Dustin Edwards, associate professor and rhetoric scholar, dives deep into the environmental and social impacts of digital infrastructure. He explores the damage caused by data centers and mining, highlighting ethical storytelling and colonial histories. The conversation touches on the complex interplay between masculinity, labor, and technology, as well as the need for a decolonial, feminist, and anti-racist lens in academia. Edwards urges a shift towards human-centric values in an increasingly data-driven world, calling for mindfulness and resistance to datafication.
The podcast emphasizes the ecological and societal damage caused by the extraction processes that fuel our digital infrastructure, highlighting the need for critical awareness.
Discussions on inheritance and obligation reveal the responsibilities of white settler scholars to confront and reassess harmful narratives in their academic pursuits.
Storytelling is presented as a vital tool for fostering empathy and understanding of the historical and environmental consequences tied to technology and industrialization.
Deep dives
The Rise of Digital Humanity
The conversation highlights the increasing significance of digital representations of humans, such as chatbots, holograms, and deepfakes. The host and guests explore how these digital humans are reshaping our interactions and perceptions of identity in a data-driven world. The fascinating interplay between technology and humanity raises important questions about authenticity and the implications of digital reproduction. Analyzing the evolution of these digital entities reveals a complex landscape that influences both personal and societal dynamics.
Enduring Digital Damage
The concept of 'enduring digital damage' reflects the multifaceted implications of our reliance on technology and data. This term encompasses not only the physical damage inflicted on the environment through technological advancements but also the psychological and cultural effects on individuals and communities. The discussion emphasizes the need for critical reflection on how digital technology perpetuates systemic harms, particularly in the context of settler colonialism and environmental degradation. By examining these layers of damage, the conversation urges listeners to consider their own role in perpetuating these narratives.
The Importance of Inheritance and Obligation
In confronting the complexities of digital impacts, the guests discuss the concepts of inheritance and obligation as frameworks for understanding personal and cultural responsibilities. Inheritance here refers to the histories and legacies that shape individual perspectives, particularly those of scholars from settler colonial backgrounds. By acknowledging these inheritances, there is an emphasis on the moral obligation to confront the harmful narratives and practices that inform current realities. This self-awareness fosters a deeper understanding of one’s position within academic and societal landscapes.
Storytelling as a Tool for Reflection
The importance of storytelling emerges as a critical theme, as the guests share personal experiences tied to landscapes affected by mining and data technology. These narratives serve not only to connect readers to the physical locations but also to illustrate the lived consequences of industrialization on communities and environments. Through rich descriptions and family histories, the storytelling embodies a method of engaging with place and grappling with its histories. This approach emphasizes the power of narrative to invoke empathy and understanding, challenging deeply embedded colonial perspectives.
Interconnection of Mining and Data Infrastructure
The link between mining for minerals and data infrastructure is a central concern in the discussion, illustrating how digital technology is propelled by resources extracted from the earth. As the demand for materials like copper continues to rise due to the expansion of AI and data centers, the environmental implications of this extraction become increasingly pressing. The guests point out that while the tech industry often touts progress and innovation, it frequently overlooks the ongoing colonial practices tied to these resources. This interconnectedness warrants a critical examination of the costs associated with digital advancements, prompting a call to address the ecological and social ramifications.
Dustin Edwards and I discuss the damage caused by digital infrastructure and its extractive requirements. We talk about data centers and copper mines, but more than this, we delve into the what a decolonial, feminist, anti-racist approach can look like for white settler scholars grappling with their inheritances and obligations to the landscapes and to the stories they tell themselves, as we make (new) worlds. Recorded Apr 8, 2025. Released April 28, 2025.
Enduring Digital Damage: Rhetorical Reckonings for Planetary Survival
