iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Patrick Flamm @ptrckflmm.bsky.social · 10/06/2026

Our guests also generously shared their takes on “steps and leaps toward sustainable peace” in a panel discussion with our whole institute, expertly faciliated by Tobias Ide! Many thanks to everyone for contributing to this very productive and insightful exchange about the state of the field!

Solveig Richter, Frederic Hanusch, Matt McDonald and Tobias Ide on the panel (from left to right).

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Patrick Flamm @ptrckflmm.bsky.social · 10/06/2026

From 8-9 June, the Ecology, Climate & Conflict research group at @prif.org organised a workshop on sustainability, peace, & security. We were very excited to have @mattuq.bsky.social, Solveig Richter, Chloe Vongyer, Judith Nora Hardt, & @frederic-hanusch.bsky.social with us!

A group photo of 9 workshop participants standing around a PRIFstanding display.

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Patrick Flamm @ptrckflmm.bsky.social · 09/04/2026

I was waiting for this to happen: an Irish telco millionaire asks the US president the WSJ to make a claim to a part of Antarctica on 4th of July because: resources, grandeur, and satellite receiving stations. And of course China. No mention of Russia though.

From Alaska to Antarctica:
The Next Great American
Expansion

Declan Ganley

The Trump Administration should claim Marie Byrd Land.

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Patrick Flamm @ptrckflmm.bsky.social · 18/03/2026

Currently attending the interdisciplinary Ecological Bootprint conference at the LMU/Rachel Carson Centre where @lukaswagner.bsky.social & I presented our research about kamikaze drone metabolisms, the material flows & sinks of drone warfare in Ukraine. A really interesting & insightful gathering!

Lukas presenting about the elemental composition of an FPV drone.

A view of the Eingangshalle of the LMU Munich main building where the resistance group of the White Rose distributed leaflets call for active opposition to Nazi rule and were subsequently arrested.

A standing poster in the entrance area of the Rachel Carson Centre.

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Patrick Flamm @ptrckflmm.bsky.social · 10/03/2026

Just your regular reminder that there are more people living inside this circle than outside of it.

A Valeriepieris circle drawn so that more than half the world's population lies within it. It clearly shows that most of humanity lives in Asia.

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Patrick Flamm @ptrckflmm.bsky.social · 03/01/2026

Danke, genau das dachte ich mir eben auch. Hier ein Moment eben am Strand in Auckland, Neuseeland: Vollmond, Wolke und ein Surfer vor Rangitoto Island.

Vollmond, Wolke und ein Surfer vor Rangitoto Island, gesehen von Cheltenham Beach, Auckland NZ.

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Patrick Flamm @ptrckflmm.bsky.social · 01/01/2026

Such a joy to begin the day with a walk up Mt Vic/Takarunga in Devonport. Brings back a lot of memories as well as excitement about the next few weeks of research, talks and conferences. If you are in Auckland or Wellington currently and up for a cuppa, please get in touch. Ka kite!

A view of the Auckland skyline and harbour at first light from Mt Vic/Takarunga on the Devonport peninsula. One can see the Devonport Naval Base and probably half of the RNZN ships in port. In the foreground there are Harakeke flax bushes on which Tui feasted just moments before.

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Patrick Flamm @ptrckflmm.bsky.social · 17/12/2025

Into the sky, into the fog. Christmas mood in Frankfurt.

A large-scale Christmas pyramid with lights at the Rossmarkt Christmas market in central Frankfurt. In the background stand skyscrapers half-hidden by fog.

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Patrick Flamm @ptrckflmm.bsky.social · 25/11/2025

Ich darf morgen zusammen mit Stefan Hain vom @awi.de das nächste POLARSTUNDE-Seminar zum Thema Geoengineering als Herausforderung für den Antarktisvertrag bestreiten. Die Polarstunde findet monatlich statt & wird von @polarforschung.bsky.social, @apecs-germany.bsky.social & dem 🇦🇶-SPP organisiert.

