Overview
This unit introduces a simple question framework to dissect the component elements of a conflict problem. This provides basic parameters in describing and analysing the information that have been identified to provide the foundation for more abstract and complex levels of learning.
Finland has promoted its green credentials over many years. However, environmental concerns have been raised over public and private sector actions for several years and the focus is on two key players - Neste and VAPO.
D.5. Reading (Look at this before doing the tasks). The Tasks and Answer Key/Pointers/Sources are in Theme H in the drop-down menu at the top of this page.
View from the centre of Helsinki.
Think About:
“The 20th-century peatlands ditching in Finland was the worst human environmental destruction action in Europe” – Pentti Linkola
“The environment is everything that isn’t me” – Albert Einstein
“Sadly, it’s much easier to create a desert than a forest” – James Lovelock
“That’s the big mistake the environmental movement made – ‘We’ll scare the hell out of you, and you’ll become an activist’” – Naomi Klein
Materials Updates/News:
Periodically, materials will be updated, or there may be news items worthy of attention related to this Unit. They will be notified here. If you come across any news/resources, e.g. journal/newspaper articles relevant to the content of this website, please let me know. I can be contacted via the email address below.
Back in 2022 the European parliament voted in favour of labelling natural gas and nuclear power as ‘green.’ Guess who was at the forefront of this push…
Back in 2022, the Consumer Ombudsman criticised Fortum:
Yle. 31.8.2022. Consumer watchdog raps Fortum for greenwashing.
The closing of energy sources from Russia impacts on Finnish energy when peat production makes a comeback:
Yle. 19.4.2022. Peat production drops faster than expected in Finland – but may be on the way back.
Competition increases:
Yle. 1.11.2023. Neste to cut at least 300 jobs in Finland.
Check out the Exalt Initiative - Global Extractivisms and Alternatives Initiative (EXALT) launched in January 2020 at the University of Helsinki.
But as with so many activist academics, the language used says it all:
“Geo-political metabolism: dialectical couplings between non-human natures and geopolitical economic logics unfolding through transimperial formations.”
Until 2016, there was a counter-project to the WEF called the Public Eye Awards that highlighted how bad some companies were. Their publicity video highlights some key players and in 2011 guess who was given an award...