Kansalaisten taidot kiertotaloudessa

Circular economy (CE) is often offered as a solution to mitigate climate change and more efficient resource use. However, the socio-cultural side of transformation to CE is widely overlooked in the academic literature (Kirchherr et al., 2018) and in the context of CE, consumer-citizens are often framed as “consumers”, “users” and in terms of “acceptance” of new products and modes of provision (Hobson & Lynch, 2016). In fact, taking part in CE can be quite laborious and the notion of consumption work highlights the time, skills and access needed to participate in circular consumption (Hobson et al., 2021). Existing research on CE skills are scarce, outdated and focused on only one practice at a time. The research gap of citizens’ CE skills has been identified by several researchers (e.g. Hobson et al., 2021; Wieser, 2019) and this thesis aims to fulfil the gap by adopting a qualitative approach. The data on which this research is based on, consists of semi-structured interviews with 20 Finnish citizens who have been active in implementing zero waste lifestyles and responsible consumption principles that are relevant for CE. By exploring their everyday practices related to CE, I identify six skill categories that the active citizens utilise to take part in CE. Particularly (1) manual skills were identified by the interviewees as central to performing circular activities. They include skills such as sewing and technical skills that enable repair and repurposing materials. The interviewees possess (2) divergent thinking skills and abilities to think creatively, for example about the ways you can use a certain item. They are also skilful in questioning consumption related social norms. (3) Research and communication skills are central for active citizens as they are trying to figure out the most sustainable options and inspire others with humour and positivity to take part in the circular economy. The interviewees describe often utilising (4) organising and prioritising skills that revolve around time management. They need to make decisions and prioritise certain actions that preferably are quite influential in terms of their carbon footprint. Moreover, when buying products second hand they should start looking for the items early and with rental options, the need should be anticipated and planned. Another identified set of skills are (5) household skills. They include maintenance skills of household goods and clothes, cooking skills to avoid food waste by using creativity and planning as well as recycling skills on sorting different fractions. The respondents also described (6) skills brought by experience. Knowledge on different second hand marketplaces and the skills to recognise good quality on materials and items enable circular practices. One of the main contributions of this thesis is consolidation of various sets of citizen skills relevant for the CE into a single framework. The findings further illustrate that consumer-citizens are doing a multitude of CE activities that require consumption work and certain skills. The findings provide information on how citizens engage and coordinate CE practices on the household level by prioritising and planning, a topic on which research has been lacking (Hobson et al., 2021). The skills of “thinking outside the box” are also a new set of skills that emerged from the interviews and it has a clear connection to the “unlearning” of noncircular consumption practices (Wieser, 2019). The identified skills could be taught more through formal and informal education channels, but it should be considered, how infrastructure, companies and services can ease people’s participation in CE. Findings of the thesis offer insight on the domestic reality of CE and how it could be improved in the Finnish context

Strategic management of nitrogen within an organic cropping system using digestate from biogas production of recirculated crop residues

This project investigates strategic management of nitrogen by integrating crop residue management with biogas production. The approach offers potential for diversified farmer income, as food crops, feedstock for biogas and digestate for nutrient cycling are produced simultaneously. This type of diversification provides multifunctional solutions in organic farming, especially in production without access to animal manure. Biogas production from crop residues offers the possibility of reducing both emissions and leaching of nutrients to the surrounding ecosystems, as compared to the case where crop residue is incorporated into the soil for decomposition (Baggs et al. 2000; Velthof et al. 2002). This type of multifunctional cropping system provides solutions that can also help to solve issues on conventional farms, such as N emissions, and can also provide local production of biogas

Occupational risk of COVID-19 by country of birth. A register based study.