Flyer für das nächste Polarstundenseminar:

POLARSTUNDE
Jeoengineering in der Antarktis:
Veue Herausforderungen für den
Antarktisvertrag?
MIT DR. STEFAN HAIN & DR. PATRICK FLAMM
Geoengineering
Klimasystem -
also
gezielte technische
Eingriffe ins
wird zunehmend als mögliche Antwort auf die
Klimakrise diskutiert. Auch die Antarktis gerät dabei zunehmend in den Blick: Ideen wie das Stabilisieren schmelzender Gletscher durch künstliche Barrieren werfen grundlegende rechtliche,
geopolitische, okologische und ethische Fragen auf.
Bei der Antarktiskonferenz in Mailand 2025 war Geoengineering das erste Mal auch Gegenstand von Diskussionen. Wir stellen die Antarktisvertragsstaaten behandelt wurde und was das bedeutet fur zukünftige Entwicklungen.
Mi, 26.11.2025 17:00 - 18:00

Anmeldung an:
polarstunde@polarforschung.de
DEUTSCHE GESELLSCHAFT
FÜR POLARFORSCHUNG e.V.
KAPECS
NTARKTI ORSCHUN

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Patrick Flamm @ptrckflmm.bsky.social · 20/11/2025

Very privileged to spending the last 3 days “at the castle” thinking about the future politics between humans, nonhumans, & planetary forces. Much to think about & work on. This is not the end, many thanks @planetarythinking.bsky.social and @frederic-hanusch.bsky.social for bringing us all together.

Schloss Rauischholzhausen. Some people walking and some snow lying around.

A large, dead tree, and large mushrooms growing from it. Some people in front looking at the tree-fungi and photographing it.

The blue marble photo (symbolising the biosphere) and the black marble photo (symbolising the technosphere), each standing on an easel, in front of an old fireplace. An old painting of someone on a horse hangs above.

A path in the park grounds around the castle. On the left side there is an artificial canal, resembling a little stream.

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Patrick Flamm @ptrckflmm.bsky.social · 29/10/2025

On the home stretch now, finally. Got stranded in Paris somehow but managed to get on one of the last flights out. Bag is still in Iceland though and this national carrier hasn’t exactly excelled in all of this… not keen on airports for a little while I think.

A view of Paris from an airline: one can see the Eiffel Tower and La Defense in the distance.

A fountain inside a waiting hall at Charles De Gaulle Airport in Paris.

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Patrick Flamm @ptrckflmm.bsky.social · 28/10/2025

Spent a long day waiting for various other things in various other queues. Finally transferred to a lovely hotel in the middle of Reykjavik and went for a very refreshing evening walk. Fingers crossed I’ll make it to the European mainland tomorrow.

A snowy street lamp lit street leading up to Hallgrímskirkja.

A car parked at the side of the road with a lot of snow on the roof and around.

Hallgrímskirkja lit with some pink lights, as seen from the side behind snowy trees.

Hallgrímskirkja in all its snowy and pinkly lit glory from the front.

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Patrick Flamm @ptrckflmm.bsky.social · 28/10/2025

On the way back from Greenland, currently snowed in at Keflavik Airport in Iceland. Watched a film on the plane while it was waiting to be de-iced, only to be asked to leave the plane after 2 hours. At least I finished the film, it was good.

The view from inside a plane through a window is impaired by snow on the outside.

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Patrick Flamm @ptrckflmm.bsky.social · 23/10/2025

A privilege to be able to attend the Polar Law Symposium in Nuuk: there is a lot going on in both polar regions, it is very insightful & exciting to exchange views & arguments with colleagues. And our hosts from the Uni of Greenland are doing a splendid job welcoming us to their home city! Qujanaq.

A few of the Old Town of Nuuk from Myggedalen. In the distance there is the Sermitsiaq mountain. In the little bay in the front there are white sea ice pieces or little icebergs visible.

The Kaassassuk sculpture in front of Nuuk Centre and the parliament.

A piece of art hanging from the walls in the conference area of the Hotel Hans Egede.

Floating pieces of glacial ice at the shore in the middle of Nuuk.

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Patrick Flamm @ptrckflmm.bsky.social · 13/08/2025

Always a good time at the Lake of Constance on a hot summer day! Also: This photo has three countries in its frame.

The view from Lindau (Germany) in the foreground over the Bodensee to Bregenz (Austria) on the left and a little bit of Switzerland on the right. There are people swimming in a sheltered bay on Lindau island.

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Patrick Flamm @ptrckflmm.bsky.social · 04/07/2025

The last 3 days (on monastery grounds) showed again what a gift it is the be a member of young academy for sustainability research of the @friasunifreiburg.bsky.social: it’s such a joy & intellectual inspiration to be with this kind, smart, and funny community of “young” minds. Thanks everyone!

A large tree on monastry grounds under which we gathered for group work. It provided shade and respite from the hottest day of the year.

The sun is behind a cloud around dusk, and there is a cow grazing in front of the St Trudpert monastery’s wall in the Black Forest.

The view of the monastery’s garden from the guest house, overlooking the Münstertal valley.

