The Environment and its social aspects

1. The Environment and its social aspects Elín Vignisdóttir Geographer

2. Topic of the lecture • Landscape and landscape preferences • The influence of the perception of landscape on outdoor activity • Environmental Impact Assessment in light of the actor-network theory • both human and non-human actors • network building to achieve preferable outcome • the actors perception of the effectiveness of the EIA process

3. Landscape • What is landscape? • nature • a piece of land • scenery • Are people included in the landscape?

4. Cultural landscape • Carl Sauer • Landscape has its origin in the natural form of the land but mans inhabitation transforms it and it becomes a “cultural landscape”. • J.B. Jackson • The vernacular landscape: landscape is not merely a beautiful scenery, but a unit of people and environment, the land in which humans live and work.

5. Perceived landscape • Landscape includes also the landscape we see in our minds. • Personal and cultural filters: • emotions • opinions • interests • education • experience

6. Meaning & image • People give its surroundings a meaning • Certain landscapes revive the image they were given in our minds • historical landscapes • ideal landscapes • Landscape as text • our meaning is “written” into the landscape

7. Landscapes & Outdoor activity • Parks and open spaces are part of the city landscape. • We want “good” landscapes to replenish our energy. • Parks or open spaces with a bad image are less used than the “good” ones.

8. Nature - Culture • Robust areas • Experience nature, bird watching, pic-nic, play games, scouting, walking, exercising, walking the dog. • Fine areas • Experience culture, people-watching, meet friends and relatives, experience history, entertainment

10. Viðey • Cultural landscape: its history and links to the histoyr of Reykjavík have been written into the landscape. • Almost „sacred“ landscape. Its emotional value is high. • But also a landscape to look for nature and experience what nature has to offer.

11. + CULTURE NATURE The two sides of Viðey

12. EIA: effectiveness study • Is the EIA process in Iceland effective? • The EIA process is not merely an objective tool to make “better” decisions. • Social processes that affect the outcomes. • Questions: • What role do the actors involved assign to the EIA process? • Does the EIA process live up to their expectations?

13. Actor-Network Theory (ANT) • Focuses on Actors & Networks • Try to get away from the dualism Descartes introduced to science: nature – humans • Bridging the gap by finding links between humans and natural elements. • Everything consists of a network of heterogeneous actors. What we see is the outcome of the dynamics of the network.

14. Network building • Translation is the process in which connections are made to other actors. • Translation involves transformation and displacement of meaning and information. • Translation often goes trough intermediaries. • If translation is successful a link is formed, but an actor can always break the link.

15. Intermediaries • Stand between two actors and communicate information and meaning. • Inscriptions are the most common intermediaries: • information in written or pictoral form: texts, maps, graphs, pictures, etc. • important to act at a distance.

16. Black-box • Networks are never stable: you constantly have to work to keep them together. • Black-box is a stable network. Its role and the role of every actor in it has become accepted by all. The network disappears behind on of the actors and it is taken for granted. • The network becomes visible when someone doubts its role or breaks a connection.

17. The research • Case study: Kárahnjúkar Power Project and its EIA process and EIS. • Field work: March 2001 – August 2002. • Method: • Follow the actors. • Interviews.

18. The main actors • Public • Local population • NGO’s • Natural entities • animals & vegetation • places • “wilderness” • Project proponent: Landsvirkjun • Planning Agency • Minister for the Environment • Consultants and Experts • Referees

19. Reports • Meetings • Media • WWW • Photographs Interactions via intermediaries

20. Networking • Two strong nets where formed in the process (and even beforehand): • those for the project • those against the project • The goal of both networks was to put forward their point of view and affect the outcomes of key actors: • the Planning Agency, the Minister for the Environment, the public and the members of Parliament.

23. Translation in the EIA process • Each actor depicts his/her “reality”, what s/he believes to be true and right. • Scientific process  Scientific debate. • Each network questions the scientific evidence the other put forward. • Submits new scientific “truth” to support its arguments. • Non-scientific arguments are devalued

24. More on translation • The EIA process is not a black-box • Unstable network: connections constantly change and other actors constantly criticise them. • The Planning Agency: • No consensus on its role

25. Actors views on the EIA process • Informed decision-making • tool to make better decisions • “greening” of projects • to stop projects alltogether. • Cooperation and consultation • Lack of time • Who’s decision?

26. Results • The EIA generally considered an objective tool “to make decisions”. • More scientific evidence and more research brings better decisions. • Science to the rescue! • non-scientific arguments are not valid in the debate. • Consultation and public participation is not considered as important as data gathering. • focus on consultation with experts and scientific institutions.

27. Results • Is the EIA fullfilling its purpose: • Yes, if the goal is to “green” projects. • No, if we want to protect natures interests. • No, if we want to make “objective” decisions. • The eternal issue of land-use. • Environmental issues are all about people.