VOICES FOR SUSTAINABILITY – Sustainability science blog by University of Helsinki

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Introducing the Untame Podcast: Paradigm Shifters

Authors: Galina Kallio and Eeva Houtbeckers

What happens when you put sustainability researchers, activists, and thinkers into conversation with two scholars passionate about shifting paradigms, add some microphones, and press record? This is how the HELSUS-funded Untame podcast was conceived, and the result has produced inspiring, thought-provoking, in-depth discussions with activists and thinkers on the cutting-edge of change. In this blog post we will introduce the episodes from first season of the podcast, Paradigm Shifters, and give some insight into the discussions that took place.

Business and sustainability transformations: part of the problem, part of the solution?

D’Amato, D., Toppinen, A., Kozak, R. 2022. The Role of Business in Global Sustainability Transformations. Routledge. doi:10.4324/9781003003588

Drawing on contributions from more than thirty international scholars and experts in the field, this recently launched book, freely available in open access, examines the role of business – as an enabler, as an inhibitor, and, ultimately as a co-actor – in global sustainability transformations expected over the coming decades. Climate change, biodiversity loss, natural resource overuse, and other forms of human-caused environmental damage are globally recognized as interrelated, wicked challenges that manifest as disruptions to our existing socioeconomic systems. In the meantime, though, private sector companies must continue to make vital contributions to the world in the forms of goods, wealth creation, and employment.

Trash or food? A historical perspective on sustainability of fish as food

Author: Matti Hannikainen

Fishing remains the most ancient method for gathering food that is still commercially important both locally and globally (Fagan 2018). Recent studies however suggest that by the 2030s, most commercial fisheries will be depleted beyond commercial use. Concerning sustainable food production, and the consumption of fish in particular, fisheries in Finland provides potential, which needs to be taken into account. In fact, recent discussions on food security and sustainability have highlighted the role of less valuable fish species. Yet the potential of less valuable species, such as roach (Rutilus rutilus), as a food reserve was recognised in the early 1950s as part of revising the scientific discourse on fish. Nonetheless, their history remains overlooked, which was the reason for analysing changes concerning the value and the consumption of various fish species in Finnish society during the 20th century.

There Is More Than One Way to Discuss the Aesthetic Dimension in Sustainable Development

Author: Noora-Helena Korpelainen

Alex loves colour and taste, a holiday abroad, and sunshine with morning coffee. This Alex is you and me, a citizen of a wealthy country. It is Alex who is asked to change his/her preferences, choices, and practices for the sake of the planet and forthcoming generations – to be a hero of our time, and for a good reason: it is humans who have, with their way of living, caused global climate change and biodiversity loss to mention only two of the many grave phenomena of our time. It is also because of Alex that we eagerly develop new technology to compensate for the necessary changes to mitigate and adapt to climate change. Does unsustainability then boil down to our preferred taste of living?

Lost Voices: How Mining in Scandinavian Arctic Regions has Impacted Sámi Livelihood

By: Avery Desrosiers, Nicole Rice, Selja Ryöppy and Hilja Kurkinen

Through the analysis of the Kiruna mine in Northern Sweden and the Nussir mine in Northern Norway, we can understand how Arctic mining affects Sámi people, an Indigenous community living in the Arctic. In addition to the negative effects on traditional livelihoods such as reindeer herding, mining also impacts Sámi culture, rights and identity as a whole, as nature is intertwined in all aspects of Sámi life. Despite the policies put in place to protect their communities and practices, the Sámi have been constantly overlooked and disregarded. This post shares examples from Scandinavia, as well as potential improvement suggestions from Canada.