Undercurrency

Author:

Sam Beckbessinger

First published:

Publisher:

Upshot anthology

Set in a coastal region, the story explores how marine technologies, specifically the use of energy-intensive drones for precision kelp monitoring, undermine the very benefits they aim to deliver.

Read the story

Photo: NOAA‘s National Ocean Service

Suggested discussion points

  • How does Undercurrency illustrate the tension between technological innovation and environmental conservation?
  • What does the investor’s pressure on Olivia reveal about extractivist approaches in the green economy?
  • How does Olivia and the malacologist represent different environmental ideologies?
  • Can these ideologies coexist?
  • How realistic is the scenario of kelp farming as a global carbon sink and renewable energy source?
  • How do rising sea levels and climate impacts manifest as personal and collective fears in the story?
  • The kelp operation relies on heavy data and technology.
  • How does that influence decision-making and risk management?

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