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Management of biomass resources within the crop rotation for eco-functional intensification on stockless organic farms

There is an increased competition for land used in food or energy production (Harvey & Pilgrim, 2011) that necessitates a functional intensification. Can a cropping system be designed to produce high-quality food crops, biogas and fertilizer in the same cropping season, while minimizing both the negative impact on the local aquatic environment and greenhouse gas emissions? The present study investigates this challenge, focusing on crop nitrogen (N) supply and the production of renewable energy on stockless organic farms

Agro ecosystems in a changing climate

Climate change is a phenomenon that affects everyone. It is thus of high relevance to gain knowledge in how the farms that supply society with food will be affected and what adaptations can be made to minimise negative effects on field level. Götaland is expected to have a longer vegetation period in the years 2011-2040, but Southern Sweden is expected to continue to have frost days. The periods with draught spells will probably be longer and the periods of intensive and continuous rain are expected to increase. C3 crops, such as oat and onion, as well as many weeds are expected to respond to an increase in CO2 concentration and temperature with increased growth. Crops with unlimited growth, such as carrot and sugar beet are expected to respond most in accumulation of weight. Plant nutrient content is likely to change, with a decrease in protein as the CO2 concentration increase. A change in pest and prey population is expected, which makes it highly relevant to create habitats for the prey. Diseases spread by insects, such as viruses, are believed to increase in extent. Water logging and leaching will have to be addressed as heavy rainfall is expected. A survey among farmers showed that many problems on the field level could be reduced with changes in crop rotation, or by adjustments in the surroundings. Some farmers are already using techniques and crops to decrease problems that are expected to worsen, and in the present study, several adjustments were suggested that could further improve their situation

Strategic nitrogen management in stockless organic cropping systems

Agriculture faces the challenge of producing high yields to feed a growing world population, while simultaneously addressing environmental problems such as eutrophication, emissions of greenhouse gases, loss of biodiversity and soil degradation. Organic farming can be part of the solution, as it promotes biodiversity, uses less energy for fertiliser production and often has higher inputs of organic matter to soil than conventional farming. However, yields are often lower, partly due to asynchrony in mineralisation of organic nitrogen (N) and crop acquisition. Growing legumes for protein production and input of biological N2 fixation to supply the cropping system with N is a common practice on organic farms. The addition of reactive N to the agroecosystem via legumes may, just as with synthetic fertilisers, lead to N surpluses and environmentally harmful N losses. It is therefore important to improve N cycling within agricultural cropping systems. This thesis assessed the effects of strategic redistribution of residual biomass on productivity, crop quality, N balance, N and carbon (C) turnover, eutrophication potential and global warming potential in a stockless organic cropping system. A field experiment was established to test three strategies for recirculating N in residual biomass within a six-year crop rotation; 1) leaving crop residues in situ at harvest (IS), 2) biomass redistribution as silage to non-legume crops (BR) or 3) anaerobic digestion of the silage before redistribution (AD). A soil incubation experiment in a controlled environment was also performed, to measure mineralisation of N, soil respiration and greenhouse gas emissions from incorporation of fresh and anaerobically digested grass clover ley. Moreover, energy balance, greenhouse gas emissions and eutrophication potential in BR and AD were compared with those in IS in a life cycle assessment (LCA). Results from the field experiment showed that the BR and AD strategies maintained the same yields as IS, but resulted in higher N2 fixation in the legumes and consequently a more positive N balance. The soil incubation experiment showed that total C losses during 90 days after soil application of ley were higher than from digested ley. A major energy gain was achieved in AD, and a decrease in global warming potential compared to BR. There was a reduction in eutrophication potential with the strategic redistribution of silage and digestate (BR and AD), compared with IS. In conclusion these results show that strategic redistribution of biomass-based digestate can improve the N balance of crop rotations and produce a surplus of bioenergy, which are key elements for enhancing the sustainability of stockless organic cropping systems

