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What do you want to see in The Turnstone? (4 minute read)
Every week, as I’m writing The Turnstone, there’s a moment (sometimes several moments) when I get stuck. I think I understand a topic, but then I turn over a metaphorical stone and find a piece of information which contradicts something, or doesn’t match what I thought was correct. I have to pause and think a bit harder, then go back and take another look at where I’ve been. If I’m lucky, it turns out I’m only slightly wrong, and I can easily fix my errors. But sometimes it feels as if I’m going down virtual rabbit holes, following twists and turns until I pop out somewhere quite unexpected. Other times, it feels more like I’ve pulled a thread which causes everything to unravel. Hours can disappear with very little to show for it.
But I’ve learned to trust my writing process. I keep reading, and I keep writing. Sometimes, I walk away and leave it, and let my brain focus on something else for a while. Occasionally, writing is a matter of stopping and starting, again and again, writing one slow sentence at a time until I’ve got something on the page that makes sense. Every week, whether quickly or slowly, I end up with something that I’m willing to share.
This week, though, I’m sharing a house with two pre-schoolers, with no quiet space to work, and the story of soybean is melting my brain. I’ve been working on understanding genetic modification, in particular, the modification of soybean to resist Roundup – and, it turns out, five other herbicides. It’s a story which is worth more attention than I can give it right now.
Instead, I thought I’d share with you some of the topics I’ve got planned for the next couple of months. I was planning to do this at some stage anyway, because I want to start a conversation with you, my readers, about what you would like to see. But more on that soon.
I’ve recently found some great resources on countering misinformation, both in relation to climate change and to health. So, the next “Talking About Climate Change” and “Talking About Vaccines” are going to be about misinformation, and how we can identify and resist it. On the subject of vaccines, I’m also going to continue looking at the vaccines that are on New Zealand’s childhood immunisation schedule. Some of those vaccines are for diseases I know very little about, and I know I’m not the only one who is curious about what they are and why health authorities are recommending our children are vaccinated against them.
On the subject of climate change, I’m getting curious about food. Partly, I’m interested in what our food choices mean for the climate. But there are other important questions too. What does a changing climate mean for our most important crops? How are we going to feed our increasing population? Does technology offer solutions, or is it just creating more problems?
I also have a couple of exciting opportunities to bring you some different perspectives. I have a tentative arrangement to interview a leading climate scientist who has recently retired. I’d love to know what he has seen over his career. I’m also curious about how climate change is affecting different countries. Through the magic of Zoom, I’ve got the chance to meet people from around the world, without the carbon emissions associated with air travel. I’m hoping to learn more about what climate change means to people in places which get less attention.
You’ll also probably remember that two weeks ago I talked about the carbon footprint of my upcoming work trip. My trip is to present a paper at the annual meeting of the International Pest Risk Research Group, which, this year, is being held in Athens. This group is focused on understanding the pests and diseases which affect our crops, forests and natural environments. This has been my area of work for nearly 20 years, and it’s still my day job. It’s not something I’ve shared much with you, but it does intersect with The Turnstone, because climate change has some real implications for these pests and diseases. At the International Pest Risk Research Group meeting, I’ll have the opportunity to speak to experts on the subject, so I’m looking forward to sharing some of their insights with you.
That’s what I’m planning to write about, but I’d also love to know what you would like to read about. What science-related questions about important issues are on your mind? Are there topics you’d like to see me cover? What would you like to see in future Turnstones? Are there areas you’d like to read more about?
The answers to these questions are important to me. Partly, I’m writing The Turnstone because I love to write, and because I love the learning process which comes with researching and writing my articles. But I’m also writing it because of you. I truly appreciate the support that you, my readers, give me, whether it’s financial support, sending me comments and feedback, or just clicking the “like” button. So, I’d like to offer my sincere thanks and let you know that what you think truly matters to me.
You can get in touch with me by leaving a comment using the button at the end of this article, or just replying to the email version of the newsletter.
I love reading your newsletters, and those upcoming topics on misinformation seem fascinating to me. When I think of how hard it is these days for people to come together and to pull in the same direction for policies that benefit us all, I often end up thinking about social media companies and their role in building these massively powerful tools that optimise for our attention; not social cohesion, accuracy, inclusivity, diversity, or kindness. As a result, I do believe that echo chambers, algorithmic bias, and the invisible, enormous power that the tech sector has over our communities and democratic processes have been a huge part of why it is so difficult to get consensus on climate action, when the science is clear and evidence-backed solutions are readily available.
So in short, a +1 to you writing about misinformation, I'm looking forward to reading it!
I really enjoy your newsletters - they're reliably informative and extremely clear and easy to understand. I love the topics you have planned. I also have really enjoyed the recent issues that have a direct impact on what WE can do to positively impact the environment - for instance, the issue about plane travel, and the one that helped me see that reducing waste in landfills was actually more important than buying an EV. That's my small request - more info on what we can do to make an impact.