Author Archives: guestauth0r

The Dirt

Discard Studies is a young field of research that takes systems of waste and wasting as its topic of study, including but beyond conventional notions of trash and garbage. To keep practitioners up-to-date, Discard Studies publishes The Dirt, a monthly compilation of recent publications, positions, opportunities, and calls for proposals in the field. Here is […]
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Sorting It Out: Sustainability in Higher Education

by Kathy Zhang In May of 2021, I graduated from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with a combined degree in Environmental and Sustainability Studies and Art. I joined sustainability efforts on campus as a second-year student, at first emphasizing trash, compost, and recycling. I felt especially passionate about my recycling initiatives at the housing […]
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The Dirt

The Dirt is a monthly compilation of recent publications, positions, opportunities, and calls for proposals in the field. Here is The Dirt for October 2021.

Acts of Occlusion

Occlusion is a term that describes a technique of erasure. Here, I show how occlusion works specifically in International Development discourses to set the terms of morality, dominance, and legitimacy in relation to their beneficiaries.

Discard Studies Staffing Changes

We have news about the Discard Studies editorial team: after a decade of inspired and dedicated leadership, Max Liboiron is stepping down. While we are sorry for their departure, we are delighted to introduce two newcomers. Collaborating editor Jesi Cruz Taylor is an activist, scholar, and widely published journalist who engages deeply with institutional and […]
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The Dirt

Discard Studies is a young field of research that takes systems of waste and wasting as its topic of study, including but beyond conventional notions of trash and garbage. To keep practitioners up-to-date, Discard Studies publishes The Dirt, a monthly compilation of recent publications, positions, opportunities, and calls for proposals in the field. Here is […]
Read More »

The Dirt

Discard Studies is a young field of research that takes systems of waste and wasting as its topic of study, including but beyond conventional notions of trash and garbage. To keep practitioners up-to-date, Discard Studies publishes The Dirt, a monthly compilation of recent publications, positions, opportunities, and calls for proposals in the field. Here is […]
Read More »

The Dirt

This is the dirt!

Copyright on the Farm

In 2015, tractor manufacturer John Deere made waves for sending its dealers a letter asserting that when farmers repaired their own John Deere equipment, what they were really doing was violating US copyright law. At the time, this came as news to a lot of farmers: as a characteristically self-sufficient community, they’d always repaired their equipment on their own. How did putting a computer on a tractor change this?

The Dirt

The Dirt is a monthly compilation of recent publications, positions, opportunities, and calls for proposals in the field. Here is The Dirt for June, 2021.