Permaculture design in an ecovillage

This essay presents guidelines how to approach a local ecosystem, taking into account biological, geological, chemical and hydrological assets in order to obtain a sustainable and self-sufficient farming system conserving and increasing local biodiversity. Biodiversity is a key factor in ecosystem structure and function. Conservation of biodiversity is now a legal obligation for the member states of the European Community. The guidelines will be presented both in general theory based on permaculture principles and with a specific case on a newly started ecovillage in Chozas, northwest Spain. The type of weed species found on a piece of land is an indicator of soil and above ground microclimate characteristics. Their indicator values have been used in the decision making of what species are suited for each specific field. The planting patterns suggested are designed to achieve a high yield with the use of as little labour as possible taking the observed parameters into account. There is a focus on perennial plants and plant combinations using different layers above and below the soil.Competition between species in mixed stands (interspecific competition) differs from that between plants within monocultures (intraspecific competition) in that the component species of a multispecies design may impose different demands on the available resources. Competition may be more severe between similar species than between species with contrasting growth patterns and nutritional needs. Even so, all plants compete for the same resources (light, water and nutrients). There is an overlapping of resource requirement with nitrogen fixing plants as an exception

Health risks among long-term immigrants in Norway with poor Norwegian language proficiency

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Health disparities, and health behaviours of older immigrants & native population in Norway

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Identiteettien mosaiikki. Tanssitaiteilijat kulttuurijournalismin välittäminä

Tutkimuksen tavoitteena on selvittää, miten kulttuurijournalismissa rakennetaan kuvaa suomalaisista tanssitaiteilijoista. Tutkimuksessa tehdään tulkintoja kulttuurijournalismin välittämistä tanssitaiteilijoiden identiteeteistä ja niiden rakentumisesta teksteissä sekä etsitään journalistisia esitystapoja, jotka näyttäytyvät toistuvina tanssitaiteilijoita käsittelevissä teksteissä. Tutkimusaineisto koostuu 16:sta tanssitaiteilijan haastatteluun pohjautuvasta artikkelista, jotka julkaistiin suomalaisissa sanoma- ja aikakauslehdissä vuosina 2013–2015. Tutkimuksen teoreettisena viitekehyksenä sovelletaan positiointiteoriaa. Aineiston analysoinnissa käytetään diskurssianalyysiä, ja analyysissä tanssitaiteilijoiden identiteetin ilmentymiä ja niiden rakentumista tulkitaan kolmen aineistosta jäsentyneen kategorian kautta. Kategoriat ovat ammatti-identiteetti, taiteilijaidentiteetti ja persoonallinen identiteetti, ja ne sisältävät kymmenen eri teemaa. Tutkimuksessa ilmeni, että tanssitaiteilijoiden identiteettien ilmentymät limittyvät ja kiinnittyvät teksteissä keskenään ja näyttäytyvät jokaisessa artikkelissa omanlaisenaan muodostelmana. Tanssiammatit tanssija, koreografi ja opettaja tarjoavat perustan, jolle myös taiteilijoiden ammatti-identiteettien rakentuminen asettuu. Erot toisiin taiteilijoihin muotoutuvat muun muassa puheessa taiteilijan teoksista ja niiden tematiikasta. Taiteilijoiden mukaan nimetyt omat tanssiryhmät asemoivat heidät suomalaisen tanssitaiteen kentällä toimintansa vakiinnuttaneiksi taiteentekijöiksi. Tutkimus antaa viitteitä siitä, että taiteilijoiden identiteetit muotoutuvat teksteissä pitkälti journalististen käytänteiden ohjaamina. Tässä tutkimuksessa sellaisiksi jäsentyivät kolme toistuvasti näyttäytyvää esittämisen tapaa: tarinalinjat kerronnallisen jatkumon alustoina, valokuvien käyttö identiteettien vahvistajana ja toiseen henkilöön kiinnittäminen.fi=Opinnäytetyö kokotekstinä PDF-muodossa.|en=Thesis fulltext in PDF format.|sv=Lärdomsprov tillgängligt som fulltext i PDF-format