Matthew Archer
@matthewarcher.bsky.social
anthropologist in maastricht interested in intersections of tech and sustainability in food and mineral supply chains
book! https://nyupress.org/9781479822027/unsustainable/
book! https://nyupress.org/9781479822027/unsustainable/
Pinned
Matthew Archer
@matthewarcher.bsky.social
· Aug 13
Unsustainable
A behind-the-scenes look at how corporate and financial actors enforce a business-friendly approach to global sustainabilityIn recent years, companies have f...
nyupress.org
BOOK THREAD
in february, i published my book UNSUSTAINABLE: MEASUREMENT, REPORTING, AND THE LIMITS OF CORPORATE SUSTAINABILITY with #NYUPress @capacademicbooks.bsky.social
#greensky #anthrosky #geosky #newbook #sustainability #politicalecology
nyupress.org/978147982201...
in february, i published my book UNSUSTAINABLE: MEASUREMENT, REPORTING, AND THE LIMITS OF CORPORATE SUSTAINABILITY with #NYUPress @capacademicbooks.bsky.social
#greensky #anthrosky #geosky #newbook #sustainability #politicalecology
nyupress.org/978147982201...
somebody in tupelo has a good sense of humour
November 25, 2025 at 8:57 PM
somebody in tupelo has a good sense of humour
Reposted by Matthew Archer
Everyone knows data centers use a ton of water.
What hardly anyone knows: they can poison the water that remains.
And in eastern Oregon, Amazon is doing exactly that.
What hardly anyone knows: they can poison the water that remains.
And in eastern Oregon, Amazon is doing exactly that.
AI’s water problem is worse than we thought
A new investigation reveals how Amazon is amplifying Oregon’s nitrate pollution crisis.
heated.world
November 25, 2025 at 8:20 PM
Everyone knows data centers use a ton of water.
What hardly anyone knows: they can poison the water that remains.
And in eastern Oregon, Amazon is doing exactly that.
What hardly anyone knows: they can poison the water that remains.
And in eastern Oregon, Amazon is doing exactly that.
Reposted by Matthew Archer
Meta halted internal research that purportedly showed (young) people who stopped using Facebook became less depressed and anxious, according to an unredacted legal filing released on Friday. www.cnbc.com/2025/11/23/m...
Meta halted internal research suggesting social media harm, court filing alleges
Meta is alleged to have halted internal research suggesting social media harm, according to court documents.
www.cnbc.com
November 24, 2025 at 12:31 AM
Meta halted internal research that purportedly showed (young) people who stopped using Facebook became less depressed and anxious, according to an unredacted legal filing released on Friday. www.cnbc.com/2025/11/23/m...
Reposted by Matthew Archer
My albums of the year (probs missed a few and in no order)
Pat Thomas - Bliss of Bliss
patthomaskonnekt.bandcamp.com/album/the-bl...
Unreal jazz piano improv by one of the contemporary greats. sad no vinyl.
Pat Thomas - Bliss of Bliss
patthomaskonnekt.bandcamp.com/album/the-bl...
Unreal jazz piano improv by one of the contemporary greats. sad no vinyl.
November 23, 2025 at 3:25 PM
My albums of the year (probs missed a few and in no order)
Pat Thomas - Bliss of Bliss
patthomaskonnekt.bandcamp.com/album/the-bl...
Unreal jazz piano improv by one of the contemporary greats. sad no vinyl.
Pat Thomas - Bliss of Bliss
patthomaskonnekt.bandcamp.com/album/the-bl...
Unreal jazz piano improv by one of the contemporary greats. sad no vinyl.
Reposted by Matthew Archer
"His talent is not being correct". 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
November 23, 2025 at 3:18 PM
"His talent is not being correct". 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
Reposted by Matthew Archer
Mississippi has long failed to count and report all deaths in local jails that serve the state’s 82 counties, despite a federal requirement to do so. These often dangerous facilities operate virtually free of any state oversight.
Why No One Knows How Many People Die in Mississippi’s Jails
Mississippi has long failed to count and report all deaths in local jails that serve the state’s 82 counties, despite a federal requirement to do so.
buff.ly
November 22, 2025 at 7:45 PM
Mississippi has long failed to count and report all deaths in local jails that serve the state’s 82 counties, despite a federal requirement to do so. These often dangerous facilities operate virtually free of any state oversight.
new orleans 🎺 🦞
November 22, 2025 at 4:46 PM
new orleans 🎺 🦞
Reposted by Matthew Archer
Data centres in the Netherlands consumed ~4.5 terawatt hours.
But they only disclosed 0.91 TWh worth of consumption....
leitmotiv.digital/publications...
But they only disclosed 0.91 TWh worth of consumption....
leitmotiv.digital/publications...
November 21, 2025 at 9:27 PM
Data centres in the Netherlands consumed ~4.5 terawatt hours.
But they only disclosed 0.91 TWh worth of consumption....
leitmotiv.digital/publications...
But they only disclosed 0.91 TWh worth of consumption....
leitmotiv.digital/publications...
