Occupy Goes Global!
Stockholm
In 2020 OCC! expanded its scope and encouraged students to explore local initiatives in their city, resulting in entries from various locations. Here you find the entries from Stockholm
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List of experiences: TOTAL RESULTS 7
Gatsmart – Gröna Linjen ( Streetsmart – The Green Line)
By Julian Gasson
Image: Gröna Linjen besöker Takodlarna Sergel ©Ulrika Flodin Furås
Where is this grassroots initiative implemented?
The initiative was implemented in Stockholm, Sweden and involved several green spaces and food garden sites which coincidentally happened to be located along the “Green” metroline (hence the name of the initiative). The sites ranged from a suburban brownfield to a periurban collectively managed social space to a concrete roof top in the centre of the central business district. Ownership of the different sites ranged from private to collective and organisational (kollektiv and föreningen in Swedish) to public (both officially and unofficially). The sites were located in several different neighbourhoods (mostly Swedish middle class with pockets of middle- and working-class immigrants) in the southern region of the city up towards the centre.
Who are the promoters
Ulrika Flodin Furås – a journalist, writer, and certified tour guide and who was interviewed for the writing of this text – was one of about 4 core organiser-promoters. The other organisers were from diverse backgrounds including journalism, research, design, history, architecture and the arts. Additionally, various other people -such as academic researchers or agricultural specialists – dropped in at different times to lend their expertise to the initiative. The core organisers were responsible for identifying, connecting and facilitating public engagement with the green spaces and food gardens which were themselves operated by people other than the core organisers.
Who are the beneficiaries?
The target audience of the initiative were members of the general public who had a desire to learn more about gardening (with growing their own food in urban environments being of particular concern). These people were taken to the different sites on bicycle tours (cykelsafari) where they would be informed about the operations going on there (including being served lunch at one of the food gardens with food made from vegetables grown there). Another group of beneficiaries were the urban growers and gardeners being visited as they were given publicity and could possibly attract volunteers or project funds as a result of the bicycle tours. The initiative also facilitated meetings and workshops for the growers and gardeners to connect them with, for example, urban planners, landscape architects, soil scientist, etc. Worth mentioning is that the core group of organisers themselves also benefited from the initiative as it allowed them to create a transdisciplinary network for themselves. Although the actual network doesn’t exist formally, several of the original organisers still collaborate on projects from time to time.
How does this initiative engage with climate? Does it tackle mitigation, adaptation, both or other dimensions of climate change?
At the time of the project (over ten years ago), climate change was not as present at the local level as it is today. However, Flodin Furås is certain that the project would be much more centred on climate change awareness, mitigation and adaptation, community building and resilient food systems if it were to be run again.
What are the main objectives? What are the main values?
The aim of the core group of organisers was to create a transdisciplinary network for themselves populated with actors and stakeholders interested in activating liminal or un-used green spaces and making them desirable for the public to be in or take care of. Flodin Furås summed it up eloquently as facilitating “anarchist urban gardening to activate people” to become more community oriented. There was also a keen interest in the idea of gardening-as-therapy – to use gardening as a tool to help people cope with the stresses of urban life.
What is the timeline? Are there already visible effects?
Starting in 2014, the project only ran for about a year before the core group of organisers became overly occupied in their main focus areas. As described by Flodin Furås, the project allowed them to identify their driving passions and interests such as soil creation, agroforestry, and – in the case of Flodin Furås – to become a certified tour guide to carry out ‘propaganda in disguise’ about urban gardening and the importance of both domesticated and wild plants within the urban context. Although most of the original network-actors still meet occasionally and sometimes even collaborate on different projects together, an actual “Gröna Linjen network” was never formally materialised. Some of the green sites themselves no longer exist although others have sprung up since then. However, given that little information is publicly available about the initiative (the website it was previously featured on no longer exists) it is unclear how much of an impact this specific initiative continues to have on the Stockholm community.
Which limits does it encounter?
Although the core organisers were deeply invested in the project, any time they spent on the Gröna Linjen was at their own expense and had to be carried out adjacent to their full-time employment commitments. External funding would have gone a huge way towards increasing the project longevity. As the aim of the project was to create a network of mostly already existing actors (the urban growers and gardeners), little to no additional physical infrastructure was required.
Are any shortcomings or critical points visible? What other problematic issues can arise from its implementation?
There is a very short growing season in Stockholm relative to, for example, cities in southern Europe. Therefore ways would need to be explored to keep the spaces that the project activated still active in the colder months to maintain both momentum and public engagement. Another option would have been to include indoor interventions such as hydroponic growing operations which exist and are collectively managed in some apartment building collectives in Stockholm. Integration and cross-community engagement would be something to pay more attention to if the project were to recur (especially to avoid things like class-safari or fly-by-night development). Language would play a vital role in facilitating this last point as everything to do with the project was in Swedish and which would have prevented non-Swedish speakers from partaking in the tours or possibly even joining the network of growing sites.
How would it be potentially replicable in other settings?
It would absolutely be replicable, especially in cities and towns where urban planning has occurred more or less haphazardly and has led to the creation of many in-between spaces perfect for ‘greening’ and activation by the public. However, it would be important to encourage a cross-pollination of methods and tactics instead directly importing these – i.e. the realities and requirements of the local context should always have top priority when community building projects like this are carried out.
Is this initiative conducive to broader changes (law, institutional arrangements, long-term sustainability or community preparedness, etc.)? If yes, which?
There is huge potential for another iteration of Gröna Linjen to affect change in most if not all of these areas as different actors from different backgrounds would be brought together through creating an organised network of allotment gardens, urban food production, anarchist spatial takeovers, vertical farms, etc. Worth noting from the 2014 iteration was that urban gardeners were connected with scientists, urban planners, and the like, which would not usually happen as these professions typically don’t cross paths. In the context of the need for climate change mitigation and resilience building, this kind of transdisciplinary network building, knowledge sharing and sense-making could have huge impacts on not only local governance and legislation but also community building and diversification.
References:
Flodin Furås, U. (2023, May 25). Personal communication [telephonic interview].
“Ta Tillbaka Framtiden” – a Swedish youth climate movement and community
By Clara Saglietti
Picture 1: Ta Tillbaka Framtiden youth climate movement. (Image with permission to use from Ta Tillbaka Framtiden, 2023)
Ta Tillbaka Framtiden – “Reclaim the Future” in English – is a new Swedish climate movement and radical community for young people, who “aim to be the change and claim back the future taken away by the environmental and social emergency” (Informant 1, personal communication, May 15, 2023). With such a proactive stance, this approach shows that the future of societies and nature is radically open and up for grabs (Swyngedouw, 2013).
Since April 2023, the movement has taken peaceful direct action against the fossil fuel industry. It started with a 2-week blockade of the oil terminal in Gothenburg’s harbour to obstruct fossil fuel transport (De Rosa, 2022; Hansson, 2023; Kardell, 2023; Mattsson, 2023; Persson, 2023). This has been followed by other actions, like a similar blockade of the oil harbour in Malmö in June, which was joined by many young activists including Greta Thunberg (Henley, 2023; Rannard, 2023).
In addition to these acts of civil disobedience, the group is creating an inclusive and growing community that organises meetings and fun activities to envision a different future, redistribute power, and build the desired future world without waiting for others to take responsibility. As some of the founders said, the movement fights again the two main problems affecting the lives of youth today, climate change and individualism, but also “organises to create alternatives based on the most beautiful parts of existing and being together in a hopeful and joyful way” (Informant 2, personal communication, May 16, 2023).
