R packages, like any software, require maintenance. Package maintenance includes: Fixing bugs when discovered. Adapting to updates in package dependencies. Providing some level of user and contributor support. When desired, refactoring code or adding new functionality. Without maintenance efforts a package is at risk of losing its value. Yet, maintaining a package for years or even decades can be challenging as it is time consuming.

The climate crisis demands immediate action, in order to prevent every bit of warming we can. Organizations are big emitters, because they consume, spend, and grow — a lot. All of those economic activities are strongly coupled with emissions. We do our emission assessments because that information is key to taking informed action. Our previous assessments in 2019, 2020, and 2021 already influenced our equipment policy and event policy.

The colleagues from the other side of the library also started blogging, but more of the book- and collection related library topics. For hosting the blog, the platform hypotheses.org was chosen. Hypotheses.org mainly focuses on academic content. Check it out at https://sub.hypotheses.org/ or subscribe to the RSS Feed.

Last year, we established Liberate Science’s baseline environmental impact, estimating around 6 000 kilos of carbon dioxide equivalent (or 6 mtCO2e) of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for the years 2019 and 2020. For 2021, we calculated 3.29 mtCO2e – a welcome reduction (-48% overall, -30% compared to 2020). In part, this reduction is because of a smaller team and that we didn’t need (or want) to update any of our devices or office furniture.

At Liberate Science, we are committed to being part of a global movement for change – and it was time we made it official. We are pledging 1% of our sales to the planet and are excited to join a growing global network of businesses, non-profits and individuals working together for a healthy planet. The climate crisis is raging on and there is no time or space for corporate actors to deflect their responsibilities.

This is a joint publication by Cathleen Berger (Climatiq), Chris Hartgerink (Liberate Science), Indré Blauzdžiūnaitė (Trafi), Vineeta Greenwood (Wholegrain Digital). Cross-published in Branch Magazine. We all know that climate action is urgent. We also know that the private sector is responsible for the lion’s share of global greenhouse gas emissions.

The science is clear: humanity is living beyond the regenerative capabilities of our planetary boundaries. It is easy to forget when building a business, that we are also contributing to the excess. For us to create a sustainable science, we need to create a culture of sustainability thinking across economic, social, and ecological domains.

Can a service transition help us reduce carbon emissions? The evidence says no.

🎤 Dan Sholler, rOpenSci Postdoctoral Fellow 🕘 Tuesday, December 18, 2018, 10-11AM PST; 7-8PM CET (find your timezone) ☎️ Details for joining the Community Call. Everyone is welcome. No RSVP needed. Researchers use open source software for the capabilities it provides, such as streamlined data access and analysis and interoperability with other pieces of the scientific computing ecosystem.

The Alliance of German Science Organisations has recently published its “Recommendations on the Development, Use and Provision of Research Software”, in English and German. Research software has been an emerging subject in recent months, which has been considered as a subtitle of research data by the scientific community for a long time. But software is not data. It must evolve and adapt to the changes in its environment.