Reposted by Matthew Archer
'Iran’s capital must be moved because the country “no longer has a choice,” President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Thursday in remarks carried by state media, warning that severe ecological strain has made Tehran impossible to sustain'
#Iran 🇮🇷
#Iran 🇮🇷
Iran president says capital move now a necessity as water crisis deepens
Iran’s capital must be moved because the country “no longer has a choice,” President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Thursday in remarks carried by state media, warning that severe ecological strain has mad...
www.iranintl.com
November 21, 2025 at 4:52 AM
'Iran’s capital must be moved because the country “no longer has a choice,” President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Thursday in remarks carried by state media, warning that severe ecological strain has made Tehran impossible to sustain'
#Iran 🇮🇷
#Iran 🇮🇷
🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨
www.volkskrant.nl/politiek/kam...
Kamerleden bezorgd: bedrijf achter DigiD komt mogelijk in Amerikaanse handen
www.volkskrant.nl/politiek/kam...
Kamerleden bezorgd: bedrijf achter DigiD komt mogelijk in Amerikaanse handen
Kamerleden bezorgd: bedrijf achter DigiD komt mogelijk in Amerikaanse handen
De Tweede Kamer maakt zich zorgen over de overname van een Nederlands techbedrijf door Amerikanen of Chinezen. De verkoop van Solvinity geeft de VS de macht om het dataverkeer van de Nederlandse overh...
www.volkskrant.nl
November 21, 2025 at 7:43 PM
🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨
www.volkskrant.nl/politiek/kam...
Kamerleden bezorgd: bedrijf achter DigiD komt mogelijk in Amerikaanse handen
www.volkskrant.nl/politiek/kam...
Kamerleden bezorgd: bedrijf achter DigiD komt mogelijk in Amerikaanse handen
the omens are leaving less and less room for interpretation
November 20, 2025 at 6:38 PM
the omens are leaving less and less room for interpretation
Reposted by Matthew Archer
Toni Morrison on racism and fascism
November 20, 2025 at 6:23 PM
Toni Morrison on racism and fascism
Reposted by Matthew Archer
Environmental Sociology Now is now available for pre-order. You can order through @ucpress.bsky.social now and get 30% off the book with code UCPSAVE30. Exam copies for instructors will be available in early January.
www.ucpress.edu/books/enviro...
www.ucpress.edu/books/enviro...
November 19, 2025 at 12:57 PM
Environmental Sociology Now is now available for pre-order. You can order through @ucpress.bsky.social now and get 30% off the book with code UCPSAVE30. Exam copies for instructors will be available in early January.
www.ucpress.edu/books/enviro...
www.ucpress.edu/books/enviro...
Reposted by Matthew Archer
Why do global environmental institutions multiply and persist even when they seem unable to address biodiversity loss and environmental governance failures effectively?
Our new OA article with @jacquelinebest.bsky.social in @risjnl.bsky.social tries to answer this question. 1/7
cup.org/4hZNlcX
Our new OA article with @jacquelinebest.bsky.social in @risjnl.bsky.social tries to answer this question. 1/7
cup.org/4hZNlcX
Failure-proof or failure-prone? The paradoxes of global biodiversity institutions | Review of International Studies | Cambridge Core
Failure-proof or failure-prone? The paradoxes of global biodiversity institutions
cup.org
November 19, 2025 at 6:43 AM
Why do global environmental institutions multiply and persist even when they seem unable to address biodiversity loss and environmental governance failures effectively?
Our new OA article with @jacquelinebest.bsky.social in @risjnl.bsky.social tries to answer this question. 1/7
cup.org/4hZNlcX
Our new OA article with @jacquelinebest.bsky.social in @risjnl.bsky.social tries to answer this question. 1/7
cup.org/4hZNlcX
Reposted by Matthew Archer
In 2024, we convened a group of 25 workers and organizers across the transportation supply chain. They traveled over 3 days and 600+ miles across Nevada to tour the frontlines of new lithium mining in the US. Watch our new documentary that follows their journey. climateandcommunity.org/nvfilm
Supply Chain Solidarity: Lessons from the Lithium Frontlines - Climate and Community Institute
Workers and organizers, representing different parts of the transportation supply chain, journey across Nevada to learn first-hand about the impacts of lithium mining for electric vehicle batteries.
climateandcommunity.org
November 18, 2025 at 2:57 PM
In 2024, we convened a group of 25 workers and organizers across the transportation supply chain. They traveled over 3 days and 600+ miles across Nevada to tour the frontlines of new lithium mining in the US. Watch our new documentary that follows their journey. climateandcommunity.org/nvfilm
this is how they’re gonna destroy public pensions btw
November 18, 2025 at 10:47 AM
this is how they’re gonna destroy public pensions btw
well maastricht university assistant professor matthew archer thinks AI is a socioecological disaster and unlike anthropic ceo dario amodei i have 1) a lot of evidence to support that claim and 2) no reason to want it to be true
Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei thinks AI could help find cures for most cancers, prevent Alzheimer’s, and even double the human lifespan. cbsn.ws/4oRZ8Nm
November 17, 2025 at 9:43 PM
well maastricht university assistant professor matthew archer thinks AI is a socioecological disaster and unlike anthropic ceo dario amodei i have 1) a lot of evidence to support that claim and 2) no reason to want it to be true
and a gløgg with æbleskiver
November 17, 2025 at 4:08 PM
and a gløgg with æbleskiver
Reposted by Matthew Archer
This is what genAI "guardrails" are, and why they are inherently insufficient.
genAI inherently outputs the statistically most likely sequence of words, and "guardrails" are basically just a list of words to filter from that output to the user.
