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This thesis investigates the deliberative potential in two communicative initiatives resulting from the 2001 government policy in Swedish nature conservation, A coherent nature conservation policy. The two initiatives, which constitute the empirical material in the thesis are, (1) a national competence development programme that the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency ran 2008-2011, Dialogue for nature conservation, and (2) the nature interpretation at naturum, visitor centres at national parks and nature reserves. Data was generated through qualitative interviews with nature conservation administrators at county administrative boards; participant observation at dialogue courses and workshops with researchers and nature interpreters; video analysis of recorded nature interpretation sessions at naturums; documentation from naturum exhibitions; and document and literature studies. The thesis draws from critical theory and clarifies rationales behind communicative practices in nature conservation. The analysis shows that the communicative initiatives are dominated by the instrumental state rationality, circumscribing space for communicative rationality. The 2001 nature conservation policy emphasised communication, but the communicative initiatives did not sufficiently integrate democratic aspects. By identifying the role of meaning-making as a central phenomenon in a communicative process, the thesis indicates how to include democratic dimensions in communicative work. The theoretical contribution of the thesis draws from an analysis of modernity, nature alienation and reconciliation. In the thesis, naturum is identified as a communicative forum with an underdeveloped potential for reconciliatory activities, more precisely deliberations on nature in nature. The thesis contributes to the field of environmental communication through highlighting how communicative practices of nature conservation depend on both communication and materiality.

Vem har rätt till naturen, skogen och marken? Hur har äganderätt sett ut i Sverige historiskt, och vad grundar sig vår syn på äganderätt på? Den tidigmoderna äganderätten var inte lika strikt som den moderna – ett exempel på ett självorganiserat utnyttjande av allmänningar var fäbodväsendet. Men dessa allmänningar har minskat i takt med den biologiska mångfalden i jordbruksbygderna.

The European Commission adopted the European (EU) Forest Strategy in 2021, where forests and forest management practises such as closer-to-nature forestry (CNF) are identified as a key in solving the two crises of climate change and biodiversity loss. This interview study analyses the attitudes of different forest stakeholders towards CNF and their preferred regulation method of it. Seven stakeholders participated in the interviews, representing three stakeholder groups: forest owners, environmental organisations, and industry organisations. Two environmental organisations and one of the forest owners' organisations had their own definition of CNF, which entailed mainly natural regeneration and an avoidance of clear cuts. Their perceived purpose of CNF was the same as that of the EU Forest Strategy, as a forest management method aiming to promote climate change adaptation, biodiversity conservation and timber production. Those who did not have a definition, two of the forest owner's organisations and two industrial organisations, explained that the definitions of CNF varied depending on the purpose of using it. The three organisations that had a definition of CNF, were also in favour of an EU regulation of CNF. The four organisations that were opposed, argued that the conditions across Europe vary too much to have a common regulation. Instead, they preferred market solutions and other ways of reaching the same goals. The results might depend on a larger inclination of believing in legislation if you have a clear definition of it, but also on the attitudes towards legislation varying in general between stakeholder types. During the finalisation of this study, the European Forest Institute released a report with seven principles of CNF, which calls for further research.

Sverige kallas ibland för världens mest sekulariserade land. Medlemstalen i de religiösa församlingarna sjunker. Samtidigt söker sig allt fler svenskar ut i naturen för att hitta en plats för kontemplation. Är det så att det är ute i skog och mark som de avkristnade svenskarna möter det som en gång söktes i kyrkan? Är naturen svenskarnas nya religion och hur blev den i så fall det? I Granskogsfolk tecknar David Thurfjell den svenska naturkärlekens religionshistoria, från fornnordiska föreställningar om en besjälad vildmark, via de katolska och lutherska periodernas folktro och troslära, till den moderna tidens exploatering och naturromantik. Det blir en berättelse om vår relation till den natur som vi älskar och är en del av, men som vi samtidigt ständigt söker dominera eller fjärma oss ifrån

Arktis. Et benhårdt og iskoldt miljø, hvor dyr og planter gennem årtusinder har tilpasset sig ekstreme forhold. Men Arktis er også et sårbart miljø, der i de seneste årtier har undergået store forandringer. Temperaturen er steget markant, og havisen er skrumpet betragteligt. Kan den højarktiske natur følge med sådanne ændringer?I denne bog fortæller 22 danske forskere om mere end 14 års minutiøs overvågning af det højarktiske økosystem i Nordøstgrønland. Med Forskningsstation Zackenberg som faglig og social ramme har forskerne siden 1995 målrettet arbejdet på tværs af videnskabelige fagområder for at kortlægge miljøet i en ca. 30 km2 stor dal og forstå klimaets betydning for det samlede økosystem.Historien om naturen og klimaændringerne i Nordøstgrønland begynder med historien om etableringen af Forskningsstation Zackenberg og driften af stationen. Herefter følger en række artikler, hvor observationerne bliver fremlagt og forklaret. Hvad sker der med jordmiljøet - med permafrost og kulstofomsætning? Hvad spirer i plantedækket og lever i søerne? Og hvordan reagerer trækfugle, rovdyr og byttedyr, når fødekæderne ændrer sig? Dagbogsoptegnelser om forskernes liv og oplevelser fungerer som pauser imellem artiklerne, og bogen afsluttes med et samlet bud på, hvordan fremtidens Arktis kunne komme til at se ud, hvis den globale opvarmning fortsætter.Bogen indledes med et forord af Hans Kongelige Højhed Kronprins Frederik.

In the late 1950's, Merleau-Ponty shifted his research focus from phenomenology to ontology. Such a transition involves the articulation of his previous studies of perception and corporeity with the philosophical unfolding of the postulates of physics and biology from the first half of the century. By reformulating the concept of nature, fostered not only by the sciences mentioned above but also by Whitehead's metaphysics, Merleau-Ponty proposes the admission of nature as a temporal flux of self-producing meaningful expressiveness, incorporating temporality and negativity into the core of being, something that before was exclusive of the being-for-it-self. Merleau-Ponty's flesh, as we shall see, is in harmony with Whitehead's notion of process, pointing to a certain pre-socratic hylozoism in the ontology of both. That being said, the purpose of the paper is to examine Merleau-Ponty's indirect ontology, indicating its convergence with Whitehead's philosophy, so we can finally introduce an incipient critique based on the work of Francisco Varela. It is argued here that the concept of autopoiesis may indicate an alternative to Merleau-Ponty's notion of nature.

In his book Mind and World, John McDowell intends to overcome the oscillation between two approaches that seek to mediate the relationship between the minds and the world, on the one hand we have the myth of the giving saying that thoughts need coercion from the outside world, and on the other side we have the coherentism that presents the idea that only one belief can justify another belief. To defend its approach and naturalize conceptual capabilities, situating spontaneity in nature without reducing it within the realm of law. Human nature would then be a second nature which is not only formed from the abilities acquired at birth but which are also formed from the Bildung. In taking these notions, McDowell brings the discussion of Han-Georg Gadamer's ideas about the experience of openness to the world through language. In this way, the intention of the present article is to discuss about the implications of the notions of Bildung and second nature in the work of McDowell seeking a greater clarification from the influence and the interpretations of Gadamer.