Finn Arne Jørgensen

Historians need to be represented by an organization committed to the position that historical sources, interpretation, argument, and, above all, understanding matter more and demand more than producing grammatical sentences incorporating suggested keywords in response to prompts.

Framed oval embroidery of a person with the text «post-humanist»

A new embroidery showed up in the @greenhouseuis.net Library over the summer. I like it! #envhum #posthumanities

ESP = Extra Sensory Pufferfish.

Silhuette of a gull on a roof, with a scifi looking tower silhuette in the background. Red-orange-grey skies and clouds

The sun sets on a gull.

One week left to apply for this tenured #envhist job!

green/yellow tinted image of fish eggs on the cover of the journal Environmental Humanities

The July 2025 issue of Environmental Humanities is now available to read online!
read.dukeupress.edu/environmenta...

A quick rundown of all the #envhum content:

Captain it's Wednesday

Captain it's Wednesday

View Matteo Menapace 🍉’s graphic link Matteo Menapace 🍉Matteo Menapace 🍉 • 1stPremium • 1st Very serious game designerVery serious game designer 1w • Edited • 1 week ago • Edited • Visible to anyone on or off LinkedIn One year ago today Daybreak, the climate game I co-designed with Matt Leacock, won one of the most prestigious awards in the tabletop game industry, the Kennerspiel des Jahres (loosely translated as the gamers’ game of the year) for games published in German. Germany is the second largest market for board games in the world. It is also the second largest exporter of weapons to Israel (no prize for guessing which country is first in both categories). On day 287 of the genocide, 21 July 2024, I had the privilege and felt that I should use it on the Berlin stage to share a message of solidarity with the people being slaughtered by the Israeli state with German weapons. The symbol I chose is a watermelon, which to me represents the creative resistance of Palestinians in the face of decades of brutal oppression and censorship. Palestinians have been using 🍉 since 1967, when Israel banned the use of their flag in both Israel and the lands it illegally occupies. Had I worn a 🇵🇸 or a FREE PALESTINE slogan, the awards organisation would have probably prevented me from going on stage, but the watermelon went unnoticed. Matt was also wearing fruit on his shirt. After the ceremony, however, online complaints made their way to the jury, who approached me and demanded I remove the watermelon. “Here we don't allow political statements”, chairman Harald Schrapers told me, who on that same night had welcomed a Ukrainian family on stage and shared how board games had been key to their integration in German society (definitely not a political statement), let alone awarding a political game like Daybreak. Trying to separate games from politics is a fruitless task.

The next day, during the awards press conference, Schrapers sneered that “we find it intolerable that a game author we invited wore a symbol on his clothing on stage that must be perceived as antisemitic by Jews.” It was unclear if any Jewish people were consulted or how they felt about being told by Germans what they “must” find offensive. Then the Spiel des Jahres organisation issued a statement on their website banning me from future events. Yet, instead of being ostracized, I felt more included in a community of engaged players and designers after the outpouring of support I received from friends and allies following this controversy. But this is not about me. One year on, Israel continues carrying out the genocide of the Palestinian people with full support from the US and its allies. As Omar El Akkad tweeted, back in October 2023: “One day, when it’s safe, when there’s no personal downside to calling a thing what it is, when it’s too late to hold anyone accountable, everyone will have always been against this.” Every little crack in the genocidal machine is needed. Not when it’s safe. Now. Feeling guilty is not useful to Palestinians. You can channel those feelings into action. For some ideas, read my blog https://lnkd.in/eEFkihwe

A very important post from @baddeo.bsky.social, the designer of the Daybreak board game so many of you climate and energy nerds know and love

Pretty deeply scary to see not just the viciously racist ideology at play, but the presentation of it as a liberal ideal

www.linkedin.com/posts/matteo...

Old camera on wooden tripod in corner of garden, house in background

View of old photo with explanatory text on the back of camera installed in garden pointing towards house. Text below photo: «When Colonel Lyle commissioned this photograph in 1916, the White Garden was a farmyard and the Strode stables were yet to be transformed into a handsome Arts & Crafts house.»

Another camera on wooden tripod, placed inside a room looking out the window towards courtyard

Historical map of site overlaid on current aerial photo, georectified.

But I should highlight the excellent rephotography installations at Barrington Court, a National Trust house and gardens we stopped at on the way to Heathrow. Really nicely done to evoke old photography with these cameras placed around the site.

Barn swallow on a power line, blue sky in background, the last photo I took at the house we rented in Lansallos, Cornwall

An excellent week in Cornwall is over. Can’t believe I start work again on Monday.

Black and white Jack Russell Terrier stretched out on a dark brown sheep skin. A dreamy, content look in his eyes

The look of a dog who’s back home with his people after a week at the doggy hotel.

