noted by @hamiltonnolan.bsky.social in this piece, but by the failure of the Democratic party 1) to grasp these dangers and act in advance to prevent or minimize them; (1)

www.hamiltonnolan.com/p/thinking-o...

Thinking of AI as a Social Problem

No need to know the unknowable. The knowable is bad enough.

www.hamiltonnolan.com

Reposted by Finis Dunaway

James Opp @jamesopp.bsky.social · 8d

Hard no to the educational evangelists now pushing us to ‘embrace’ corporate gen AI as inevitable. And shame on the universities buying this crap and funding ‘expert’ speaker series espousing it.

Selected text from an institutional email that states: “What is Postplagiarism? Postplagiarism refers to our current era where artificial intelligence has become part of everyday life, fundamentally changing how we teach, learn, and create. Rather than viewing Al as a threat to academic integrity, the postplagiarism framework offers practical approaches for embracing Al as a collaborative tool while preserving the values of authentic learning and ethical scholarship.

Reposted by Finis Dunaway

Jeffrey Insko @jeffreyinsko.bsky.social · 9d

Sincere question: is there a single college or university anywhere that is approaching AI from a position of resistance?

Reposted by Suresh Venkatasubramanian, Peter Thorne, Gavin A. Schmidt , and 30 more Suresh Venkatasubramanian, Peter Thorne, Gavin A. Schmidt, Joshua S. Weitz, Steve Peers, Steven French, Simon J. Greenhill, Elizabeth Stokoe, Martin Paul Eve, Gurpreet Rana, Melissa R. Michelson, Gernot Wagner, Alan Richardson, David R. Miller, Benjamin G. Wright, Christine Kooi, Alessandro Nai, Evgeny Kuzmin, Aija Leiponen, Woodrow Hartzog, Raúl Pacheco-Vega, Hisham Zerriffi, Klaus Oschema, Alan McNally, Nicole Guenther Discenza, Aviel Roshwald, Finis Dunaway, Nathan P. Kalmoe, Bernice M. Murphy, Morwenna Ludlow, Southern Africa, David Lay Williams, Peter Jacobs

Merriam-Webster @merriam-webster.com · 9d

We are thrilled to announce that our NEW Large Language Model will be released on 11.18.25.

Reposted by Finis Dunaway

Jess Dunkin @jdunkin.bsky.social · 10d

Crystal Fraser and I are co-editing a series on environmental histories of Indian residential and day schools for @nichecanada.bsky.social. We chose to launch the series on Orange Shirt Day, in part, to remind historians of their responsibilities to Survivors and intergenerational Survivors.

Environmental History and the Work of Truth and Reconciliation

This series links residential and day school histories with environment, amplifying Survivors’ voices, countering denialism, and fostering reconciliation.

niche-canada.org

Reposted by Patricia Owens, Margot C. Finn, Finis Dunaway

Finis Dunaway @finisdunaway.bsky.social · Sep 5

Thanks for sharing—so glad to hear you’ve enjoyed teaching with this article. Congrats on the new EH article and the podcast!

Reposted by Finis Dunaway

Elsa Devienne @elsadevienne.bsky.social · Sep 5

Amazing! This isn't a new one but I love teaching Finis Dunaway's article on the visual politics of modern environmentalism www.jstor.org/stable/40068...; it would work as a contextual article for what happened before the story I tell, that is envtal consciousness in the 70s.

Gas Masks, Pogo, and the Ecological Indian: Earth Day and the Visual Politics of American Environmentalism on JSTOR

Finis Dunaway, Gas Masks, Pogo, and the Ecological Indian: Earth Day and the Visual Politics of American Environmentalism, American Quarterly, Vol. 60, No. 1 (Mar., 2008), pp. 67-99

Reposted by Finis Dunaway

Elsa Devienne @elsadevienne.bsky.social · Sep 5

Today is a good work day 😀

🤓 Worked with @anjakrieger.bsky.social, creator of The Plastisphere podcast on 2 episodes on the history of beach cleanups and ocean plastic pollution 🐠🥤
🎙️ Listen below to a SNEAK PEAK!
📅 Ep. 1 is released next week
📖 Read my Enviro Hist article for background research

Finis Dunaway @finisdunaway.bsky.social · Aug 28

What wonderful news—congratulations, Julianne!

Reposted by Finis Dunaway

julianne warren (jwren) @coyotetrail.bsky.social · Aug 28

Grateful to so many in announcing today’s launch of *”Alaska” is Not a Blank Space: Unsettling Aldo Leopold’s Odyssey* (@universitypress.cambridge). Free downloads now til 9/11/25+for print order here: doi.org/10.1017/9781.... (I recommend checking out the whole series, starting with Gahman, et al!)

Book cover of treed, hilly geography washed in pink-orange-purple tones. Title: “Alaska” is Not a Blank Space: Unsettling Aldo Leopold’s Odyssey by Julianne Warren part of Cambridge Elements series in Indigenous Environmental Research.