Picture 2: The second action of Ta Tillbaka Framtiden, blocking the oil terminal of Malmö in June 2023. (Image with permission to use from Ta Tillbaka Framtiden, 2023)
Where is this grassroots initiative implemented? Who are the promoters? Who are the
beneficiaries?
So far, there are three main local groups in Gothenburg, Malmö, Stockholm and Umeå, with other members spread out across the country. The founders describe it as “a movement for young people, by young people” (Informant 3, personal communication, May 16, 2023). The community members are between 12 and 30 years old with different levels of experience in climate activism, and they came together in Autumn 2022. The focus is on empowering the current young generations and the movement is rooted in a Swedish cultural context, but the organisers have a broader holistic take on activism. They aim also to bring about change and transition to a sustainable and just society for future generations and for all those who are affected by the socio-ecological crises.
How does this initiative engage with climate? Does it tackle mitigation,
adaptation, both, or other dimensions of climate change?
Ta Tillbaka Framtiden engages with the climate by opposing the fossil fuel industry, “the largest contributor to climate change and perpetrator of today’s injustices” (Informant 2, personal communication, May 16, 2023), and by addressing the social consequences of climate change through the creation of a space for young people to deal with the crises and the feelings it brings with it. The movement tackles mainly mitigation, by trying to dismantle the fossil fuel industry. The members are very clear on the fact that “fossil fuels cannot co-exist with the idea of a future – it is either us or them” (Informant 2, personal communication, May 16, 2023). They want to take measures so that the climate crisis doesn’t get worse.
Furthermore, the movement has recognized that “no is not enough” (Dawson et al., 2022, p.11). Since the effects of climate change are already happening and affecting many people, they are working with society and building resilient communities to promote adaptation, while addressing other societal inequalities and injustices. As they say, “even if in a thought experiment we would not have climate change, we would still like to work on the many social problems of today” (Informant 2, personal communication, May 16, 2023), by creating a more resilient and supportive community.
What are the main objectives? What are the main values?
Beyond the focus on the two pillars of (1) taking action against the fossil industry and (2) creating a community for young people in an individualised society, the movement has clear values and objectives articulated in Ta Tillbaka Framtiden’s vision. The following nine points from the movement’s vision document reflect what the members are working towards and how they behave in the community.
- “Hopeful future: We want to live in a society that acts powerfully to deal with the climate crisis and fight injustice. In our movement, we take matters into our own hands to create the future we’re hoping for.
- Connection between humans and nature: We want to live in a society that respects the planetary boundaries and is organized in a way that creates prosperous ecosystems. In our movement, we understand that humans belong to and depend on nature.
- Real justice: We want to live in a society that does away with the structural injustices that characterize our culture. In our movement, we highlight unheard perspectives and oppose oppression within and outside the movement.
- Well-being over profit: We want to live in a society that prioritizes human well-being over economic profit. In our movement, we take people’s different needs into account and strive for an equal community.
- Community first: We want to live in a society where people help and care for each other. In our movement, we break free from individualism and loneliness.
- Long-term perspective: We want to live in a society that is planned based on a long-term perspective to protect future generations. In our movement, we make decisions taking into account the consequences of these in both the short and long term.
- Meaningful existence: We want to live in a society where work is meaningful and does not wear out our bodies and minds. In our movement, we value activities other than work and make our work situations joyful and satisfying.
- Caring coexistence: We want to live in a society where we are allowed to express our feelings and our vulnerability. In our movement, we create a culture where we respect and meet each other’s emotional needs.
- Learning through exchanges: We want to live in a society where knowledge and opinions is created in an exchange between people from different backgrounds. In our movement, we listen to perspectives other than our own and are open to the responses we receive.” (Ta Tillbaka Framtiden, 2023).
Pictures 3 and 4: The two pillars of the movement: (1) direct action against the fossil fuel industry in April 2023, Gothenburg, and (2) the creation of an inclusive community for the youth. (Image with permission to use from Ta Tillbaka Framtiden, 2023)
What is the timeline? Are there already visible effects?
The timeframe is not decided a priori as Ta Tillbaka Framtiden is still exploring, expanding, and evolving, but it has a long-term perspective and orientation. The movement was created from the realisation that it was time to shape something innovative, needed, and interesting for young people to start broader and deeper shifts in the long run regarding how communities are built and organised. The group is still in its starting phase of bringing in more people, getting organised, and strategizing about campaigns that will have strong impacts. According to the organisers, the fact that an increasing number of people is joining Ta Tillbaka Framtiden shows that movement speaks to the youth’s needs, that it offers an attractive and hopeful alternative, and that the community-building strategy is successful. Furthermore, the members report a shared sense of satisfaction and happiness for being part of a community that is so supportive, dares to dream, and tries to bring those dreams to life. According to them, “there are already visible effects on the lives of the people involved in the movement, but visible and measurable aren’t the same thing” (Informant 1, personal communication, May 15, 2023). They think that there are a lot of impacts which will be hard to clearly point at, for example in the reactions to the actions, or in how people change mindsets. The members expect more visible effects in relation to the disturbance caused to the fossil fuel industry as results of the non-violent direct actions against it and the upcoming campaigns.
Which limits and shortcomings does it encounter?
Although the founders think that they are doing well in building the organizing structure and getting people involved in the movement and in actions, they mostly struggle with the same problems they are trying to address. Namely, in the society they aim to transform, people are often too busy with work to meet their economic needs or isolated and struggle to get involved in activism. They claim that “this is especially difficult when trying to recruit young people in Sweden, since we’ve been raised in a hyper-individualistic society in a hyper-individualistic country, but in the long-term we believe that we’re addressing these issues in a way that will attract other young people” (Informant 3, personal communication, May 16, 2023). Moreover, as typical of movements in an early stage, they have experienced that finding funding for civil disobedience is challenging and they are working on it. A generally positive attitude prevails as these limits are not perceived as insurmountable and there is ongoing work on adjustments and improvements to address the movement’s shortcomings. They say that they are working every day on small things that can be done better, for example improving communication within each local group, between groups, as well as outside of the movement.
How would it be potentially replicable in other settings?
Ta Tillbaka Framtiden wants to scale the movement in Sweden and mass mobilise, but they want to keep pace with building a solid structure and social fabric, growing the community in a potentially slow but stable way. If this initial phase is successful and can inspire others, some ideas can be taken to another context and help other movements, but that is not a goal for Ta Tillbaka Framtiden. Exchanges can be enriching as they are aware that there are other groups with similar ideas and that there are many common themes in the global climate youth movement, such as connecting the climate crisis to social issues, and focusing on well-being and inclusion within social movements. They don’t see problematic aspects with scaling internationally some of their unique approaches, and they think that it may be possible to replicate some aspects of the movement. However, they hypothesise that “it needs to be done in a way that it is not just copy-paste, since the movement was formed in a Swedish context to address specific problems (…) and the answers to the biggest questions addressed may vary a lot also within Sweden too” (Informant 3, personal communication, May 16, 2023). Knowing that young people from other backgrounds have different viewpoints and priorities about the socio-ecological crises, they want to work on involving different types of people, especially less privileged groups, and creating more dialogues at the local level. It is from particular historical-geographical configurations and not universal approaches that a radical politics of transformation can be thought and put into practice (Swyngedouw, 2013).
