Niak Sian Koh
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niak-koh.bsky.social
Niak Sian Koh
@niak-koh.bsky.social
72 followers 360 following 2 posts
Sustainability researcher: Biodiversity & Human rights at the Nature Positive Hub Oxford 🌏🍀👣

@ox.ac.uk | @IPBES.net Biz & Biodiv
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Reposted by Niak Sian Koh
cestmoilanglois.bsky.social
If you need a ten-minute break from the horrors, ogle this selection of the year's best nature photography and read the story behind each photo, as written by me and @skylarknight.bsky.social. You will learn things that make the world seem a tiny bit brighter, I promise.
The Big Picture 2025 - bioGraphic
From the beautiful to the bizarre, this annual photographic showcase shines a light on some of our planet’s most breathtaking species and places.
www.biographic.com
June 17, 2025 at 3:03 AM
Reposted by Niak Sian Koh
c-pob.bsky.social
New paper in Biogeosciences: 35 authors highlight 8 challenges for the environment and offer solutions. A new website brings the science to decision-makers at every level.

#GlobalChange #Policy #Sustainability

👉 www.c-pob.org
doi.org/10.5194/bg-2...
report summary
May 30, 2025 at 7:08 AM
Reposted by Niak Sian Koh
jksteinberger.bsky.social
As promised, here are the slides I shared with students to convince them to NOT use chatGPT and other artificial stupidity.

TL;DR? AI is evil, unsustainable and stupid, and I'd much rather they use their own brains, make their own mistakes, and actually learn something. 🪄
NO CHATGPT Or other artificial stupidity: motivation First, clarity on distinguishing AIs: Non-generative: grammar aid, translation, dictionary, text-to-audio (e.g. Natural Reader): no problem As long as you use the appropriate tools (least intensive in data and server energy use). Why? Because you provide the content. Your brain is doing the most important work Generative: ChatGPT & Co. You only supply the prompt, the AI supplies the content. Why is this delegation of work problematic? 3 domains: ethical, environmental, intellectual engagement. (Caveat: generative is probably ok for computer programming, where it can be useful and save time. Not relevant to this class.) 1) AI and ethics Mass theft of all and everything «learning» on books, articles, blogs, social media, images, music, cultural production, without permission of authors/creators, and leading to their mass joblessness. Profits are not reditributed to originators. Permanent destruction of the mental health of underpaid precarious tech workers in the Global South (Kenya, Philippines …): «correction» to avoid production of violent and pedophile contents etc, tech workers are obliged to watch and correct super violent contents for days on end, leading to extreme psychological suffering and trauma, from which recovery is doubtful. No or little compensation (certainly not at the level of the suffering inflicted). In short, an industry built on theft of real human creation and sacrifice of real human health, profiting a few megafortunes. 2) AI and (un)sustainability Massive consumption of electricity, water, server capacity for generative AI. Outcome: keep fossil fuel companies in business, using up new renewable capacity, without any satisfaction of basic human needs. Massive misappropriation of the finance necessary for climate and ecological action (renewable generation, efficiency and retrofit for buildings, public transit, infrastructures for cycling etc) towards AI industry. Overall: undermine climate action, reinforce fossil industry, waste resources necessary for human development. 3) AI and intellectual engagement First, what learning is (or should be) about: The goal should not (only) be the reproduction of «correct» knowledge, But mainly personal engagement and experience of thinking about topics of interest. Personal engagement = using one’s own brain. The most important activity for learning and intellectual engagement is the experience of making one’s own mistakes, by trial and error, corrections based on new ideas, starting over again. Learning to recognise nuances, knowledge gaps, better explanations This kind of learning is possible only through using your own brain, not AI. Also, Ais are not «intelligent». At all. They simply reproduce pre-existing patterns. They «bullshit», invent false references, false facts, false data, simply because those sound plausible. VERY DANGEROUS. If you learn how to NOT use AI, and how to research facts and data on your own, this will serve you and your communities for the rest of your life.
February 23, 2025 at 1:45 PM
Reposted by Niak Sian Koh
zyearth.com
I have a letter, actually! With sources and links! And I'm always adding to it.
ChatGPT and AI Issues w Links.docx
Generative AI is a blight on our society and is the fastest way to get us to dystopia and global social, economic, creative, and environmental destruction. ChatGPT is not a search engine. It is a pre...
docs.google.com
February 24, 2025 at 5:34 AM
Reposted by Niak Sian Koh
friedrichbohn.bsky.social
2025 Current Perspectives on Biosphere Initiative - call for topics.

👉 survey:
survey.su.se/biosphere2025/

❗Deadline:
5th of March

📜 Review 2024 preprint:
doi.org/10.5194/egus...

🙏 please share and like

#science #climatechange #biodiversity #economy #society
February 13, 2025 at 7:39 AM
Reposted by Niak Sian Koh
ipbes.net
Call for Fellows! 🚨

@ipbes.bsky.social is seeking #EarlyCareer experts to join the Biodiversity #SpatialPlanningAssessment. Contribute to crucial work on conservation, restoration, land/sea use planning & connectivity! 🌍

🗓 Apply by 24 Jan 2025

🔗 More info: www.ipbes.net/spatial-plan...
An aerial image shows a landscape divided between lush green forest on the right and patchy agricultural land on the left. The road between the two areas runs vertically through the image. The text reads: "Call for Fellows: IPBES Spatial Planning Assessment. Deadline: 24 January 2025." The IPBES logo appears in the upper-right corner.
January 10, 2025 at 2:06 PM
Reposted by Niak Sian Koh
plieningerlab.bsky.social
Integrated landscape approaches stand out as a "win-win-win-win" for biodiversity, water, food & climate (& health) in the new @ipbes.bsky.social nexus assessment. Great recognition for the 1000s of initiatives fostering landscapes for people, food & nature worldwide. www.ipbes.net/nexus/media-....
December 23, 2024 at 5:32 PM
Reposted by Niak Sian Koh
enb.iisd.org
At #IPBES11, talks on the Nexus Assessment focused on future nexus scenarios, such as those leading to a sustainable future, while talks on the Transformative Change Assessment addressed the systemic challenges posing barriers to transformational change

@ipbes.bsky.social #ForNature #Nature
Highlights and images for 12 December 2024
enb.iisd.org
December 12, 2024 at 9:29 PM
Reposted by Niak Sian Koh
joshgabbatiss.bsky.social
To understand global south anger at the COP29 climate finance goal it's crucial to understand two key numbers.

1️⃣ "At least" $300bn/year - developed nations agreed to "take the lead" in mobilising this for developing countries

2️⃣ $1.3tn/year - a wider, vaguer goal

They sound pretty big! But...
November 25, 2024 at 6:42 PM
Reposted by Niak Sian Koh
ipbes.net
go.bsky.app/LjV86zg A work-in-progess starter pack for the IPBES stakeholder community
November 16, 2024 at 1:07 PM
niak-koh.bsky.social
🥳 Thrilled to have the final paper of my PhD out, a passion project of examining #discourses of #power and #politics in #hydropower and finding strategies for #change.

Thanks to the interviewees for sharing their stories, such striking quotes in the paper!

doi.org/10.1080/0964...
November 16, 2024 at 9:20 AM