Definitely Not The Ivory Tower

Raising livestock and eating meat have been a crucial part of human society for thousands of years. Today, however, questions around the sustainability and ethics of livestock farming are being raised as highly industrialized processes contribute to climate change and animal welfare concerns. On this episode of Definitely Not the Ivory Tower, Natalie Meisner talks with Dr. Joe Anderson, a scholar of American agricultural history and practices, to think critically about the history of livestock (specifically pigs) and what it tells us about human society today. Natalie also sits down with MRU journalism student Gabriella Lindland to discuss cattle farming in the Alberta context.    Show notes:  Capitalist Pigs: Pigs, Pork and Power in America. By Joe Anderson. Industrializing the Corn Belt.By Joe Anderson The Downsides of Alberta’s Meat Industry. By Gabriella Lindland Regenerative Agriculture Cattle’s impact on climate change  Livestock solutions for climate change Mutilating Procedures, Management Practices, and Housing Conditions That May Affect the Welfare of Farm Animals: Implications for Welfare Research Food Safety Concerns with the Slaughter of Downed Cattle Beef farming in Canada   Discussion segments:  Introducing Dr. Anderson – 3:45 Real world impact of Anderson’s research – 5:20 Pracademics – 7:10  Why is the pig such an important animal historically - 9:55  How humans changed the pig in the past several hundred years – 14:10  How did pigs change the landscape of North America – 19:15 How do pigs showcase the ramifications of a highly industrialized world – 22:25 How has livestock farming evolved – 25:55 The future of livestock farming in North America – 29:45 How could farming practices be improved – 34:50  Introducing Gabriella Lindland – 40:35  How Gabriella first got interested in researching meat consumption - - 42:00  How has cattle farming shaped the landscape of Alberta – 43:30  How has cattle farming evolved in the last century – 45:05  What does livestock farming tell us about our society – 46:20  Talking with others about the (un)sustainability of livestock farming – 50:00 Regenerative Agriculture – 51:45  Conclusion – 55:40    Joe Anderson selected publications:  Anderson, J. L. (2020). “You’re a Bigger Man”: Technology and Agrarian Masculinity in Postwar America. Agricultural History, 94(1), 1-23. Anderson, J.L. (2018). Of Conformity and Cosmopolitanism: Midwestern Identity since World War II. In Finding a New Midwestern History, edited by Jon K. Lauck, Gleaves Whitney, and Joe Hogan, University of Nebraska Press.  Anderson, J. L. (2014). The Rural Midwest since World War II. Northern Illinois University Press.  Anderson, J. L., Belasco, W., & Horowitz, R. (2009). Lard to lean: Making the meat-type hog in post-World War II America. Food chains: from farmyard to shopping cart, 29-46.  Anderson, J. L. (2007). The Vacant Chair on the Farm: Soldier Husbands, Farm Wives, and the Iowa Home Front, 1861–1865. The Annals of Iowa, 66(3-4).

Episode Summary: It’s no secret that industrialization has taken a heavy toll on the planet and our bodies. But just how extensive and pervasive is chemical exposure? On this episode of Definitely not the Ivory Tower, Natalie Meisner sits down with chemists Nausheen Sadiq and Catharina Venter to discuss how we are exposed to toxic chemicals and metals on a daily basis, through water, food and cosmetics. This episode takes a look at the history of chemical contamination in everyday products, what the situation is like today, how our bodies and the environment are affected and how it can impact us over a lifetime. The two researchers also give advice on how we can deal with this reality and what to watch out for as consumers.  Show notes:The Berkeley Pit, Butte, Montana Mercury in hats – Mad HattersRadium girlsBioaccumulation Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) – Forever ChemicalsSuperfund sitesContaminated Sites Map – CanadaCanadian Indigenous Nations water quality crisisSuperfood qualities of blueberriesInductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) ChitosanSadiq’s NSERC Discovery Grant Discussion segment timestamps:1:44: Episode and guest intro4:16: Real world applications of research 6:13: Being a changemaker 10:11: Lightbulb moments 12:57: History of toxic elements in food and cosmetics 17:02: How are food and cosmetics contaminated in the first place19:57: What do toxic elements do to our bodies22:37: How widespread is the issue of toxic elements in food and cosmetics 26:25: What elements are most concerning28:14: Superfund sites 34:27: Testing food and cosmetics in the lab 42:20: Lab methods 46:15: Chitosan 51:48: Importance of student research53:39: How being a chemist affects everyday life59:55: Conclusion and episode outro Nausheen