Is this initiative conducive to broader changes (law, institutional arrangements,
long-term sustainability or community preparedness, etc.)? If yes, which?
Although it is at an initial stage, Ta Tillbaka Framtiden holds a lot of potential to lead to deep changes in society. The founders say that “you never know what will be the spark that turns into a big fire” (Informant 1, personal communication, May 15, 2023) but they think to be “onto something quite huge, especially with the community aspect of the movement, which has opened doors to think differently for those involved and set them up to be about big changes as well” (Informant 1, personal communication, May 15, 2023). Moreover, the flexible structure of the movement has potential to allow activists to try different things, adapt and change, using the creativity of the community.
They are also experiencing something extremely positive and rewarding with the commitment and satisfaction of the community. Differently from many other 1-week actions where people are mentally and physically tired at the end, “the action in Gothenburg was even longer but people seemed to have more energy afterwards and were really happy” (Informant 3, personal communication, May 16, 2023). They think that there is something revolutionary in a movement that employs quite radical strategies through “big and long-lasting actions way out of the norm and people comfort zone but still providing a really nice community to fall on to support each other” (Informant 1, personal communication, May 15, 2023). In this way, Ta Tillbaka Framtiden is organising to bring about change in a sustainable and resilient way.
When exploring how the transition to a sustainable society will look like, the organisers reply that they want first to dismantle the fossil fuel industry and shut it down. However, they have not talked a lot about alternatives and desirable futures yet, since it is something to decide with the emerging community. They are “focused not on specific technological solutions, but on visions and ideology to work towards a cultural shift” (Informant 2, personal communication, May 16, 2023). The movement encourages young people to engage with hopeful visions in a time of disillusionment and includes the participants in the production of new ideas rather than presenting them with ready-made alternatives. Therefore, the case of Ta Tillbaka Framtiden, among other examples of urban climate insurgency, show that climate policy is no longer the exclusive province of national governments, international bodies, or experts (Dawson et al., 2022), but that also citizens can take the future in their hands and collectively shape it.
Pictures 5: Seeds of municipalism in spaces for dialogue and fun activities during the community meetings. (Image with permission to use from Ta Tillbaka Framtiden, 2023)
References
Dawson, A., Armiero, M., Turhan, E., & Biasillo, R. (2022). Urban Climate Insurgency: An Introduction. Social Text, 40(1), 1-20.
De Rosa, S. P. (2022). Breaking Consensus, Transforming Metabolisms: Notes on Direct Action against Fossil Fuels through Urban Political Ecology. Social Text, 40(1), 135-155.
Hansson, E. (11/04/2023). Ny ungdomsrörelse blockerar fossilbränsletransporter: För andra veckan i rad blockerar ungdomar i rörelsen “Ta tillbaka framtiden” fossiltransporter. (New youth movement blocks fossil fuel transport: For the second week in a row, young people in the “Take back the future” movement block fossil transport). Natursidan. https://www.natursidan.se/nyheter/ny-ungdomsrorelse-blockerar-fossilbransletransporter/
Henley, J. (6/07/2023). Greta Thunberg charged with disobeying Swedish police during oil protest. The Guardian.
Kardell E. J. (11/04/2023). Manifestation stoppade trafiken i Göteborgs hamn. (Demonstration stopped traffic in the Port of Gothenburg). Göteborgs-Posten. https://www.gp.se/nyheter/göteborg/manifestation-stoppade-trafiken-i-göteborgs-hamn-1.96334799
Mattsson, T. (11/04/2023). Klimataktivister blockerade infart till Göteborgs hamn för sjätte dagen. (Climate activists blocked the entrance to the Port of Gothenburg for the sixth day). Sverigeradio. https://sverigesradio.se/artikel/klimataktivister-blockerar-infart-till-goteborgs-hamn-for-sjatte-dagen
Persson, F. (11/04/2023). Nio aktivister bortburna i Göteborgs hamn – misstänks för brott Göteborg: Nio demonstranter har burits bort från en infart till Göteborgs hamn, efter att ha blockerat trafiken. De misstänks nu för brott. (Nine activists carried away in the Port of Gothenburg – suspected of crimes Gothenburg: Nine protesters have been carried away from an entrance to the Port of Gothenburg, after blocking traffic. They are now suspected of crimes). Göteborgs-Posten. https://www.gp.se/nyheter/göteborg/nio-aktivister-bortburna-i-göteborgs-hamn-misstänks-för-brott-1.96737575
Rannard, G. (6/07/2023). Sweden charges Greta Thunberg for blockading oil port. BBC.
https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-66120290
Swyngedouw, E. (2013). Apocalypse now! Fear and doomsday pleasures. Capitalism Nature Socialism, 24(1), 9-18.
Ta Tillbaka Framtiden, 2023. Vision. Internal document: unpublished.
Dumpster diving as a protest of the production of food waste in Sweden
Siri Ranung
Where is this grassroots initiative implemented? Who are the promoters? Who are the beneficiaries?
The phenomenon ‘Dumpster diving’ is occurring all over the world where people use webpages and Facebook groups to inspire new people and to gather people who dumpster dives in different countries. In Sweden, there are Facebook groups for different areas or big cities where people can show their findings, places to dumpster dive at or just to get to know other people. The two Facebook groups with the most members are in the bigger cities, Stockholm and Gothenburg, both having more than five thousand members, but also one main group which is not location-based with 16 thousand members.
The promoters are the group of citizens who do dumpster diving, in Sweden there are also some influencers doing dumpster diving which could be seen as main promoters. For example, Andreas Jakobsson, who could be seen as the face out for the movement in Sweden, he has written a book about his history of dumpster diving and how it is done but do also blog about his experience of Dumpster diving. Also, there is an Instagram profile “Dumpsterdivan” who shows her findings on her Instagram with over 8 000 followers.
How this initiative engages with climate? Does it tackle mitigation, adaptation, both or other dimensions of climate change?
The initiative can be seen as a mitigation strategy of climate change since the people practicing dumpster diving aims to minimize the waste in the society which are reducing the pressure on the earth’s resources. Furthermore, it is a reaction to the unsustainable consumption of food and production of food waste in society and many dumpster divers, like Andreas Jakobsson aims to inform citizens and stores about the large amount of waste they contribute to (Jakobsson, 2015).
What are the main objectives? What are the main values?
Dumpster diving is a protest on the discourse about food, waste and consumption. Where the people who dumpster dive challenge norms in society by avoiding them (Larsson & Rosengren, 2012). Larsson & Rosengren also states that dumpster divers are both conducting an unorganized, individual everyday resistance, but is at the same time a social movement. The main objectives of the movement are to illuminate the problems with a consumption-based society and the large amount of waste which are produced in this kind of society.
What is the timeline? Are there already visible effects?
As long as there has been waste, there have been people diving in the trash to find usable things, this early kind of dumpster diving was on the other hand based on the economy of the diver rather than making a statement. The connection to a political movement came in the mid-90s when the freeganism movement started, where people aimed to reduce their contribution to the consumption-based society, this by living on free things, for example society’s waste (Larsson & Rosengren, 2012).
Showing a person dumpster diving in Markham, Toronto, ON, Canada. (Doctorow, 2008) Available at: <https://www.flickr.com/photos/doctorow/2456019463>
Who are the actors involved? What is their background?
