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Lack of empathy or sheer stupidity - why are we putting the brakes on the necessary breakthrough in sustainability?
The solutions to the sustainability crisis are no longer dependent on a lack of knowledge, and the longer we wait, the more expensive the necessary changes will be. In this panel discussion, we will explore the role of empathy in the sustainability transition.
The opening keynote will be given by PhD researcher Otto Snellman, and the panel will include agricultural policy expert Tuuli Orasmaa and philosopher Markku Oksanen. The discussion will be led by project researcher Tanja Niemi. Join us to consider whether there could be more room in our society for trans-generational, trans-species and trans-national empathy, so that we won’t leave the burden of sustainability destruction to future generations!
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Otto Snellman
Otto Snellman is a PhD researcher in philosophy at the University of Helsinki. He studies the politics and ethics of ecocrises, especially issues of conflict and hypocrisy.
“There are many explanations for slowing down the sustainability transition. Lack of empathy and stupidity are not among the most convincing explanations.”
Photo by Annukka Pakarinen
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Tuuli Orasmaa
Tuuli Orasmaa works as an expert on agricultural environmental policy and her parents are 11th generation farmers. Orasmaa’s non-fiction book “Maaseudun tulevaisuus” (Vastapaino, 2023) deals with Finnish food production and climate change.
“It’s hard to look at the world the same way after talking to farmers.”
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Markku Oksanen
Markku Oksanen is a Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of Eastern Finland and specialises in philosophical environmental research.
“Excessive moralisation is not profitable – not even in the sustainability transition.”
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Tanja Niemi
Previously dedicated to creating experiences from the depths of the seas to the tops of snow-capped mountains, Tanja Niemi is now working to ensure that these ecosystems continue to support life in the future.
“Even if we have the knowledge and money, will it turn into action without empathy?”
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Julia Sangervo
Julia Sangervo on sosiaalisesti ja ekologisesti kestävään yhteiskuntaan erikoistunut psykologi sekä yhteiskunnallinen vaikuttaja. Hän on tehnyt tieteellistä tutkimusta ilmastonmuutoksen herättämistä tunteista, ahdistuksesta ja toivosta, sekä niiden yhteydestä toimintaan ilmastonmuutoksen hillitsemiseksi.