How we live, what we eat, how we travel and what we choose to wear — this is what sustainable development is about. The extent to which we're prepared to reassess our fundamental needs and habits.
Click for a larger version of this image, where you can find out more about Stockholm's Hammarby Sjöstad. Photo: Johan Töpel
Sweden is well to the fore in terms of both technological solutions and ecological thinking. Add to this the fact that we are quick to follow trends and that we love nature, and the future looks pretty bright. Yet many people I meet seem to have given up hope. They react with despair when the subject of climate change comes up and environmental problems loom large. Others seem to think it’s up to someone else to solve the problem, they themselves haven’t the energy…
I met an environmental scientist once who provided me with a good analogy for this situation. He compared the insight you gain when you realise what a perilous state our planet is in with the four phases in crisis theory. The first is shock, when you question the truth and feel frustrated. The second phase is denial, and unfortunately many people get stuck here.
The third is in effect a grieving phase, and this is tough, since you risk becoming cynical or bitter. Fortunately, there is a fourth and final state of mind — the creative phase. This is where we start to see solutions, where we find the inspiration to think along new lines, where we absorb new knowledge in a constructive way. I believe there are enough of us in the creative phase in Sweden to pave the way for others to follow.
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Eva Krutmeijer (b. 1965) is a professional science communicator and a writer with a wide range of scientific skills. As head of information at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences for a number of years, her duties included informing the world about the Nobel Prizes in Physics and Chemistry. Besides her freelance writing she is currently running a project at the Swedish Research Council aimed at strengthening communication between scientists and politicians.
© 2008 Eva Krutmeijer and the Swedish Institute.
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