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...
Reposted by Matthew Archer
Reposted by Matthew Archer
Saving this screenshot from Threads as a new reaction image
January 3, 2026 at 4:41 PM
Saving this screenshot from Threads as a new reaction image
Reposted by Matthew Archer
An incredible and beautiful short documentary by Nicolas Gouralt who interviewed online workers from Venezuela, Kenya and the Philippines who annotate images to train A.I. systems.
Here is as gift link.
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/02/o...
Here is as gift link.
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/02/o...
January 4, 2026 at 7:52 AM
An incredible and beautiful short documentary by Nicolas Gouralt who interviewed online workers from Venezuela, Kenya and the Philippines who annotate images to train A.I. systems.
Here is as gift link.
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/02/o...
Here is as gift link.
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/02/o...
Reposted by Matthew Archer
By the way, the second short film we screened and discussed as part of our «Living in Platform Realities» opening night at Kino Xenix, Occitane Lacurie's amazing ‹doomscroll documentary› «Xena's Body,» is also available online and well worth watching! vimeo.com/879454111
xena's body (a menstrual auto-investigation using an iphone)
For health reasons, I happen to use the iOS native app that monitors my menstrual cycle. It has helped me turn my temporary scares into a realisation: my cycle is…
vimeo.com
January 3, 2026 at 11:39 AM
By the way, the second short film we screened and discussed as part of our «Living in Platform Realities» opening night at Kino Xenix, Occitane Lacurie's amazing ‹doomscroll documentary› «Xena's Body,» is also available online and well worth watching! vimeo.com/879454111
Reposted by Matthew Archer
The EU is at risk because of its geopolitically illiterate elites.
(And its ecologically illiterate population)
(And its ecologically illiterate population)
January 3, 2026 at 9:33 PM
The EU is at risk because of its geopolitically illiterate elites.
(And its ecologically illiterate population)
(And its ecologically illiterate population)
so we’ll fight over coltan and thorium and lithium instead. VZ’s critical mineral deposits are already being openly discussed alongside its oil, gas, and gold. “energy transition” without degrowth is just extractivism 2.0.
January 3, 2026 at 6:22 PM
so we’ll fight over coltan and thorium and lithium instead. VZ’s critical mineral deposits are already being openly discussed alongside its oil, gas, and gold. “energy transition” without degrowth is just extractivism 2.0.
Reposted by Matthew Archer
A deluge of work on regime change after the 2003 invasion of Iraq yielded strong (and rare) agreement in IR: it doesn't work & has terrible consequences. @profdownes.bsky.social's book Catastrophic Success lays it out, but it's right there in the title. www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/book/9781501...
January 3, 2026 at 1:41 PM
A deluge of work on regime change after the 2003 invasion of Iraq yielded strong (and rare) agreement in IR: it doesn't work & has terrible consequences. @profdownes.bsky.social's book Catastrophic Success lays it out, but it's right there in the title. www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/book/9781501...
have to admit i wasn’t expecting the EU to just shrug this off
January 3, 2026 at 12:13 PM
have to admit i wasn’t expecting the EU to just shrug this off
Reposted by Matthew Archer
gonna try to do a book thread for 2026
a cartoon of snoopy reading a book while woodstock looks on
ALT: a cartoon of snoopy reading a book while woodstock looks on
media.tenor.com
January 2, 2026 at 8:23 PM
gonna try to do a book thread for 2026
luigi enjoying charcuterie and an aligoté in the dijon covered market
January 2, 2026 at 5:02 PM
luigi enjoying charcuterie and an aligoté in the dijon covered market
Reposted by Matthew Archer
Like oh huh - in one of the most chronically drought plagued states the Governor known to be extremely friendly to wealthy business interests vetoed a bill that would require them simply *to estimate or report annual water usage* even tho their water usage is totally NBD & doesn't matter at all? OK
January 2, 2026 at 5:12 AM
Like oh huh - in one of the most chronically drought plagued states the Governor known to be extremely friendly to wealthy business interests vetoed a bill that would require them simply *to estimate or report annual water usage* even tho their water usage is totally NBD & doesn't matter at all? OK
Reposted by Matthew Archer
Techbros seem to love Tolkien, so here's an analogy to help you understand what genAI is.
GenAI is The One Ring. You think your use is justified, b/c you don't have evil in your heart.
But it came from evil, it is intended for evil purpose, & anything you do with it will be twisted to that end.
GenAI is The One Ring. You think your use is justified, b/c you don't have evil in your heart.
But it came from evil, it is intended for evil purpose, & anything you do with it will be twisted to that end.
December 17, 2025 at 8:43 PM
Techbros seem to love Tolkien, so here's an analogy to help you understand what genAI is.
GenAI is The One Ring. You think your use is justified, b/c you don't have evil in your heart.
But it came from evil, it is intended for evil purpose, & anything you do with it will be twisted to that end.
GenAI is The One Ring. You think your use is justified, b/c you don't have evil in your heart.
But it came from evil, it is intended for evil purpose, & anything you do with it will be twisted to that end.
the nordics maintain their living standard by externalising the social and environmental costs of their own comfort. the norwegian ethno-petro-state is the prime example, but danish and swedish companies have normalised fast fashion, disposable furniture, outrageously expensive Rx, etc etc etc.
The Nordic countries combine prosperity with equality by realizing (1) substantial public investment in essential services, (2) influential labour unions, (3) high public expenditure on social insurance, and (4) high and progressive taxation.
www.nber.org/system/files...
www.nber.org/system/files...