Sadiq selected publications: Multi-elemental bio-accessibility from long-grain rice for realistic risk assessment using on-line continuous leaching coupled to inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry: The non‐arsenic side of the storySadiq, N. W., & Beauchemin, D. (2025). Multi-elemental bio-accessibility from long-grain rice for realistic risk assessment using on-line continuous leaching coupled to inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry: The non‑arsenic side of the story. Food Chemistry, 144637.Realistic risk assessment of arsenic in riceAlthobiti, R. A., Sadiq, N. W., & Beauchemin, D. (2018). Realistic risk assessment of arsenic in rice. Food chemistry, 257, 230-236.Multi-elemental risk assessment of various baby rice cereals: some cause for concern?Sadiq, N. W., & Beauchemin, D. (2021). Multi-elemental risk assessment of various baby rice cereals: some cause for concern?. Canadian Journal of Chemistry, 99(999), 742-750.Characterization of the Phenolic Content Across Commercial Food Extracts Using Liquid Chromatography – Mass SpectrometrySadiq, N. W., Karboune, S., & Bayen, S. Characterization of the Phenolic Content Across Commercial Food Extracts Using Liquid Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry. Available at SSRN 4978097.Dissolution of Selected Trace Elements from Simulated Atmospheric Aerosol Aging and Human Exposure of Mineral Dust and Coal Fly AshSadiq, N. W., Venter, C., Mohammed, W., Khalaf, Y., & Al-Abadleh, H. A. (2023). Dissolution of selected trace elements from simulated atmospheric aerosol aging and human exposure of mineral dust and coal fly ash. ACS ES&T Air, 1(1), 5-15.

On this episode, host Natalie Meisner sits down with Mount Royal University researcher Crystal Chokshi and Mount Royal Information Design student Maren Walker.  The use of AI technology has rapidly become a pervasive presence in people's lives today. Largely due to the huge push tech companies are making to market their AI products. AI is now being used for a range of applications, from mundane tasks like writing emails to being utilized in the crafting of government economic policy. It seems that AI is here to stay. But what does that mean for society?  In this interview, Chokshi breaks down the strategies and language big tech companies use to market AI and what the hidden costs of these technologies are.   Resources Gina Neff & Peter Nagy - Conjuring algorithms: Understanding the tech industry as stage magicians. LudditesLawsuits against OpenAI for copyright infringementBilly Perrigo - OpenAI Used Kenyan Workers on Less Than $2 Per Hour to Make ChatGPT Less ToxicNick Couldry & Ulises Ali Mejias - The Costs of Connection: How Data Is Colonizing Human Life and Appropriating It for CapitalismGoogle claims Smart Compose saves 2 billion characters from being typed each week - Details from a 2018 Founder's Letter Johanna Drucker - Performative Materiality Ronald Deibert - Reset: Reclaiming the internet for civil societyChatGPT water consumptionWater Scarcity - United NationsMel Hogan - Data Flows and Water WoesAnatomy of an AI System Emma Strubell, Ananya Ganesh & Andrew McCallum - Energy and Policy Considerations for Deep Learning in NLP. Quantifying the emissions cost of training an AI modelDiscussion Segments1:36: Introduction3:27: Pracademic vs. Changemaker6:36: Research Impact9:28: Personal relationship with AI12:45: How big tech markets their AI products16:30: AI & Accountability18:15: How AI is perceived by the public25:30 Consequences of AI29:12 AI and Climate Change38:55 Maren Walker intro39:30 How a student uses AI41:07: Researching AI for school46:50: Automation vs. AugmentationCrystal Chokshi's Research Chokshi, C. (2021). In other words: Smart Compose and the consequences of writing in the age of AI. Culture Machine, 20. https://culturemachine.net/vol-20-machine-intelligences/in-other-words-smart-compose-and-the-consequences-of-writing-in-the-age-of-ai-crystal-chokshi/Chokshi, C. (2024). X-gram and/as techsposure: Spelling out the climate consequences of generative AI. Journal of Digital Social Research, 6(4), 118-133. https://doi.org/10.33621/jdsr.v6i440480Chokshi, C., & Mansell, R.E. [Eds.] (forthcoming). The need to rename tech. Palgrave Macmillan. (This book explores words that fool us into thinking the digital technologies we use every day are beautiful, benign, and consequence-free)