The actors involved in this movement is mostly the people doing the dumpster diving, but of course also the people working in food stores and store managers. According to Andreas Jakobsson, the store managers often have a clue if their containers are being dived in. In some cases, the store has had locks on their containers which have been vandalized by dumpster divers, where the store manager has lost their patience and have let the container be open. As Andreas Jakobsson points out, these stores and store managers do not loose on their container being searched, at least if the divers leave the place in a good condition. But one store manager interviewed by Andreas Jakobsson (2015) had problems with the dumpster divers since they kept the bags open, where food from the bags got out in the container. Whereas the company managing the trash got to handle very dirty containers. In this case, the store managers had to forfeit and got a warning from the garbage company which resulted in that the store manager had to close their container.
Result of dumpster diving in Linköping, Sweden. (Quispiam, 2014) Available at: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dumpster_diving_Linkoping.jpg
Which limits (institutional, physical, social, etc.) does it encounter?
The laws related to dumpster diving is discussed in many articles, since the activity is challenging the social norms, there are many people questioning the legality of diving in others garbage. There are no laws directly limiting people to dumpster dive since it is not illegal to take other people’s garbage. But on the other hand, there are other laws which may be broken. For example, if the dumpster diver does harm on the container or if the container is locked or in an enclosure and the person break the lock or go in this enclosure. Another law that can be applied on dumpster diving is littering, since store owners often see that the divers do not clean up when they are done (Jakobsson, 2015).
There are also social limits for dumpster divers, where people not familiar with the concept may be skeptical to people going through others garbage. Often this skepticism comes from unawareness of the condition of the food and things that is in the garbage and they may be surprised when they become enlightened of the situation. This skepticism is something Andreas Jakobsson writes about in his book ‘Svinnlandet’ (2015) both for people in his vicinity but also himself before he started dumpster diving.
Are any shortcomings or critical points visible? What other problematic issues can arise from its implementation?
Except for the discussion about the legality and the skepticism of dumpster diving, there is also need for a discussion of class regarding this phenomenon. Many of the articles which have been gone through have been interviewing people in the upper middle-class areas of Stockholm, and there are many people dumpster diving who do not do it for the economic benefit it comes with, but do it more as an environmental act. This shows the altruistic dilemma which comes with the activity of dumpster diving, that people who are not in need for free food go through these containers with food that could benefit people in vulnerable groups in society who would actually need free food for their survival. Jakobsson (2015) points out this problem where the people dumpster diving has a good economy and safety net and people in vulnerable groups such as immigrants, addicts or homeless do not. One solution for this gap could be to introduce these people to the activity, or by give this free food to people who are in more need of it. This is done to some degree by the initiative called “Food sharing Stockholm” a Facebook page who are holding events where they share food that is collected from restaurants and stores, even though they do not only restrict this sharing to people in need, but everyone is welcome to collect food from this event. One shortcoming with this initiative is that it is located in an area where people in the middle class mostly live, and not people with limited economy.
How would it be potentially replicable in other settings?
Since dumpster diving is a broad phenomenon happening all over the world, it is applicable to many other settings. One thing that could be further applied in this activity is to make sure that the people who would benefit from the free food would access it, for example by having events like Food sharing Stockholm have, but in locations where people who are in need of it are located.
Is this initiative conducive to broader changes (law, institutional arrangements, long-term sustainability, or community preparedness, etc.)? If yes, which?
The concept of dumpster diving has not yet affected more than on an individual level, even though the phenomenon has enlightened the problem of food waste and that more people have been given awareness of how much food is wasted every day. Especially since the official statistics of food waste in Sweden have been excluding many aspects of food waste in retail, resulting in statistics where food stores seem to have much less waste than they actually do.
References
Dumpsterdivan [@dumpsterdivan]. (n.d.). Posts [Instagram profile]. Instagram.
Jakobsson, Andreas. 2015. Svinnlandet – Min resa genom en värld av slöseri – och hur den gav mig ett liv i överflöd. Offside Press.
Larsson & Rosengren. 2012. Vad blir det för mat idag? – En kvalitativ studie om dumpstring. Högskolan Halmstad. Bachelor thesis. Available at: <https://www.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:532369/FULLTEXT01.pdf>
KTH Students for Sustainability: Sea levels are rising and so are we students
Emile Lemaitre
As a response to insufficient climate action from national and international governance levels, grassroot initiatives are emerging to address the climate crisis. Most Swedish politicians acknowledge the necessity to act, but the actions and strategies are not aligned to the magnitude of what has started, and what lays ahead. In 2018, Greta Thunberg began her weekly school strikes for the climate (Skolstrejk för klimatet) outside the Swedish parliament demanding the government to reduce emissions in accordance with the Paris Agreement (Fridays for Future, 2020). The movement rise with Friday’s for Future, and during the global climate strikes in September 2019 around 4500 strikes spanned over 150 countries across the world (Milman, 2019).
Simultaneously as children strike for their future, students are organizing sustainability and climate networks at universities, from Stockholm School of Economics’ SSE Students for Climate Action, Karolinska Institute’s Klimatföreningen, to Royal Institute of Technology’s KTH Students for Sustainability. Universities are role models for society where knowledge and science for sustainable development flourish, but their internal work to reduce carbon emissions lack behind. In 2019, the engineering school of Stockholm, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, was ranked as one of the top ten leading universities regarding the United Nations’ Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs). For SDG 9, Industry, innovation, and infrastructure, the university ranked in 3rd place. But in the eyes of students the simple waste infrastructure at the main KTH campus on Valhallavägen has sometimes, quite honestly, been horrible (see figure 2). Regarding SDG 13, Climate action, KTH is ranked 9th (Gummeson, 2019) and the university has recently set ambitious climate goals. Until 2022, KTH aims to become climate neutral regarding their scope 1 emissions and by 2025 regarding their scope 2 emissions (KTH, 2019). Nevertheless, it stays unclear whether universities such as KTH, or stakeholders at all levels, from governments to enterprises, understand the real urgency and magnitude of the climate issue, and the required magnitude of necessary actions.
At KTH, students have since 2018 organized KTH Students for Sustainability (SforS) (SforS, 2020a). The group states that their purpose is “to bring people together, to empower KTH students engaging with sustainability issues and to create an environment of collaboration among sustainability initiatives. We work in unison with Klimatstudenterna KTH”. SforS raises climate and environmental awareness amongst students, mobilizes KTH students for climate strikes and pressures KTH to lead the way in sustainability, climate action, and to really “practice what they preach” (KTH Students for sustainability, 2020; Nießner, 2020a; KTH Students for sustainability, n.d.). The organization is so far based on KTH’s main Campus Valhallavägen in central Stockholm, but initiatives have existed to expand to KTH’s other campuses in Kista, Solna, Flemingsberg, and Södertälje (Nießner, 2020a). Currently, the organization has around 15 active members consisting of the board and the teams. Additionally, roughly 50-60 passive members either want to become active or are only interested to stay updated on what is going on (Nießner, 2020b).
