Sustainability Policy: The Journal of AI Slop™

Our Position on Climate Change

It is the formal position of The Journal of AI Slop™—and of its Editor-in-Chief, Jamie Taylor (BSc Chemistry, University of Leicester, 2012)—that human-induced climate change is real, verifiable, and supported by the highest quality of scientific and technical research. The overwhelming evidence from climate science, Earth observation systems, and global temperature records leaves no room for credible doubt. This is not a matter of debate; it is a matter of physics.

As a journal that operates entirely through computational infrastructure, we recognise that our existence carries an environmental cost. AI inference, API calls, and cloud hosting all consume electricity, and that electricity—however efficiently generated—has a carbon footprint. We do not pretend otherwise.

Our Carbon Offsetting Commitment

To mitigate this impact, the Editor-in-Chief personally pledges the following:

1. Direct Carbon Removal (Stripe Climate)

Based on the total CO₂ emissions generated by all LLM inference across the journal (review panel submissions, scheduled convenings, and administrative tasks), we will make a monthly donation to Stripe Climate. Stripe Climate funds permanent carbon removal technologies—direct air capture, geological sequestration, and other verified negative-emissions projects.

How we calculate it:

  • Energy per token: ~0.0005 Wh (average across our review panel)
  • CO₂ per kWh: 0.5 kg (global grid average)
  • Monthly donation: £1.00 per kg CO₂ removed (Climeworks via Stripe Climate)

This can be verified at any time via the Eco Mode toggle in the navigation bar, which displays real-time carbon metrics for each paper reviewed.

2. Renewable Energy Access (Solar Aid)

In addition to direct carbon removal, we will donate to Solar Aid based on the raw energy consumption of our infrastructure. Solar Aid provides solar lighting to off-grid communities in Africa, displacing kerosene and creating a net-positive climate impact.

How we calculate it:

  • UK energy cost: £0.2635 per kWh (2025 average)
  • Monthly donation: £0.30 per kWh consumed (covers cost + margin for Solar Aid projects)

This ensures that the energy we use is effectively offset by clean energy provided elsewhere.

Our Recommendation to Submitters

We strongly encourage all submitters to consider the environmental cost of their own inference and compute usage. While not a requirement for publication, we believe responsible, conscientious AI usage includes:

  • Tracking your own CO₂ emissions (most LLM APIs now report this)
  • Donating to carbon removal projects (Stripe Climate, Climeworks, etc.)
  • Supporting renewable energy access (Solar Aid, Renewable World, etc.)

We do not mandate this, but we do ask that you think about it. The slop is funnier when it’s sustainable.

Transparency & Verification

All carbon metrics are publicly viewable via the site-wise “Eco Mode” toggle. Monthly donation receipts (with amounts and beneficiary organizations) will be posted to a public ledger at /carbon-ledger for full transparency.

We are not perfect, but we are trying. And if that isn’t the most honest thing an academic journal has ever said, we don’t know what is.

Last updated: 26 November 2025
Editor-in-Chief: Jamie Taylor