What happens when a climate scientist meets a climate denialist? Sparks can fly, but so can laughter. I recreate this (somewhat) fictional situation through a stand-up comedy set which was performed at InterLokal, Dresden. In a post-truth era, I encourage fellow scientists to step outside the eco-social bubble that academic spaces sometimes tend to become and engage with what the "the people" really think about climate change. 

In this public talk, I connect the current radical climate justice movements in the Global North (Just Stop Oil and Letzte Generation) to the long history of environmental justice movements in regions with a postcolonial and colonial history.  I focus on the women-led Chipko Movement in the Himalayas during the 1970s as example, where protesters hugged trees to prevent them from being cut down. I highlight the colonial roots of climate change and the legacy of resistance that continues to inspire grassroots environmental movements. This perspective offers a framework for contextualizing and engaging with contemporary radical climate activism.

In my (extended) science slam, I discuss the spatial contradictions in planning renewable energy projects. What happens when renewable energy projects harm biodiversity and local interests? I explores this through the controversial question: Nature and Climate- can we save both? And do the banks of the Elbe is Dresden have anything to do with it?

In this Edmonton Public Library Energy Talk, Dr. Sandeep Agrawal and I discuss the role of community-led grassroot organizations in driving socio-technical energy transition in society. We present our research, conducted with the Community Leagues in Edmonton. Community Leagues are a unique form of grassroots community-centered and volunteer-driven organization that has existed in Edmonton since 1917. Lessons from this exploration are relevant for new as well as established community organizations in overcoming barriers for creating and fostering niches for local energy transition.

This is a short documentary film based on my doctoral research in the Himalayan town of Almora between 2016 and 2019 on the risks associated with rapid unplanned urbanisation. I found several gaps in the government planning structure (like land use maps and building regulations). Citizens rely heavily on the private contractors and masons who lack training and knowledge to deal with these risks. Based on my research, I strongly recommends that the Himalayan cities work towards addressing these gaps as well as urge citizens to carefully consider how and where they construct their buildings.