SforS works in three main ways: by encouraging collaboration, educating students on sustainability topics, and conducting own initiatives and projects. The organization collaborates closely with Klimatstudenterna KTH (KTH Climate Students) and it is sometimes impossible to distinct where to draw the line between the two organizations at KTH (Nießner, 2020a). SforS consists of five main teams: collaboration, celebration, campus, climate, and communication. The Student Sustainability Forum nurtures ideas and solutions through collaboration with various stakeholders and students with diverse backgrounds by organizing events and workshops. The celebration team aims to build a strong internal community. The campus team strives to make KTH Campus more sustainable and the communication team promotes events, raises awareness, and supports the other teams. The climate team promotes climate action, organizes lectures, and raises awareness (Nießner, 2020c).
Essentially, Klimatstudenterna KTH is representing the climate team (Nießner, 2020a; SforS, 2020d). Klimatstudenterna is a student movement with local groups across primarily Swedish universities that aims to bend emissions to stay below 1.5 °C average global warming (Klimatstudenterna, n.d.). SforS in contrast are larger in their scope and works with sustainability in general, with a focus on environmental issues and solutions. Nevertheless, climate change remains a center of attention for the organization. Work is conducted that tackle the issue both directly and indirectly through other sustainability projects (Nießner, 2020a).
One of SforS’ biggest tangible achievements is improving the waste management on Campus Valhallavägen. Students realised the campus is not as sustainable as they thought, and they were disappointed by the improper waste sorting. By collecting a petition of 470 student signatures and collaborating with the KTH Sustainability Office and the KTH Library, a test run has been implemented in the library with 9 different sorting bins (see figure 2 and 3 for comparison). The aim is to enlarge waste sorting to become the new status-quo on campus (SforS, 2020c).
It is a fact that students drink a lot of coffee, and unfortunately this generates waste. To tackle this problem and encourage a circular economy, SforS has implemented reusable coffee cups together with Loop-it, the Swedish Environmental Research Institute (IVL), and three restaurants and cafés on Campus (see figure 4) (SforS, 2020c; Loop-it, 2020). The reuse infrastructure is implemented, but cafés were forced to close during the COVID-19 epidemic in spring 2020, and currently only a few are using it. Thus, it is a success but requires more progress and promotion, which SforS is currently working on (Nießner, 2020a).
With Klimatstudenterna KTH, SforS have organized KTH students for several climate strikes and by these raised public awareness on the climate crisis. The biggest gathering occurred on the 27th of September 2019, where more than 500 KTH students came together to join the global climate strike (see figure 1) (SforS, 2020d).
Moreover, SforS have had some collaborative workshops internally on Campus with the student chapters. The Student Sustainability Forum is planning to collectively with all chapters develop a sustainability policy for the chapters. The campus team aims to “reduce the environmental impact of food consumed at KTH” and propose KTH to set plant-based food as the default option, while still keeping animal based food as an option (SforS, 2020e). The campus team is working on creating a smart map for KTH, similar to Smarta Kartan in Gothenburg. According to SforS “this map will collate all the relevant sharing-projects and activities on campus as well as around our neighborhoods and provide students with useful information about where and how they can find shared resources easily” (Göteborgs Stad, n.d.; Nießner, 2019; SforS, 2020f). Furthermore, the organization is providing and collecting useful information to students on their website on waste reduction, as where to rescue food in Stockholm; secondhand goods; and traveling, with maps on biking pump stations in Stockholm and a sustainable travel guide (SforS, 2020g).
KTH Sustainability Office works with integrating environmental concerns and sustainable development in KTH’s education, research, and cooperation. They are responsible for environmental sustainability on Campus and KTH’s environmental management system (KTH, 2020). One of SforS’s key tasks is to collaborate, attend meetings, and give input to the office to improve the sustainability work on Campus (Nießner, 2020a). In return KTH Sustainability Office helps finance certain projects for SforS (Nießner, 2020c). The organization work as a node between the students and the KTH Sustainability Office. In an interview with SforS’s current president Silvio Nießner (2020a) he mentions his personal view on KTH Sustainability Office and their collaboration. He pinpoints that at most universities there are one, maximum two persons that does not even work full time with sustainability. At KTH Sustainability Office, there are 10 people (where at least some) work full time with it – this is unique (Nießner, 2020a; KTH Sustainability Office, 2020). Additionally, he explains how the office welcomes everyone for discussion, from professors and researchers, to students and staff (Nießner, 2020a).
In the interview with Silvio (2020a), he mentioned how it is sometimes hard for SforS to ensure constant communication with the office so that “we know what they do, and they know what we do”. This is partly because all active members work with the organization aside of their university studies and must balance time and effort with school and other activities (Nießner, 2020c). Currently, the office does not use any communicational platform or social media channels; he explains that “if they do good stuff, they cannot show it”. Thus, they rely on SforS to show progress to the students (Nießner, 2020a). By attending meetings with the office on KTH’s strategic sustainability goals, Silvio (2020a) describes how the discussions were often based on negotiations rather than scientific evidence.
While observing actions taken today Silvio thinks more will be needed by KTH and other universities in order to be aligned with the 1.5 °C target. In Germany, Fridays for Future has demanded a study on what practical actions are required right now to stay below the threshold. Similar studies could guide KTH, other universities, and governments. Nevertheless, firstly, science-based targets must be set that are aligned with the 1.5 °C target. Secondly, he thinks that KTH should focus on reducing staff’s flight emissions. Students representing Klimatstudenterna from four universities in Stockholm, including Björn Nordin from KTH recently published a debate article in the sustainability news journal Aktuell Hållbarhet (in English; “Topical Sustainability”) demanding universities to reduce their flight travels. Carbon budgets, which encourage alternatives to flying are already used by some working groups at KTH but is not generally implemented throughout the university (Nießner, 2020a).
While SforS’s focus stays at KTH, the organization does together with Klimatstudenterna KTH have external contact with other local Klimatstudenterna associations throughout Swedish universities, from Malmö University and Lund University in the south to Uppsala University, and Luleå University of Technology in the north (to name a few) (Nießner, 2020a; Klimatstudenterna, n.d.). In Stockholm, SforS are in contact with local university student associations that work with climate and sustainability. Many ideas for collaboration projects exist such as creating a Stockholm sustainability guide (Nießner, 2020a).
Silvio (2020a) believes that SforS’s main strength is that they practically manage the organization. They have a basic setting, some funding for projects, and an office place. They are recognized by KTH and asked for their input on sustainability. The organization’s biggest current challenge is that they are understaffed, and this restrict them to develop and expand projects (ibid.). As abovementioned, the organization currently has around 15 active members spread throughout the board and the different teams (Nießner, 2020b). As for many organizations, the current epidemic does not make it easier to recruit people, neither to engage people online. “Maybe we do it wrong” he says pinpointing that it as a challenge. Furthermore, since the organization mostly consist of international students’, members usually stay no longer than two years. As Silvio (2020a) explains “you need half a year to on-board them, they work half a year, and then they hand over half a year. Basically, you are always in the process of handing over and never getting into the working stuff.”
While asking Silvio (2020a) on politics and SforS he replies that he do think the organization takes a political stance. “We support Fridays for Future; we are also going on the street to protest.” When it comes to tendencies of left or right-side politics, he tells me that “we are politically independent and do not accept any form of discrimination or racism”, (Nießner, 2020c) “we are mostly international students that are not active in Swedish politics”. To summarize, he explains, “we are fighting for a purpose, and with that purpose comes a political direction, not a political party, but a direction”.