And they stole literally all the words to train on.
genAI inherently outputs the statistically most likely sequence of words, and "guardrails" are basically just a list of words to filter from that output to the user.
And they stole literally all the words to train on.
One way of thinking about genAI is:
Suppose you steal every English word on the internet, and then look up what words are most likely to follow the word "throbbing."
And then whenever you see "throbbing" you slap on a likely word
You're gonna end up talking about throbbing dicks in weird contexts
Suppose you steal every English word on the internet, and then look up what words are most likely to follow the word "throbbing."
And then whenever you see "throbbing" you slap on a likely word
You're gonna end up talking about throbbing dicks in weird contexts
November 17, 2025 at 1:55 PM
This is what genAI "guardrails" are, and why they are inherently insufficient.
genAI inherently outputs the statistically most likely sequence of words, and "guardrails" are basically just a list of words to filter from that output to the user.
And they stole literally all the words to train on.
genAI inherently outputs the statistically most likely sequence of words, and "guardrails" are basically just a list of words to filter from that output to the user.
And they stole literally all the words to train on.
i spent less time in copenhagen than i spent on the train from maastricht, but i did have time for a hotdog.
November 17, 2025 at 2:52 PM
i spent less time in copenhagen than i spent on the train from maastricht, but i did have time for a hotdog.
well the new york times let peter singer write harriet mcbryde johnson's obituary, so....
The New York Times obit for Alice Wong doesn’t mention Covid or Gaza
It ignores two of her biggest causes because of political bias
Alice fought tirelessly for Covid mitigations
She fought for the people of Gaza
She rightfully reminded us that the genocide in Gaza is a disability justice issue
It ignores two of her biggest causes because of political bias
Alice fought tirelessly for Covid mitigations
She fought for the people of Gaza
She rightfully reminded us that the genocide in Gaza is a disability justice issue
November 17, 2025 at 12:41 PM
well the new york times let peter singer write harriet mcbryde johnson's obituary, so....
Reposted by Matthew Archer
The people at CBECI were kind enough to send me a copy of their updated Bitcoin power consumption data
At the end of 2024, Bitcoin's total consumption for 2024 *did* end up matching that of Pakistan. 2024 saw the biggest jump in power consumption ever. Absolutely wild stuff ->
ccaf.io/cbnsi/cbeci
At the end of 2024, Bitcoin's total consumption for 2024 *did* end up matching that of Pakistan. 2024 saw the biggest jump in power consumption ever. Absolutely wild stuff ->
ccaf.io/cbnsi/cbeci
January 30, 2025 at 10:00 PM
The people at CBECI were kind enough to send me a copy of their updated Bitcoin power consumption data
At the end of 2024, Bitcoin's total consumption for 2024 *did* end up matching that of Pakistan. 2024 saw the biggest jump in power consumption ever. Absolutely wild stuff ->
ccaf.io/cbnsi/cbeci
At the end of 2024, Bitcoin's total consumption for 2024 *did* end up matching that of Pakistan. 2024 saw the biggest jump in power consumption ever. Absolutely wild stuff ->
ccaf.io/cbnsi/cbeci
Reposted by Matthew Archer
In a new article for @anthropologica.bsky.social, I explore how #transport infrastructures in northern #Manitoba 🇨🇦 shape community life & #governance.
It demonstrates that #infrastructure is deeply social, political & intertwined with #climate & colonial #history.
doi.org/10.18357/ant...
It demonstrates that #infrastructure is deeply social, political & intertwined with #climate & colonial #history.
doi.org/10.18357/ant...
November 15, 2025 at 9:47 AM
In a new article for @anthropologica.bsky.social, I explore how #transport infrastructures in northern #Manitoba 🇨🇦 shape community life & #governance.
It demonstrates that #infrastructure is deeply social, political & intertwined with #climate & colonial #history.
doi.org/10.18357/ant...
It demonstrates that #infrastructure is deeply social, political & intertwined with #climate & colonial #history.
doi.org/10.18357/ant...
Reposted by Matthew Archer
A trillion dollars plus to come to the conclusion that humans might not merely be symbol-processing algorithms? That we have what we might call a "weltenschauung"? You don't say...
November 17, 2025 at 8:17 AM
A trillion dollars plus to come to the conclusion that humans might not merely be symbol-processing algorithms? That we have what we might call a "weltenschauung"? You don't say...