66 research outputs found
Could Russia Embrace an Energy Transition?
By examining how power is constructed and maintained in Russia with the help of hydrocarbonsâoil and gasâthis article shows why this system is detrimental to Russia in the context of global environmental, technological, and geopolitical changes. While promoting a hydrocarbon culture as central to national identity, the Kremlin has failed to adapt to the global transition toward renewable energy. But external actors such as the European Union could encourage change from within to develop Russiaâs untapped potential as a green power, given its vast endowments of renewable resources.Peer reviewe
The energy of Russia : hydrocarbon culture and climate change
This timely book analyses the status of hydrocarbon energy in Russia as both a saleable commodity and as a source of societal and political power. Through empirical studies in domestic and foreign policy contexts, Veli-Pekka Tynkkynen explores the development of a hydrocarbon culture in Russia and the impact this has on its politics, identity and approach to climate change and renewable energy.
Cogent and compelling, this book demonstrates how the Russian state leverages its oil and gas reserves in order to create and maintain power both domestically and internationally. Tynkkynen uses empirical studies of key topics such as the national gas programme Gazprom, the Arctic, climate discourse and anthropogenic climate change denial, and the Russia-Finland energy trade to critically examine the situation. The book concludes with a convincing argument for the potential of renewable energy to build a more resilient and sustainable future for Russia and how this might be achieved.
This will prove crucial reading for scholars and students of Russian and Eastern European studies and energy and environmental studies, as well as geographers, anthropologists and political scientists. Those working in governments, international organizations and corporations with an interest in Russian energy will also find its insights useful
The Arctic Paradox and Russiaâs Energy Policy / Arktinen paradoksi ja VenĂ€jĂ€n energiapolitiikka
Through its use of the Arctic, Russia tries to fortify the idea that it is a global Energy Superpowe
Urban and Regional Planning and Sustainable Development in Northwest Russia : The possibility of environmental planning in the context of local governmentalities
In this Ph.D. thesis I have studied how the objectives of sustainable development have been integrated into Northwest Russian urban and regional planning, and how the Russian planning discourse has changed after the collapse of the Soviet Union. By analysing the planning discussion, processes, and strategic documents I have also investigated the use of power and governmentality in urban and regional planning. As a methodological foundation I have used an approach that I call geographical constructivism . It was possible to answer in a relevant manner the question of how sustainable development has become a part of planning in Northwest Russia through a discourse analysis of the planning discussion.
During the last decades, the aim of sustainable development has become globally one of the most central societal challenges. Urban and regional planning has a central role to play in promoting this process, since many meta-level objectives actually take shape within its sphere. An ever more actual challenge brought by sustainable development is to plan regions and places while balancing the conflicts of the pressures of safeguarding a good environment and of taking into consideration social and economic needs. I have given these unavoidable conflicts of sustainable development a central place in my work. In my view, complementing instrumental and communicative rationality with conflict rationality gives environmental planning a well-equipped toolbox. Sustainable development can be enhanced in urban and regional planning by seeking open, and especially hidden, potential conflicts. Thus, the expressed thinking (mentality) and actions taken by power regimes in and around conflicts open an interesting viewpoint into Northwest Russian governmentality.
I examine the significance of sustainable development in planning through Northwest Russian geography, and also through recent planning legislation and four case studies. In addition, I project my analysis of empirical material onto the latest discussion of planning theory. My four case studies, which are based on independent and separate empirical material (42 thematic interviews and planning documents), consider the republics of Karelia and Komi, Leningrad oblast and the city of Saint Petersburg.
In the dissertation I argue how sustainable development is, in the local governmentalities of Northwest Russia, understood as a concept where solving environmental problems is central, and that they can be solved through planning carried out by the planning professionals. Despite this idealism, environmental improvements have been overlooked by appealing to difficult economic factors. This is what I consider environmental racism, which I think is the most central barrier to sustainable development in Northwest Russia. The situation concerning the social dimension of sustainable development is even more difficult, since, for example, the development of local democracy is not highly valued. In the planning discourse this democracy racism is explained by a short history of democracy in Russia. However, precisely through planning conflicts, for example in St. Petersburg, planning has become socially more sustainable: protests by local inhabitants have bypassed the poorly functioning representational democracy, when the governmentality has changed from a mute use of power to one that adopts a stand on a conflicting issue.