Reposted by Meredith Broussard, Jason Mittell, Jonathan A. Eisen , and 26 more Meredith Broussard, Jason Mittell, Jonathan A. Eisen, John Horgan, Ian Hall, Thomas Merton, Peter Campbell, Johan P. Olsen, Sabine Pahl, Devon Greyson, Melanie C. Green, Alan Richardson, Lauren Hersch Nicholas, Andrew L. Whitehead, John Hogan, Christine Kooi, Jutta Haider, Talia Schaffer, David Murakami Wood, Mark Rice, Ann Bartow, Jack Stilgoe, Holland, Klaus Oschema, Finis Dunaway, Nathan P. Kalmoe, Bruce Buchan, Renaud Morieux, Southern Africa

Ars Technica @arstechnica.com · Aug 27

AI advocates have warned that if every author in the class action filed a claim, it would "financially ruin" the entire industry.

Authors celebrate “historic” settlement coming soon in Anthropic class action

Advocates fear such settlements will “financially ruin” the AI industry.

arstechnica.com

Reposted by Finis Dunaway

Bathsheba Demuth @brdemuth.bsky.social · Aug 15

“Deep relationship is a sensation of the particular, held in the eager tilt of a lead dog’s ears before a run or the feel of an old scar left by a salmon’s tooth.”

An essay on the mighty but sometimes overlooked chum salmon & dogs & rivers & love

#envhist #rivers
www.nybooks.com/online/2025/...

Where the Dogs Run | Bathsheba Demuth

The best days to work a salmon net are dry and bright. Bankside willows tilt from summer green to autumn gold. Light wind, no longer warm, riffles the

www.nybooks.com

Reposted by Finis Dunaway

Daegan Miller @daeganmiller.bsky.social · Jun 5

I spent the spring reading through Robert Macfarlane's catalog to understand his remarkable new book, *Is a River Alive?* @literaryhub.bsky.social let me go long on the book that I think Macfarlane has spent his entire life writing toward. #nature #writing #booksky
lithub.com/the-world-is...

The World is Alive; or, How Robert Macfarlane Came to Trust His Senses

“While writing about landscape often begins in the aesthetic, it must always end in the ethical.” –Robert Macfarlane, Landmarks * There is a sentence 256 pages into Robert Macfarlane’s newest book,…

Finis Dunaway @finisdunaway.bsky.social · May 6

Congratulations @parhee.bsky.social on the publication of NATURAL ATTACHMENTS! This book recasts the history of environmentalism as the history of privilege. Rhee focuses on Santa Barbara to tell a story with national implications. #envhist @uchicagopress.bsky.social 📗

A photograph of the new book by Pollyanna Rhee titled Natural Attachments: The Domestication of American Environmentalism, 1920-1970. The book appears atop a wooden surface. The cover of the book features a photograph of a massive, sprawling mansion with an orange tile roof. That photograph is superimposed on another photograph of green-colored mountains to create a striking overlay. The book title appears in white lettering, while the author's name appears in light orange lettering.

Reposted by Federico Ortino, Finis Dunaway

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez @aoc.bsky.social · Feb 21

Medicaid is not for sale.
NASA is not for sale.
The Post Office is not for sale.
America is not for sale.

We have an obligation to resist kings. We outnumber them. And they can be overwhelmed.

Finis Dunaway @finisdunaway.bsky.social · Feb 9

To celebrate #SuperbOwls, here's one of my favorites: the snowy owl.

📷 Wilbur Mills, coastal plain of Arctic National Wildlife Range (now Refuge), Alaska, 1969.

Fun fact: 1969 was a "peak-lemming year" on the Arctic coastal plain. And more lemmings meant more snowy owls! #envhist #alaskasky

A color photograph show a large white bird (snowy owl), with wings outstretched, as it prepares to land at its nest. The nest is in the foreground of the image; it appears as a grassy mound covered with fallen white feathers. The background is fuzzy and blurred, but a small patch of remaining white snow appears in the distance.

Finis Dunaway @finisdunaway.bsky.social · Feb 4

It was a great mail day. I really enjoyed @hollyguise.bsky.social's article on how Indigenous activists, artists, & their allies fought for environmental justice in Alaska—and now look forward to her book! Congratulations! #alaskasky @uwapress.bsky.social 🗃️❄️

A screen shot featuring the image of a book cover, which is titled Environmental Justice in North America, along with the title and abstract for an article by Holly Miowak Guise, "Alaska Native Environmental Activism." The full abstract appears below.
ABSTRACT
Alaska Native environmental history is rich with stories of collective activism for environmental justice. Throughout the 20th and 21st centuries, the Indigenous press, Indigenous community networks, and grassroots movements of Indigenous peoples and conservationist allies challenged projects and laws imposed by the colonial US government that threatened the environment and its human and non-human inhabitants. This chapter examines how Native elders, artists, and journalists from the Indigenous-run Tundra Times newspaper all played an essential role in propelling Indigenous solidarity movements to protect land rights, food sovereignty, and the environment. Over time, the relationship between Native activists and non-Native US conservationists evolved to amplify Indigenous environmental issues, shaping contemporary approaches to environmental justice in and beyond Alaska.