We found it in Cornwall, on the beach by Tintagel Castle. But yes, uncertain about the piece too - it’s clearly a Lego piece (4L Axle, part # 3705) but they never made this in pink. Perhaps it was a red one that has faded significantly?

Manchester University Press - Electric wind Electric wind - Browse and buy the Paperback edition of Electric wind by Marianna Dudley

I was excited to find out that my book is available for pre-order! One for anyone interested in energy, climate, and the history of Britain. Thanks to MUP for making it pretty and affordable 🫶 manchesteruniversitypress.co.uk/9781526182968/

Rock on beach with weird lines

Harbor at low tide, no water, surrounded by little cute fishing village

Power lines against sky, creating a nice pattern

People walking on overgrown forest trail

Last day in Cornwall: Lovely walk to and beachcombing at Lansallos Beach. Wandering around nearby Polperro. Excellent dinner in Lostwithiel. Would love to spend more time here

screenshot of the programme with the two panels indicated at 9am and 11am

@eseh.bsky.social 2025 participants: I just wanted to flag the 2 environmental histories of #plastic panels I've organised with really exciting papers by @luciletruffy.bsky.social & more + @finnarne.me as chair.

Both are hybrid & on Wed 20 Aug. morning.

Make sure to add them on your calendar!

Rocks, colored seaglass, bright smooth plastic, a pink Lego piece.

Beachcombing findings. Seaglass, pretty rocks, smooth plastic, and yes, a Lego piece! Could it be from the 1997 container ship spill? Found by Tintagel. @legolostatsea.bsky.social

Seaweed

Proper Cornish coastal view with cliffs and ocean

Sea horse wrapped up in beads, magic innit

Beautiful doorbell

Yesterday: much sunnier than expected. Beachcombing, views, and crowds at Tintagel. Witchcraft museum, also surprisingly crowded. Gorgeous mansion (and used books!) at Lanhydrock. And a great meal at a countryside inn. And takeout Indian dinner from Lostwithiel.

Happy birthday, Mica!

Undersea cables

Charles W Simpson RI (1885 - 1971) Line Fishing Season, undated. Painting of gulls

Tree over road, shaped like pac-man about go gobble up the little white road markings

Sign on country roads, pointing in all directions. Lanreath, Liskeard, Trefrawl, Bodinnick, Lansallos, and other places too.

Today: All kinds of weather, often at the same time. Excellent telecommunications history at PK Porthcurno. Great pasties in farm shops. Wandering around Penzance - and buying more lovely books. Nice exhibition on birds in Cornish art. More driving on roads that all lead to everywhere.

I’ve got my finger on the pulse of the world.

Small statue in a clear green-turquoise pond at Wheal Martyn Clay Works. Rain drop ripples in the water

Eden Project domes with hexagonal plastic panes, under a rainy sky. Kind of gloomy.

Crazy bright orange Australian flower

View of Cornwall coastline and ocean, clouds above.

Today in Cornwall: Rain, Wheal Martyn Clay Works, The Eden Project, beer at St Austell Brewery, chilling with a book and looking at the view. Oh, and even some vinyl shopping!

Two common seals and one flying gull fighting over a small piece of fish. Absolute chaos

Today: Absolute chaos at the Cornish Seal Sanctuary in Gweek. Also long walks in gardens and on rocky beaches. And what’s probably the best cold brew I ever had at Origin Coffee in Porthleven (excited about trying the beans I bought!).

Three corvids on a mossy roof, high contrast.

Fowey birds.

Way more than you could see in the pic. Hordes! Definitely didn’t feel like stopping. But also tons of cows, so there is that!

A henge, made of stones.

Stonehenge! Seen from traffic, really backed up here.

Our rental car just interrupted a conversation to say that it didn’t understand what we were saying and that we should consider connecting it to ChatGPT. Needless to say, I went digging into the settings…. So freaky. So unnecessary.

Yes!

Biosphere - Patashnik cover. Deep rich blue, moon rising over clouds

But I don’t love the cover, it’s supposed to be this one from my 1994 CD. Still have it somewhere in a storage box.

Patashnik [Reissue with bonus album], by Biosphere 24 track album

And then! Patashnik from 1994, the album that really got me into Biosphere. I kinda knew of Jenssen from Bel Canto (whoa, also due a re-listen!), but this was magical. Still is.

The Senja Recordings, by Biosphere 17 track album

Continuing with The Senja Recordings from 2019, a mix of outdoor field recordings from Senja (Norway’s second largest island, located halfway between Tromsø and my hometown Sortland) and studio improvisations. Experimental with some real fascinating bits. I love the hydrophone parts.