Keywords: Russia, urban and regional planning, sustainable development, environmental planning, power and conflicts in planning, governmentality, rationalities.Olen tutkinut vÀitöskirjassani miten kestÀvÀn kehityksen tavoitteita on otettu osaksi luoteisvenÀlÀistÀ aluesuunnittelua sekÀ sitÀ, miten venÀlÀinen suunnitteludiskurssi on muuttunut Neuvostoliiton hajoamisen jÀlkeen. Suunnittelusta kÀytÀvÀÀ keskustelua, suunnitteluprosesseja ja strategisia suunnitteluasikirjoja analysoimalla olen tarkastellut myös aluesuunnittelussa kÀytettÀvÀÀ valtaa sekÀ hallintatapaa. MielekÀs vastaaminen kysymykseen, miten kestÀvÀ kehitys on siirtynyt osaksi suunnittelua, oli mahdollista luoteisvenÀlÀisen suunnittelukeskustelun diskurssianalyysin avulla.
ViimeisinÀ vuosikymmeninÀ kestÀvÀn kehityksen tavoittelu on muodostunut maailmanlaajuisesti yhdeksi keskeisimmistÀ yhteiskunnallisista haasteista. Aluesuunnittelulla nÀhdÀÀn olevan tÀmÀn prosessin edistÀmisessÀ keskeinen rooli, koska sen puitteissa useat meta-tason tavoitteet konkretisoituvat. EntistÀ ajankohtaisempana haasteena on suunnitella alueita ja paikkoja tasapainottelemalla ympÀristön tilan turvaamisen sekÀ sosiaalisten ja taloudellisten tarpeiden ristipaineessa. Olen nostanut nÀmÀ kestÀvÀn kehityksen vÀistÀmÀttömÀt konfliktit keskeiseen asemaan työssÀni. Valtaregiimien ajattelu ja toiminta suunnittelukonfliktien yhteydessÀ avaavat mielenkiintoisen nÀkökulman luoteisvenÀlÀiseen hallintatapaan.
KestÀvÀn kehityksen merkitystÀ suunnittelussa tarkastelen Luoteis-VenÀjÀn maantieteen mutta myös aluesuunnittelulainsÀÀdÀnnön muutoksen sekÀ neljÀn esimerkkitutkimuksen kautta. LisÀksi peilaan aineistostani saamia tuloksia viimeaikaiseen suunnitteluteoreettiseen keskusteluun. ItsenÀisiin empiirisiin aineistoihin perustuvissa esimerkkitutkimuksissani, joita vÀitöskirjassa on neljÀ kappaletta, kÀsittelen Karjalan ja Komin tasavaltoja sekÀ Pietaria ja Leningradin oblastia.
VÀitöskirjassani osoitan kuinka Luoteis-VenÀjÀn paikallisissa hallintatavoissa kestÀvÀ kehitys ymmÀrretÀÀn ympÀristöongelmien ratkomiseksi, ja ettÀ nÀmÀ on ratkaistavissa asiantuntijoiden tekemÀn suunnittelun kautta. TÀstÀ ideaalista huolimatta ympÀristöÀ koskevia parannuksia on sivuutettu vedoten taloudellisiin vaikeuksiin. TÀmÀn tulkitsen ympÀristörasismiksi, jonka nÀen kestÀvÀn kehityksen yhdeksi keskeisimmistÀ esteistÀ Luoteis-VenÀjÀllÀ. KestÀvÀn kehityksen sosiaalisen ulottuvuuden kohdalla tilanne on vielÀ vaikeampi, sillÀ esimerkiksi paikallisdemokratian kehitystÀ ei pidetÀ tÀrkeÀnÀ. Suunnitteludiskurssissa demokratiarasismi selitetÀÀn VenÀjÀn lyhyellÀ demokratian historialla. Kuitenkin juuri suunnittelukonfliktien kautta esimerkiksi pietarilaisesta suunnittelusta on tullut kestÀvÀmpÀÀ sosiaalisessa mielessÀ: paikallisten asukkaiden protestit ovat ohittaneet heikosti toimivan edustuksellisen demokratian, jolloin hallintatapa on muuttunut mykÀstÀ konfliktiin kantaa ottavaksi vallankÀytöksi.
Asiasanat: VenÀjÀ, aluesuunnittelu, kestÀvÀ kehitys, ympÀristösuunnittelu, valta ja konfliktit suunnittelussa, hallintatapa, rationaalisuudet
Telling domestic and international policy stories : the case of Russian Arctic policy
Based on extensive empirical analysis of policy communication, this chap-ter investigates the difference between the Arctic narratives presented by the Rus-sian government to the domestic and foreign audiences. We apply narrative policy analysis (Nye 2004; Jones and McBeth 2010) to demonstrate how the Russian government offers two separate, yet intersecting policy stories. For the domestic audience, it highlights the socio-economic significance of natural (hydrocarbon) resources to the development of the Arctic region and Russia as a whole, and demonstrates persistence in turning the Arctic into the primary resource base âagainst all oddsâ (such as the Western economic sanctions and low price of oil). For the foreign publics, it presents the narrative of the Arctic as a territory of peace and stability, emphasising adherence to the norms and principles of the international lawPeer reviewe
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