Climate activists and some journals such as The Guardian have started to incorporate alternative terms to climate change such as ‘climate breakdown’ and ‘climate crisis’ to highlight the urgency and importance of the issue (The Guardian, 2019; Extinction Rebellion, 2020; Fridays for Future, 2020). In contrast, according to Silvio (2020a) the tendency of SforS is towards a positive approach and to be solution oriented. This is something he has noticed while designing the signs for the climate strikes.
He describes the importance of “not getting captured in the loop of what is the problem and we have so many problems but what could be a way out of that?”.
To summarize, multiple stakeholders on different spatial and temporal levels benefit from SforS’s work while some might also indirectly lose. Silvio (2020a) mention how the organization’s activities are linked to consumption and travel, and this is always a trade-off. This consumption is linked to the current configuration of the economy, and indirectly, people and planet gets negatively affected. Nevertheless, the organization has almost certainly a net positive impact. For KTH they are practically a free workforce, and visual effects are already emerging on Campus Valhallavägen. By bringing people together they have built a forum for sustainability interested students. The organization raises awareness and encourage students to take environmental action through different events, workshops and lectures and drive students toward more sustainable practices. As Silvio says, they have been able to create a sense of community for the people of the organization and say “hey, there are other mindlike people who care as well!”.
KTH and other Swedish universities are role models for Sweden, and SforS steer KTH a step in the right direction. Subsequently, Sweden is internationally a role model for sustainable development and in 2020, the country ranked at 8th place in the Environmental Performance Index (To put things in perspective, WWF’s Living Planet Report 2016 concluded that if the world followed an average Swedish lifestyle with its related ecological footprint, we would require 4.2 globes (von Zeipel, 2016))
Collectively, the youth, the striking school children, and university students abroad and in Sweden such as Stockholm School of Economics’ SSE Students for Climate Action, Karolinska Institute’s Klimatföreningen, and KTH Students for Sustainability are rising. They demand their universities to lead the way and to practice what they preach (Klimatstudenterna KTH, n.d.). The young generation are the future lawyers, engineers, and politicians. But we know well that the future cannot wait and that the climate crisis requires action now. So, while sea levels are rising so are we students.
Contact KTH Students for Sustainability
References
Environmental Performance Index, 2020. 2020 EPI Results. Available at: https://epi.yale.edu/epi- results/2020/component/epi [Accessed 2020-11-08].
Extinction Rebellion, 2020. Tell the truth. Available at: https://extinctionrebellion.uk/the-truth/ [Accessed 2020-11-08].
Fridays for Future, 2020. [Home page]. Available at: https://fridaysforfuture.org/ [Accessed 2020-11-08].
Gummeson, Christer, 2019. KTH ranked near top in impact on sustainability. April 3, KTH. Available at: https://www.kth.se/en/aktuellt/nyheter/kth-ranked-near-top-in-impact-on-sustainability-1.893625 [Accessed 2020-11-07].
Göteborgs Stad, n.d. Smarta Kartan. Available at: https://goteborg.se/wps/portal/start/miljo/det-gor- goteborgs-stad/dela-och-lana/smarta-kartan?uri=gbglnk%3A201791694216985 [Accessed 2020-11-07].
KF – Klimatföreningen, 2020. [Official Facebook group]. Available at: https://www.facebook.com/klimatforeningenpakarolinskainstitutet/ [Accessed 2020-11-07].
Klimatstudenterna, n.d. Gå med lokalt. Available at: https://klimatstudenterna.se/ga-med/ [Accessed 2020-11- 07].
Klimatstudenterna, n.d. #levsomnilär. Available at: https://klimatstudenterna.se/ [Accessed 2020-11-07].
KTH, 2020. KTH Sustainability Office. Available at: https://www.kth.se/en/om/miljo-hallbar- utveckling/kontakt/kth-sustainability-office-1.424825 [Accessed 2020-11-07].
KTH, 2019. Overall objectives and measures for KTH’s implementation of the Climate Framework for Universities. Available at: https://www.kth.se/en/om/miljo-hallbar-utveckling/klimatramverk/kth-s-klimatmal- 1.926003
KTH Students for Sustainability, 2020a. [Official Facebook group]. Available at: https://www.facebook.com/KTHSforS/?ref=page_internal [Accessed 2020-11-07].
KTH Students for Sustainability, 2020b. Our Teams. Available at: https://sites.google.com/view/kthsfors/sfors- teams [Accessed 2020-11-07].
KTH Students for Sustainability, 2020c. Waste. Available at: https://sites.google.com/view/kthsfors/sfors- teams/campus/waste [Accessed 2020-11-07].
KTH Students for Sustainability, 2020d. Klimatstudenterna KTH. Available at: https://sites.google.com/view/kthsfors/sfors-teams/climate/klimatstudenterna [Accessed 2020-11-08].
KTH Students for Sustainability, 2020e. Sustainable Food. Available at: https://sites.google.com/view/kthsfors/sfors-teams/campus/sustainable-food [Accessed 2020-11-08].
KTH Students for Sustainability, 2020f. Resource Sharing. Available at: https://sites.google.com/view/kthsfors/sfors-teams/campus/resource-sharing [Accessed 2020-11-07].
KTH Students for Sustainability, 2020g. New at KTH. Available at: https://sites.google.com/view/kthsfors/new- at-kth [Accessed 2020-11-07].
loop-it, 2020. ett bättre sätt att konsumera take-away. Available at: https://loop-it.se/ [Accessed 2020-11-07].
Milman, Oliver. 2019. US to stage its largest ever climate strike: ‘Somebody must sound the alarm’. 20 September, The Guardian.
Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/sep/20/climate-strikes-us-students-greta-thunberg [Accessed 2020-11-07].
Nießner, Silvio, 2020a. [Interview by videotelephony (Zoom)]. October 15. Nießner, Silvio, 2020c. [Personal communication by email]. November 8. Nießner, Silvio. 2020b. [Personal communication by chat (Signal)]. November 8.
Nordin, Björn; Bane, Jonas; Swartling, Sandra & Andersson, Klas from Klimatstudenterna, 2020. Stockholmsstudenter kräver färre flygresor på högskolorna. October 23, Aktuell Hållbarhet. Available at: https://www.aktuellhallbarhet.se/alla-nyheter/debatt/stockholmsstudenter-kraver-farre-flygresor-pa- hogskolorna/ [Accessed 2020-11-08].
SSSCA – SSE Students for Climate Action. [Official Facebook group], 2020. Available at: https://www.facebook.com/SSEStudentsforClimateAction/ [Accessed 2020-11-07].
The Guardian, 31 July 2019. The Guardian view on climate breakdown: an emergency for all, but especially the poor. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/jul/31/the-guardian-view-on-climate- breakdown-an-emergency-for-all-but-especially-the-poor [Accessed 2020-11-08].
von Zeipel, Marie, 2016. Living Planet Report 2016: Två tredjedelar av planetens ryggradsdjur riskerar att försvinna till 2020. October 27. Available at: https://www.mynewsdesk.com/se/varldsnaturfonden_wwf/pressreleases/living-planet-report-2016-tvaa- tredjedelar-av-planetens-ryggradsdjur-riskerar-att-foersvinna-till-2020-1625490 [Accessed 2020-11-08].