January 1, 2026 at 10:22 PM
the nordics maintain their living standard by externalising the social and environmental costs of their own comfort. the norwegian ethno-petro-state is the prime example, but danish and swedish companies have normalised fast fashion, disposable furniture, outrageously expensive Rx, etc etc etc.
Reposted by Matthew Archer
generally i don't resolve but maybe discourse less in 2026
January 1, 2026 at 9:39 PM
generally i don't resolve but maybe discourse less in 2026
enjoyed reading ursula huws about this recently
The fact that this radical economic transformation in the US took place during the hegemony of orthodox neoliberalism meant that the braking mechanisms and social welfare provisions were taken off the table in terms of the era's political economy.
January 1, 2026 at 3:01 PM
enjoyed reading ursula huws about this recently
Reposted by Matthew Archer
The stubborn insanity of the Dutch firework culture has destroyed the Vondelkerk in Amsterdam.
And also killed someone in Nijmegen.
www.rd.nl/artikel/1133...
And also killed someone in Nijmegen.
www.rd.nl/artikel/1133...
„Enorme vonkenregen” door brand Vondelkerk Amsterdam • Dode door vuurwerkongeluk in Nijmegen
Volg via dit liveblog het nieuws over de jaarwisseling.
www.rd.nl
January 1, 2026 at 1:08 AM
The stubborn insanity of the Dutch firework culture has destroyed the Vondelkerk in Amsterdam.
And also killed someone in Nijmegen.
www.rd.nl/artikel/1133...
And also killed someone in Nijmegen.
www.rd.nl/artikel/1133...
facebook political advertising on crack
what a shocking turn of events
who could’ve seen this coming
who could’ve seen this coming
OpenAI Reportedly Planning to Make ChatGPT "Prioritize" Advertisers in Conversation
OpenAI employees working on ChatGPT report plans to unleash sponsored advertisements above organic results.
futurism.com
December 31, 2025 at 6:23 PM
facebook political advertising on crack
Reposted by Matthew Archer
being talked into suicide, brought to you by Wendy’s™️
December 31, 2025 at 6:19 PM
being talked into suicide, brought to you by Wendy’s™️
Reposted by Matthew Archer
My top 2025 fiction read:
‘When There are Wolves Again’ by EJ Swift. Beautifully written exploration of ways of living with more-than-human others in the context of climate change. I highly recommend for geographers & env sci/humanities folk as well as SF fans. It deserves to win all the awards.
‘When There are Wolves Again’ by EJ Swift. Beautifully written exploration of ways of living with more-than-human others in the context of climate change. I highly recommend for geographers & env sci/humanities folk as well as SF fans. It deserves to win all the awards.
December 31, 2025 at 11:17 AM
My top 2025 fiction read:
‘When There are Wolves Again’ by EJ Swift. Beautifully written exploration of ways of living with more-than-human others in the context of climate change. I highly recommend for geographers & env sci/humanities folk as well as SF fans. It deserves to win all the awards.
‘When There are Wolves Again’ by EJ Swift. Beautifully written exploration of ways of living with more-than-human others in the context of climate change. I highly recommend for geographers & env sci/humanities folk as well as SF fans. It deserves to win all the awards.
we took luigi to an enchanted forest in the middle of bourgogne and he loved it
December 30, 2025 at 5:54 PM
we took luigi to an enchanted forest in the middle of bourgogne and he loved it
Reposted by Matthew Archer
NEW @phenomenalworld.bsky.social @polycrisis
Its a Plastic Planet.
You are poisoned by plastic, the world is plastic.
@katemac.bsky.social & I asked @vbivar.bsky.social to analyse the fossil fuel industry's latest trick. phenomenalworld.org/analysis/pla...
Its a Plastic Planet.
You are poisoned by plastic, the world is plastic.
@katemac.bsky.social & I asked @vbivar.bsky.social to analyse the fossil fuel industry's latest trick. phenomenalworld.org/analysis/pla...
November 15, 2025 at 5:46 PM
NEW @phenomenalworld.bsky.social @polycrisis
Its a Plastic Planet.
You are poisoned by plastic, the world is plastic.
@katemac.bsky.social & I asked @vbivar.bsky.social to analyse the fossil fuel industry's latest trick. phenomenalworld.org/analysis/pla...
Its a Plastic Planet.
You are poisoned by plastic, the world is plastic.
@katemac.bsky.social & I asked @vbivar.bsky.social to analyse the fossil fuel industry's latest trick. phenomenalworld.org/analysis/pla...
Reposted by Matthew Archer
This book is essential reading for historians of capitalism and agriculture. It provides new evidence of the crucial role of peasant expropriation by large landowners in the emergence of agrarian capitalism in England during the 15th-16th centuries. For years, the role of peasant expropriation 1/2
December 29, 2025 at 8:02 PM
This book is essential reading for historians of capitalism and agriculture. It provides new evidence of the crucial role of peasant expropriation by large landowners in the emergence of agrarian capitalism in England during the 15th-16th centuries. For years, the role of peasant expropriation 1/2
Reposted by Matthew Archer
This is find -dot- gif
Towards the middle of the century, ~4000 glaciers worldwide will disappear every year.
Towards the middle of the century, ~4000 glaciers worldwide will disappear every year.
Peak glacier extinction in the mid-twenty-first century - Nature Climate Change
Many mountain glaciers will disappear with warming. Here the authors assess how many glaciers will disappear per year under different warming scenarios, finding that a peak in glacier loss will happen...
www.nature.com
December 29, 2025 at 2:56 AM
This is find -dot- gif
Towards the middle of the century, ~4000 glaciers worldwide will disappear every year.
Towards the middle of the century, ~4000 glaciers worldwide will disappear every year.