On this first of episode of Definitely Not the Ivory Tower, host Natalie Meisner sits down with Mount Royal University researcher Sonya Jakubec and Mount Royal alum Erika Bloedorn to talk about nature-based and narrative-based healing.  With her guests, Natalie discusses how nature and narrative help people cope with grief and loss. This episode will explore how different groups access nature for healing and the mixture of awe, hope and loss that emerges when reconnecting with nature. It will also explore the power of stories and how recounting the stories of our life can help us heal.  Sonya Jakubec is a professor and researcher at Mount Royal University who has researched nature interactions with people living with disabilities and people in palliative care. Her research has focused on how these groups access nature and what the effects of being in natural environments are on their mental health.  Erika Bloedorn is a Mount Royal University alum and writer for No Story Lost. No Story Lost is a life writing service. Through interviews, writers get to know the clients and then help produce a book detailing the story of the clients life. Erika recounts her experiences with No Story Lost and how it has changed her perspective of grief and loss.   Resources: Excerpt from Consolations: The Solace, Nourishment and Underlying Meaning of Everyday Words by David Whyte, read by Sonya Jakubec. https://davidwhyte.com/store/book/consolations/Rocky Mountain AdaptiveAlberta Parks - Everyone Belongs OutsideAlberta Parks - Push to Open Nature and Alberta Adaptive Nature Challenges Miles Richardson - University of Derby. Nature Connectedness Research Group.E.O Wilson - The Biophilia HypothesisThe Burgess Shale Dacher Keltner - University of California Berkeley. Pathways to Awe and WonderAl Etmanski and Vicky Cammack - Natural Caring Lori Beattie - Calgary’s Best WalksFriends of Fish Creek Provincial Park Society- Good Grief WalkingAlberta Parks - Grief Walking in Provincial ParksMiles Richardson - Reconnection: Fixing our Broken Relationship with Nature Francis Weller - The Wild Edge of Sorrow No Story LostJonathan Gottschall - The Storytelling Animal Discussion Segments: 3:46: Interview with Sonya Jakubec starts5:00: Sonya’s background in her field of research9:00: The effects of nature-based healing on patients and their caregivers11:06: Pracademics12:21: Nature-based healing beyond Alberta, eco-therapy and nature connectedness discussion14:30: Continuation of nature connectedness discussion17:48: Awe in nature20:39: Medicalization23:04: Grief26:40: Barriers27:24: Personal experiences with grief31:00: Walkshops and Conferences35:40: Keeping programs sustained37:50: Recommendation for further reading and getting involved41:50: Erika Bloedorn interview starts42:19: Erika explaining her role at No Story Lost43:15: What makes a good interview?44:21: How Erika got into life writing.47:15: No Story Lost experiences48:45: Importance of narrative-based healing50:03: Communities Erika works with50:45: Grief, death and awe53:05: Erika’s views of grieving and death55:53: The future of narrative-based healing, barriers and accessibility57:50: Client reactions58:30: Interviews end - Outro Sonya Jakubec’s Research: 'I Can Reinvent Myself Out Here': Experiences of Nature Inclusion and Mental Well-Being Jakubec, S. L., Carruthers Den Hoed, D., & Ray, H. (2014). ‘I Can Reinvent Myself Out Here’: Experiences of Nature Inclusion and Mental Well-Being. In Environmental Contexts and Disability (pp. 213-229). Emerald Group Publishing Limited.Mental well-being and quality-of-life benefits of inclusion in nature for adults with disabilities and their caregivers Jakubec, S. L., Carruthers Den Hoed, D., Ray, H., & Krishnamurthy, A. (2016). Mental well-being and quality-of-life benefits of inclusion in nature for adults with disabilities and their caregivers. Landscape Research, 41(6), 616-627.Understanding Belonging and Community Connection for Seniors Living in the SuburbsJakubec, S. L., Olfert, M., Choi, L. L., Dawe, N., & Sheehan, D. (2019). Understanding belonging and community connection for seniors living in the suburbs. Urban Planning, 4(2), 43-52.Grieving Nature–Grieving in Nature: The Place of Parks and Natural Places in Palliative and Grief Care Jakubec, S. L., Den Hoed, D. C., Ray, H., & Krishnamurthy, A. (2020). Grieving Nature–Grieving in Nature: The Place of Parks and Natural Places in Palliative and Grief Care. Health in the Anthropocene, 241-250.Planting seeds of community-engaged pedagogy: Community health nursing practice in an intergenerational campus-community gardening program Jakubec, S. L., Szabo, J., Gleeson, J., Currie, G., & Flessati, S. (2021). Planting seeds of community-engaged pedagogy: Community health nursing practice in an intergenerational campus-community gardening program. Nurse education in practice, 51, 102980.THE ‘HEALTHY PARKS–HEALTHY PEOPLE’ MOVEMENT IN CANADA: PROGRESS, CHALLENGES, AND AN EMERGING KNOWLEDGE AND ACTION AGENDA Lemieux, C. J., Groulx, M. W., Buxton, R. T., Reining, C. E., Blye, C. J. C., Hassen, N., ... & Krehbiel, R. (2022). The 'Healthy Parks-Healthy People 'Movement in Canada: Progress, Challenges, and an Emerging Knowledge and Action Agenda.