Figures
Figure 1. KTH students on Campus preparing to join the Global Climate Strike. From KTH Innovation, September 27, 2019. Reprinted with permission by Lisa Bäckman at KTH Innovation. Available at: https://www.facebook.com/events/2921515534544573/?active_tab=discussion
Figure 2. Waste handling in the library before implementation. From KTH Students for Sustainability, 2018. Reprinted with permission by SforS (Silvio Nießner). Available at: https://sites.google.com/view/kthsfors/sfors- teams/campus/waste [Accessed 2020-11-07].
Figure 3. New sorting modules in the library. From KTH Students for Sustainability, Mars 2020. Reprinted with permission by SforS (Silvio Nießner). Available at: https://sites.google.com/view/kthsfors/sfors- teams/campus/waste [Accessed 2020-11-07].
Figure 4. How the reusable cup system works. From loop-it, n.d. Reprinted with permission by loop-it. Available at: https://sites.google.com/view/kthsfors/sfors-teams/campus/waste [Accessed 2020-11-07].
Preserve the Årsta forest
Greta Gustafsson
Gamla Göta landsväg på Årstafältet, september 2012 by ”Jssfrk”, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0.
Where is this grassroots initiative implemented?
In the borough Årsta, in the southern part of Stockholm.
Who are the promoters? Who are the actors involved? What is their background?
The grassroot initiative is called Bevara Årstaskogen, in this text translated by the author to Preserve the Årsta forest. The initiative was founded by a group of citizens who were living in Årsta or had a clear connection to the Årsta forest, such as an allotment garden in the surrounding area. However, as the work has progressed, the support from nearby communities has been clear in terms of petitions. Preserve the Årsta forest has a main workgroup consisting of around 15 people, which can be seen as the core of the network. They all have other professions; among them one can find environmental consultants, lawyers, biologists, kindergarten teachers, architects, and graphic designers, therefore everyone works with the grassroot initiative in their free time. Furthermore, the initiative can be seen as a network that this workgroup mobilises from time to time. The Facebook group has 2 215 members, however, Eva Emell and Eva Lindahl could not say how many of them that are actually active, but guessed that it is around 50 people (Emell and Lindahl 2020).
The movement is a reaction of the municipality of Stockholm’s suggestion of building 800-1000 new apartments in the Årsta Forest (Olesund 2017). The ruling parties of the municipality at the time of the proposal were the Labour Party, the Green Party, the Left Party and the Feminist initiative (Nilsson 2018). In the election of 2018, the Centre Party made the issue with the Årsta forest one of the elections main questions. The party said that they would work against the building of houses in the area and at the same time expand the borders of the nature reserve. This led to the party getting 20 percent of the votes in Årsta. At the time of writing, the party has fulfilled their promise of stopping the building of the houses, however broadening the borders is yet to be done (Fagerström 2018).
Who are the beneficiaries?
In the early 2018 the forest became a protected natural area and is now a nature preserve, due to its role as a recreation area for the inhabitants of Stockholm and importance in the Swedish history of culture (Miljöbarometern 2018). Further on, the forest serves as home for a number of rare species in different stages of their lives (Länsstyrelsen 2018), which according to the author of this text makes it an important area for the local environment of Stockholm.
According to Emell and Lindahl the beneficiaries are themselves, but also their families that use the forest. They also highlight the importance of the forest for people that are not able to leave the city to access nature. Since it is a forest in an urban environment, it is easy to access for a lot of people, not demanding a car or a lot of free time. Furthermore, the forest works as a dissemination corridor for several species, it lowers the local temperature, it is a popular recreation area as well as playground for local kindergartens and schools. Moreover, the conflict shows how important the local democracy is, according to Emell and Lindahl. It has shown how substantial the forest is to a lot of people, for different reasons. If the politicians were to ignore that, the social contract is lost (Emell and Lindahl 2020).
How this initiative engages with climate? Does it tackle mitigation, adaptation, both or other dimensions of climate change?
The reason for the movement is to stop a proposal from the municipality. The proposal is a suggestion on the building of houses in the outskirt of the Årsta forest, however, it would still be in the nature preservation area. As a consequence of the rollout, the borders of the forest would decrease. Saving the forest can be seen as a way of mitigating the climate change, since it serves as a carbon sink and lowers the local temperature. It would also save the lives of many rare species and with that maintain the biodiversity. It could therefore be argued that the forest mostly works as a way to diminish climate change and preserve nature in the area.
What are the main objectives? What are the main values?
Emell and Lindahl say that the main value of the movement is to spread facts and information about the forest to politicians and the locals. They want to have a serious and respectful dialog with the stakeholders involved, and not promoting or supporting hearsay. They continue with saying that they do not accept disrespectful or unpleasant comments either on Facebook or in physical meetings. The information is spread through social media, handing out pamphlets and inviting stakeholders and locals to different types of gatherings regarding the forest (Emell and Lindahl 2020).
What is the timeline? Are there already visible effects?
In June 2017 the municipality of Stockholm decided to start the planning of building 800-1000 new apartments, as well as determining the borders of what would become the nature preserve (Olesund 2017). This would also be the starting point of Preserve the Årsta forest-movement (Emell and Lindahl 2020).
On the 4th of September 2019 the local newspaper Mitt I Söderort wrote that the plans of building new houses were cancelled (Göransson and Bonnichsen 2019). This is one of the main aims with the movement, hence one could say that there have been visible effects. On the 22nd of September 2020 Preserve the Årsta forest wrote on their webpage that the municipality’s new plan was to extend the area of the nature preserve (Bevara Årstaskogen 2020). However, the movement wants the borders of the preserve to cover the whole forest, thus still having one of their main objectives unfulfilled.
At the moment of writing, Preserve the Årsta forest is not very active. A few members are having a dialog with the politicians about what will happen with the forest, and how the work with extending the borders of the natural preserve is going, furthermore their collaboration with the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation is still ongoing. When asked if their work can ever be finished, Emell and Lindahl answer that they are not sure. The group has talked about becoming more of a creative group that arranges gatherings where knowledge about the forest can be spread as well as enjoying the forest together (Emell and Lindahl 2020).
Which limits does it encounter?
When asked about limits that have prevented the work of Preserve the Årsta forest, Emell and Lindahl cannot come up with any obstacles that might have hindered their work. Although, if they were to have had more money, they might have done things differently. However, they have never felt limited by the resources they did have. On the contrary they have felt very privileged to have a group of people educated in different areas, all of them very important to reach their aim. Emell and Lindahl especially highlight the benefits of having several layers within their group, as well as a biologist, someone that has worked a lot as a project leader, and a graphic designer. These competences have been crucial since the group wants to be based on facts and not feelings (Emell and Lindahl 2020).
Are any shortcomings or critical points visible? What other problematic issues can arise from its implementation?
The issue about building apartments in the forest can be seen as one of the ways the house crisis in Stockholm is shown. The demand for houses is critical. By trying to stop this, the crisis is consequently ongoing. On the other hand, there are other areas where new houses can be built. It can be argued that it is a matter of where the municipality decides to build them. Which areas that are prioritised to stay green, and which are not. According to the author of this text, there are probably more suitable places than a forest that serves many purposes for the locals. Both humans and animals.
How would it be potentially replicable in other settings?
Since the group focuses on spreading facts about the forest and the surrounding area, the way of working can probably be adjusted to other issue. Although the group has benefited from having members with insight in how these processes are done, the core value is to have well-researched argument and deliver facts to the stakeholders. That does not necessarily have to demand a certain job or education.