A book rests on a wooden surface. The book cover includes the title and author information, Alaska Native Resilience: Voices from World War II by Holly Miowak Guise. The main title is in blue lettering; the subtitle in black; and the author's name in gray. The black and white photo below the text shows a group of men of various ages (young in the front, elders in the back)--all members of the Alaska Territorial Guard.

Reposted by Finis Dunaway

Sharon Lerner @fastlerner.bsky.social · Feb 4

Reupping this @andykroll.bsky.social @mtredden.bsky.social and @nicksurgey.bsky.social piece as we await the confirmation of Russell Vought

www.propublica.org/article/vide...

“Put Them in Trauma”: Inside a Key MAGA Leader’s Plans for a New Trump Agenda

Private videos reveal Trump adviser Russ Vought’s “shadow” plans for using the military on protesters, defunding the EPA and villainizing civil servants.

www.propublica.org

Finis Dunaway @finisdunaway.bsky.social · Jan 31

This is a beautiful piece, Sarah, & it weaves together so many fascinating themes. I also really enjoyed learning how much his book inspired & influenced you.

Finis Dunaway @finisdunaway.bsky.social · Jan 30

It was such a joy to talk with @sarahmgilman.bsky.social about BEING CARIBOU and the grassroots history of the Arctic Refuge struggle. Her lovely essay honors the memory of Karsten Heuer, who recently passed away. #envhist #envhum @uncpress.bsky.social 🦌❄️🎞️

The importance of ‘Being Caribou’ - High Country News

Remembering the activist and author Karsten Heuer.

Reposted by Finis Dunaway

Bathsheba Demuth @brdemuth.bsky.social · Jan 29

Jan 29 1925: dog teams set out from Nenana, Alaska to bring diphtheria antitoxin to Nome, where the disease was spreading. 20 teams & mushers carried the serum over 674 miles in under 130 hours.

Jan 29 2025: calling my senator to vote against a guy, so kids can get the diphtheria vaccine next year

Historic newspaper headlines reading The Nome Nugget, Diphtheria Epidemic Threatens District, Nome Anxious While Dogs Race On with Antitoxin Situation Still Critical

Reposted by Finis Dunaway

Sarah Gilman @sarahmgilman.bsky.social · Jan 29

In 2007, I read Karsten Heuer's book Being Caribou, and it changed my life. Last year, Karsten died at just 56 years old. I hope you'll read this remembrance I wrote, about his work and what it meant to me and so many others. It's as relevant now as it ever was ❤️ www.hcn.org/articles/the...

The importance of ‘Being Caribou’ - High Country News

Remembering the activist and author Karsten Heuer.

Finis Dunaway @finisdunaway.bsky.social · Jan 29

Congratulations to editors Mary E. Mendoza & @tracibrynne.bsky.social and all the contributors, including @embsumek.bsky.social, @colinfisher.bsky.social, @arikelman.bsky.social, & many, many more!

Finis Dunaway @finisdunaway.bsky.social · Jan 29

NEW 📗: If you're interested in race, justice, & environmental history, then I highly recommend NOT JUST GREEN, NOT JUST WHITE, a collection out this week from @univnebpress.bsky.social. #envhist
www.nebraskapress.unl.edu/nebraska/978...

A photo of a book, titled Not Just Green, Not Just White: Race, Justice, and Environmental History, atop a wooden surface. In addition to the book title, the other text on the cover includes the names of the editors, Mary E. Mendoza and Traci Brynne Voyles, as well as that of Patty Limerick, who wrote the foreword. The cover image features a landscape painting that shows a windswept and vibrant green bristlecone pine tree, along with grey hills in the background and a large sky, in soothing shades of aqua, light blue, and dark blue, above.

Finis Dunaway @finisdunaway.bsky.social · Jan 24

Thanks for the shout-out, Chris! Here are a few more:

Ted Steinberg, "Can Capitalism Save the Planet?" RHR

@phaedra.bsky.social, Beyond Straw Men (on plastics)

While not explicitly about neoliberalism, many Anthropocene critiques, incl. @sarabpritchard.bsky.social, "Dangerous Beauty," EH #envhist

aedra.bsky.social

aedra.bsky.social

Reposted by Finis Dunaway

UNC Press @uncpress.bsky.social · Jan 24

Why are university presses important? A thread 🧵

Reposted by Finis Dunaway

Phaedra C. Pezzullo @phaedra.bsky.social · Jan 21

Environmental Justice pages down. No surprise--just witnessing

US White House page for environmental justice states "404 Page Not Found"

Reposted by Finis Dunaway

Bathsheba Demuth @brdemuth.bsky.social · Jan 16

When the climate shifts, caribou make decisions about where they migrate—showing that they understand risk & use their knowledge to collectively make decisions to lower risks for the herd: “a pretty clear and dramatic example of the concrete importance of social memory.”

phys.org/news/2025-01...

Migration memory: How caribou adapt to changing winter conditions

A study published in Global Change Biology shows that caribou will optimize their migration path based on their collective memories.