No abstract

The debate on the Anthropocene has become passionate during the past few years. This is partly because social scientists and humanists have adapted the concept creatively for their own research, as well as criticized the dominant role of natural sciences in defining the Anthropocene. We claim that to achieve a new level of transdisciplinarity it is vital for the Anthropocene research to fully acknowledge the theoretical, methodological and practical issues involved. We argue that inevitable as well as fruitful antagonisms can be identified between different disciplines and practices of trans- and interdisciplinary research improved by learning from these experiences. Here we analyze three ideas to enhance future transdisciplinary communication. First, we shed light on the current condition of transdisciplinarity in Anthropocene research by examining the challenges in Earth System science. Second, we widen the view on Anthropocene research by defining four different disciplinarily oriented research approaches to the Anthropocene: geological, biological, social, and cultural Anthropocene. Third, we reflect on the future challenges of merging these approaches into a new transdisciplinary Anthropocene research.

As the literature on environmental security has evolved and widened, knowledge of the full range of potential consequences of environmental change for different societies remains scattered. This article contributes to a more comprehensive approach to the implications of environmental change by providing a three-level framework of the security impacts. In particular, it will address gaps in knowledge by pointing out the relevance of geopolitical and structural factors behind environmental security impacts. The article will focus on the cases of two countries, Finland and Sweden—both seen as stable, high-income democracies that are well equipped to adapt to climate risks. Yet even under these conditions, preparedness to threat-prevention will not follow without a recognition of the full range of risks, including ones that are linked to socio-economic and geopolitical factors. On the basis of the Finnish and Swedish cases, the article proposes an analytical framework of three categories of environmental security impacts: local, geopolitical and structural.

Despite an increasing recognition that environmental change may have implications for security, there only are few policies to address the issue. This article will look at environmental security policies in Finland and Sweden and propose ways to develop more effective measures. It relies on a three-level framework that aims to enable the identification of environmental security impacts by categorising them into local, geopolitical and structural ones. The article will examine present environmental security strategies and policies in Finland and Sweden, consider their efficacy for addressing various kinds of impacts and point out approaches that are currently missing. Based on the discussion, it argues that a comprehensive policy approach is needed to tackle environmental security impacts. This requires closer coordination and interchange between sectors as well as strategic intent. In addition, further research is needed on the structural impacts of mitigating and adapting to environmental change.

Decoupling environmental "bads" from economic "goods" is a key part of policies, such as green growth and circular economy, that see economic growth as desiderable or necessary, and also see that current use of natural resources and its environmental impacts are unsustainable. We estimate what a "successful decoupling" (2% annual GDP growth and a decline in resource use by 2050 to a level that could be sustainable and compatible with a maximum 2°C global warming) would mean in terms of its type, timeline and size.Compared to 2017, "successful" decoupling has to result in 2.6 times more GDP out of every ton of material use, including in-use material stocks. There are no realistic scenarios for such an increase in resource productivity.