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Patrick Flamm @ptrckflmm.bsky.social · 29/06/2025

“Wimbledon’ grass is green. Its processes are dark.” At King’s, “the whole of the meadow is alive.” What a contrast of lawns, one from the past, one for the future in this piece. At Trinity, there is lavender blooming & a discussion of re-activating a centuries-old water pipe to water the lawn…

An article in the current edition of The Economist, entitled Turf Wars.

Trinity’s courtyard at dusk, with lavender growing around a fountain.

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Patrick Flamm @ptrckflmm.bsky.social · 29/06/2025

On the way back home from a very insightful Arctic Repair conference about research into potential polar geoengineering interventions and their governance. Many thanks to the @climaterepair.bsky.social at Cambridge for the superb organisation. Much to think about in the train now and beyond…

The courtyard of Trinity College seen through a window in the clocktower at dusk.

In the Grantchester Meadows at the river Cam.

Waiting for the Eurostar departure at St Pancras.

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Patrick Flamm @ptrckflmm.bsky.social · 25/06/2025

Spent a great day at @scottpolar.bsky.social and the Polar Museum today, thanks to Albert van Wijngaarden and Jean de Pomereu: excellent discussions, a great library, and a wonderful little museum!

A painting of the Antarctic on the ceiling of the entrance hall of the Polar Museum.

The Scott Polar Research Institute’s library.

An informative notice inside a museum toilet.

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Patrick Flamm @ptrckflmm.bsky.social · 24/06/2025

Look @vanjackson.bsky.social, what I found at the Cambridge Uni bookstore. Is it any good?

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Patrick Flamm @ptrckflmm.bsky.social · 03/06/2025

Lee Jae-Myung is the next South Korean president.

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Patrick Flamm @ptrckflmm.bsky.social · 13/01/2025

Still impressed that a local small town liquor store in Germany offers craft beer from the #Faroer Islands… it’s such a small brewery and the dark lager really really was premium!

An opened bottle of Föroya Bjór. It’s a dark lager called BLACK SHEEP, with a sheep, lightning and thunderstrike on the label.

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Patrick Flamm @ptrckflmm.bsky.social · 25/12/2024

Kein Schnee aber viel Sonne heute sowie der Säntis in den Appenzeller Alpen, vom deutschen Bodenseeufer aus.

Der Bodensee in Langenargen, mit Blick hinüber in die Schweiz. Über tiefhängenden Wolken ist der Säntis sichtbar.

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Patrick Flamm @ptrckflmm.bsky.social · 25/12/2024

Mir geht es ganz genauso. Ich träume davon, mal wieder die Strassen unter dem ganzen geparkten Blech zu sehen… In Japan, auch eine grosse Autonation, ist es grundsätzlich verboten, auf der Strasse zu parken. Man darf überhaupt nur ein Auto kaufen, wenn man vorweisen kann, einen Parkplatz zu haben.

Eine Nebenstrasse mitten in Herzen von Tokyo, im Winter. Es ist kein Auto zu sehen, weder parkend noch fahrend. Aber ein Fussgänger sowie ein Radfahrender. Am Strassenrand ist ein weiteres Fahrrad geparkt.

Eine Hauptverkehrsstrasse im Herzen von Tokyo. Zweispurige Strassen, mit regem Verkehr in jede Richtung. Man sieht Lastwagen ebenso wie Vans und PKW, inklusive eines K-Car. Es sind keine Autoparkplätze zu sehen. Das Bild wurde von einer barrierefreien Fussgängerbrücke aufgenommen.

Blick aus einem Hochhaus auf Tokyo Tower. Im Hintergrund Tokyo Bay, im Vordergrund ein Wohnviertel.

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Patrick Flamm @ptrckflmm.bsky.social · 27/11/2024

Using the opportunity to tell you about a new paper that I wrote together with Akiho Shibata about the underrated geopolitical dimension of glacial #geoengineering proposals in #Antarctica. It’s #openaccess & available online at International Affairs here: academic.oup.com/ia/advance-a...

Cover page of the article: 'Ice sheet conservation' and
international discord: governing (potential) glacial geoengineering in Antarctica
PATRICK FLAMM AND AKIHO SHIBATA*

Two key take aways from the paper:

• We argue that the proposed infrastructures could negatively implicate the 'peaceful purposes only' obligation enshrined in the Antarctic Treaty. By affecting contentious areas of Antarctic geopolitics, such as authority, sovereignty and security, there is a significant risk that the project would make the Antarctic 'the scene or object of international discord'.
• Even if the ice curtain idea were to be technically feasible and environmentally harmless, it would still create significant political and legal challenges for the current governance arrangements in the Antarctic.

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