Is this initiative conducive to broader changes (law, institutional arrangements, long-term sustainability or community preparedness, etc.)? If yes, which?
It is hard to say if this movement can lead to broader changes.
References
Bevara Årstaskogen. 2020. Senaste Nytt:. [Online] Available at:
https://bevaraarstaskogen.wordpress.com [Accessed 23 October 2020].
Emell, E. and Lindahl, E.; Members of Preserve the Årsta Forest. 2020. Interview on the 23rd
of October.
Fagerström, P. 2018. Seger för C: Inga bostäder i Årstaskogen. [online] Available at: https://www.mitti.se/nyheter/seger-for-c-inga-bostader-i arstaskogen/lmrjl!4693123/ [Accessed 23 October 2020]
Göransson, A. and Bonnichsen, L., 2019. Borgarrådet: ”Vi Ska Inte Bygga I Årstaskogen”.
[online] Available at: https://www.mitti.se/nyheter/borgarradet-vi-
ska-inte-bygga-i-arstaskogen/lmsid!6683071/ [Accessed 23 October 2020].
Lansstyrelsen.se. 2018. Årstaskogen Och Årsta Holmar. [online] Available at:
https://www.lansstyrelsen.se/stockholm/besoksmal/naturreservat/arstaskogen-’
och-arsta-holmar.html [Accessed 15 October 2020].
Miljöbarometern. 2018. Naturreservatsbildning För Årstaskogen Och Årsta Holmar –
Stockholms Miljöbarometer. [online] Available at: http://miljobarometern.stockholm.se/natur/naturskydd/naturreservatsbildning-
for-arstaskogen-och-arsta-holmar/ [Accessed 15 October 2020].
Nilsson, L. 2018. Val 2018: Det här vill partierna. [online] expressen.se. Available at: https://www.expressen.se/nyheter/val-2018/val-2018-det-har-vill-partierna-i-stockholm/ [Accessed 23 October 2020].
Olesund, H., 2017. Naturreservat För Årsta Skog Och Årsta Holmar. Lägesrapport. [online]
Available at: https://insynsverige.se/documentHandler.ashx?did=1893604 [Accessed 15 October 2020].
Rena Mälaren – a climate mitigation and sustainability initiative
Ellen Ahlgren
Rena Mälaren is an initiative located in Sweden, primarily doing their sustainability work within the city centre of Stockholm. Stockholm, which is the capital of Sweden, claimed the nickname “the Venice of the North”, since the city stretches across fourteen islands where Lake Mälaren flows into the Baltic Sea. This consequently generates a lot of boat-traffic within the city, with many small marinas scattered throughout the larger city centred islands. A significant human induced problem, especially in the marinas but also throughout the lake near the islands, is waste dumping by individuals. The non-profit organisation Rena Mälaren therefore aims to both engage and motivate locals in the protection of the already fragile water body, but also to actually remove waste with the help of divers and non-divers.
The pick-up truck of Rena Mälaren that goes to the recycling centre (Olsson, 2020)
Rena Mälaren was created by Fredrik Johansson and today the organisation has over 50 voluntary locals who help with clean-up of Lake Mälaren. The organisation is non-profit, and the promoters are the voluntary individuals who spread the message through social media and verbally to their friends and family. Since the work of the organisation is in public locations, Rena Mälaren also gets recognition when doing their environmental clean-up since people pass and wonder about the work. Fredrik Johansson started the organisation when diving for fun around Stockholm city centre and realised that there were tons of waste that existed on the bottom. Lake Mälaren is a water source for around 1.5 million people, to pollute the water with both waste and especially toxic waste, means that the 1.5 million people would need a new non-polluted source of water, which is both energy demanding and rare to come by because of water scarcity.
The main objectives of the organisation are to remove toxic chemicals from the lake – primarily from lead batteries, electric scooters, and other hazardous objects. This is the main communication of the organisation, however, along with the positive environmental work that Rena Mälaren does, climate positive outcomes are a result that the organisation is very much aware of and also brings up when discussing the positivity of the initiative. This is for example in case of all of the collected waste of Rena Mälaren being recycled, which in turns saves both energy production and carbon emissions, when comparing recycled materials with producing new materials from raw materials. This is important, since the amount of waste collected is vast, and a lot of the collected materials are from metals, glass, and hard plastic from tires. These are all very energy demanding to create, hence, to recycle these products would save a lot of energy and be a climate mitigation action.
Some of the waste that Rena Mälaren has picked up from Norrmälarstrand in Stockholm with volunteers in the background (Olsson, 2020)
As previously mentioned, another of the objectives of Rena Mälaren is also to create a reaction and acknowledgment of the large waste problem that the city has, that is not easily noticed because of the lack of visibility of the garbage. This objective is in turns also a climate mitigation one, since the initiative creates additional engagement of locals to recycle already produced materials.
Rena Mälaren started 2018 and since then they have had at least one waste pick-up per week. Since the start they have picked up 14,3 ton lead batteries, 489 electric scooters (around 14 ton), 1 car, 1 motorcycle and around 40,3 ton of other waste. The organisation is involved with several actors and affiliate partners who are supportive of the work of Rena Mälaren. Among these are some dive centres, but also two Swedish construction companies and four electric-scooter companies. These companies are helping the initiative and supporting the cause, but not gaining any additional profit from it.
The municipality of Stockholm are not opposed to the work that Rena Mälaren does, however they are not assisting them either. Rena Mälaren has for example asked if the municipality could help with the administration of bins, but the municipality declined. If the municipality would help with this, the sorting and recycling part of the initiative would be easier, but now instead Rena Mälaren have to use their own sorting ways. Another limitation Rena Mälaren has met is that the recycling centres in Stockholm only lets private persons recycle 4 tires at a time. This makes it very hard for Rena Mälaren to do their work and recycle the tires, since per waste pick-up there is usually more than that. Problematic issues that can arise from the initiative is that there could be dangers with picking up toxins that are in a closed container, both for the diver but also for the environment. This is why the divers who are picking up the waste should be certified and have proper knowledge regarding on how to take precautionary measures.
Fredrik Johansson, the founder of the initiative (Olsson, 2020)
Since the only thing that is needed for an initiative like Rena Mälaren is divers and volunteers to be on land and pull up waste, similar initiatives around water bodies could definitely be implemented. There are probably already similar projects around the world, but it is perhaps not as common to do a project like this in the city centre of a capital. However, cities with similar structure could implement similar initiatives and this is encouraged by Rena Mälaren.
Hopefully, Rena Mälaren will make a greater impact and get the municipality of Stockholm to understand the immensity of this problem and get them to implement stricter laws, especially in the marinas of Stockholm. This could for example be that the marinas themselves should be responsible for the disposed waste within their marinas. Such an implementation would lead to less work needed by private initiatives and also it would make the marinas aware of the waste that the boat-owners dump in their marina. To spread knowledge regarding what gets dumped in the water body of the city is also very important and is one of the greater impacts that the initiative have on the municipality and its residents.
References
The references used in this entry is information regarding Rena Mälaren which can be found on their website linked in references. Also, some information was from the creator of the initiative Fredrik Johansson. The photos used in this entry is with the consent of and by Oscar Olsson, who owns the rights to the photographs.
RenaMalaren. 2020. [online] Available at: https://www.renamalaren.com/ [Accessed 23 October 2020].
Oscar Olsson, 2020. [photographs] (Oscar Olsson’s own private collection)