This is my interview with one of the researchers in corporate environmental management field, Susanna Horn, who currently works at the University of Jyvaskyla in Finland, and who was glad to answer to few of my questions concerning our current environmental threats and the future of our planet..
All her answers contain her personal beliefs or opinion, but at the same time bring significant highlights into important issues...
1. In your opinion, what is the greatest invention, innovation or ideaofall time?
This is difficult to answer. I guess the most important inventions arealready old, for example fire, communication skills, bikes, growingfood, etc. But if considering modern times it seems that most of thenew inventions are just compensating for bad inventions in the past. Forexample use of bioenergy, wind energy, energy efficiency solutions havebeen created to reduce emissions related to fossil fuel use. Nevertheless, I think that current innovative solutions for producingfor example wind power, offshore wind power, bioenergy (incl biogas),waste-to-energy, hydrogen and energy efficiency solutions are formingthe most important field of innovations. Another example of a modern innovation, which is optimizing the use ofenergy in the transport sector is public transport, for example lighttramway systems. A third invention/innovation that comes into my mind, and will beuseful in the future, is probably transforming salt water into drinkingwater.
2. What is the most regrettable thing that you believe is happeningtoday?
One of the most regrettable things is private transport. This is aninefficient way of moving people from one place to another. People aregetting lazier and unsocial and are paying more attention to the looksand power of their own vehicles, which generates envy andcompetitiveness. If you would ask me here, what is the worst inventionof our times, it would probably be the SUV. Another regrettable trend is the increasing consumption pattern. Thisrelates to both products and energy. In modern society it is oftenimbedded in people’s minds, that the more you buy and consume, thewarmer you heat your house and the more often you fly to vacations, thehigher other people rank you in society. This is also being taught tochildren and there is a false idea in families that the more you buythings to your children, the more you care for them. Sustainabilityeducation would advise just the opposite.
3. How do you think - is it possible to prevent the global environmental crisis?
The prevention seems to be easiest by a combination of raisingdrastically the consciousness of the public and introducing emissionlimits, which will be able to lead to a sustainable resource use.Isolating one of these two from the other would not be sufficient. Somerestrictions obviously need to be in place. The current threat ofclimate change has the nature of a public good and therefore it can notbe left on public consciousness. It has to be internalized in productsand services, either in form of price changes (subsidies/taxes) oremission limits. However, for people to start making choices towardssustainable consumption patterns, they need to be aware of the situationand what is good for the future. Ignorance is a large threat currently.
4. What are the greatest environmetnal threats in your community(Finland)?
It seems that in Finland the currently greatest threats are anunsustainable mix of energy production as well as the idealization ofunsustainable consumption and transport (incl. private transport andtravelling). The current environmental/energy related policies willdetermine the way, towards where Finland will be going. For example thegrowing dependency of nuclear energy and actually also peat are both notenvironmentally sustainable in the long run. Investing heavily intothese forms, will be a threat and reduce the resources available forrenewable energy technologies and research. A clear, long term policywill be needed. Consumption patterns in Finland are similar to mostdeveloped countries, which are unsustainable (for example according toecological rucksack studies). There is a big threat also from outside our borders, both to airquality as well as sea water quality.
5. What is your vision of our future?
The question might be easier to answer if I could say my worst fear andbest hope scenario. I have no clear vision anyway. The worst fear isthat society will go on, hoping that someone will make a revolutionaryinvention, which would remove the current environmental threat. This isa passive society, where everyone is blaming everyone else and nobodyhas the courage to make the important changes (or decisions leading tochanges). At some point the environment’s capacity will be reached. Bybest hope on the other hand is, that society will be active, thenecessary emission limits will be introduced, fossil fuel use will bemade so expensive that it is not economically possible to use it aswidely anymore and consumers will understand the impact their dailychoices have on the future.
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