Exploring sustainability research in computing

Abstract

This paper develops a holistic framework of questions which seem to motivate sustainability research in computing in order to enable new opportunities for critique. Analysis of systematically selected corpora of computing publications demonstrates that several of these question areas are well covered, while others are ripe for further exploration. It also provides insight into which of these questions tend to be addressed by different communities within sustainable computing. The framework itself reveals discursive similarities between other existing environmental discourses, enabling reflection and participation with the broader sustainability debate. It is argued that the current computing discourse on sustainability is reformist and premised in a Triple Bottom Line construction of sustainability. A radical, Quadruple Bottom Line alternative is explored as a new vista for computing research.

Designing for sustainability: Breakthrough or suboptimisation?

“…We here draw parallels to the lively debate in Sustainable HCI [Human-Computer Interaction] about what constitutes suitable objects for HCI research that focuses on sustainability [25,26,27,28]. DiSalvo et.…”

“…reducing the amount of energy consumed during the use of technology. By comparison, embodied carbon of IT (the production stage) is largely omitted from the problem domain" [27].…”

“…Adopting that high-level goal has further implications and raises many subsequent questions, for example "How can we enable less carbon-intensive social practices?" [27].…”

Exploring (un)sustainable growth of digital technologies in the home

“…(c.f. [29]) that might lead to higher impact wins for sustainability. We end with questions our study has raised and new challenge areas it highlights, not to provide answers or solutions ourselves, but to inspire discussion within the community and amongst practitioners who may not (yet) consider sustainability in their work.…”

“…They reflect (and are meant to reflect) a particular, historically pervasive framing of the sustainability problem, whereby minor adjustments to the way we live and the way we design for living will suffice for meeting sustainability requirements-a reformist stance, as opposed to radical stance [29]. Traditionally, such framing fails to account for the true scale of the sustainability problems we face (e.g.…”