18101 research outputs found
Sort by
Developing a typology of ad hominem arguments and responses in online environmental deliberation
Get PDFThis study examines the expression and response mechanisms of ad hominem arguments, or personal attacks, in online environmental deliberation, aiming to investigate the impact of such arguments on the quality of discourse. This study offers a typology of ad hominem arguments and responses to provide empirical insights into the potential and limitations of online platforms as spaces for environmental deliberation. While such arguments can polarize discussions, they may also serve as legitimate attempts to question credibility or expose bias, rendering their role in online environmental discourse ambiguous.
By analysing public discussions on environmental issues on the Reddit platform, this study identifies five types of ad hominem arguments expressed at a trait-focused level and two types at a structural level. This study also identifies six types of response strategies, such as terminating the conversation and engaging in mutual attacks. The findings suggest that ad hominem arguments may undermine the principles of equal participation embedded in Habermas’s ideal speech situation, but can also serve as tools to expose power relations or assess the credibility of information. Furthermore, features of computer-mediated communication, such as the absence of social cues, may exacerbate misunderstandings and hinder the realization of rational discourse
Values of the railway station landscape
Get PDFDenna uppsats studerar stationslandskapet i två orter längs Söderåsbanan med syfte att undersöka vilka värden som finns för resenärer i den yttre miljön. En diskussion om stationslandskapets värden handlar om flera aspekter, och denna studie fokuserar särskilt på följande områden: kulturhistoria, användarupplevelser, underhåll, naturmiljö och arkitektonisk kvalitet. Stationsmiljön är en gestaltad kulturmiljö med en stark historisk förankring, vid järnvägens etablering fungerade stationerna som en central drivkraft för orters tillväxt, och som sådana är de fortfarande betydelsefulla. I över ett sekel, med början i andra halvan av 1800-talet, bedrev staten en omfattande planteringsverksamhet i stationslandskapet, vilket resulterade i de så kallade järnvägsparkerna.
Resenärer ska vilja vistats på stationen i väntan på anslutningar, och de blir troligen mer benägna att använda kollektivtrafik när miljön är tilltalande och känns värdig. Järnvägsparkerna bär på kvaliteter att bevara och utveckla, eftersom de skapades som platser för vistelse och trivsel och skulle reflektera framtidstro och bildning. Mina studier visar att stationslandskapets identitet förmodligen är som tydligast förankrat i stationshuset, vars tidigare centrala roll fortfarande lever kvar i många människors minne. Användarundersökningen i studien visar att resenärer särskilt värdesätter stationsmiljöer som upplevs som trygga, med estetiskt tilltalande grönområden samt gott om flexibla, väderskyddade sittplatser.
Trafikverket är uppdelat i olika ansvarsområden, där de som planerar och ritar anläggningen och de som underhåller och förvaltar tillhör olika avdelningar. När anläggningen ritas finns gestaltning med som en viktig del, och när verksamhetsområde underhåll tar över anläggningen skiftar fokus till huvudsakligen säkerhet. Om Trafikverkets olika avdelningar delar en gemensam målbild kan värdefull vegetation anläggas inom Trafikverkets fastighet på järnvägsstationen.This thesis examines the station landscapes in two towns along the Söderås Line, with the aim of investigating the values associated with the outdoor environment from the perspective of travellers. A discussion about the values of station landscapes involves several aspects; in this study, the focus is on the following areas: cultural history, user experiences, maintenance, natural environment, and architectural quality. The station environment is a designed cultural landscape with a strong historical foundation. When the railway was established, stations served as central catalysts for local development, and they remain significant to this day. For over a century, starting in the latter half of the 19th century, the Swedish state maintained extensive planting schemes within the station landscape, resulting in the so-called railway parks.
Travelers should feel inclined to spend time at the station while waiting for connections, and they are likely more willing to use public transport when the environment is appealing and dignified. The railway parks possess qualities worth preserving and developing – they were originally designed as spaces for comfort and leisure, reflecting ideals of progress and education. My studies indicate that the identity of the station landscape is most strongly anchored in the station building, whose former central role still lingers in the memory of many people. The user survey conducted as part of this study shows that travellers value station environments that they perceive as safe, with aesthetically pleasing green spaces and plenty of flexible, weather-protected seating.
The Swedish Transport Administration (Trafikverket) is organized into distinct divisions, with design and planning separated from maintenance and operations. While design considerations, including aesthetic quality, play an important role during the planning phase, the focus shifts primarily to safety once the maintenance division takes over. However, with a shared vision, it is possible to integrate valuable vegetation within Trafikverket’s property at railway stations
The invasive alien species Himalayan balsam (Impatiens glandulifera) : a study on the distribution, risk of spread and recommended control measures in Ale municipality
No full textSpridningen av invasiva främmande arter utgör idag ett snabbt ökande globalt problem. Invasiva arter kännetecknas av en stor konkurrenskapacitet, god spridningsförmåga och är en av de främsta orsakerna till inhemska växtarters utdöende. För att förhindra och stoppa spridningen finns både nationella och internationella regelverk. Jättebalsamin (Impatiens glandulifera) är en växtart som omfattas av EU-förteckningen och som enligt lag skall bekämpas. Arten är mycket problematisk eftersom den trivs i fuktiga miljöer, bildar stora bestånd, konkurrerar ut inhemska växtarter och har en hög spridningsförmåga. Studiens syfte var att utföra en fältinventering av jättebalsamin i två områden (Hålan och Forsån) i Ale kommun, för att kartlägga artens förekomst, omfattning, spridningsrisk och spridningsvägar. Dessutom undersöktes vilka naturvårdsarter som potentiellt hotas, samt olika bekämpningsmetoder. Som komplement utfördes en litteraturstudie.
Resultaten visade att jättebalsamin förekom i båda områdena, men med tydliga skillnader i etablering, förekomst och utbredning. I Hålan befann sig arten i ett tidigt etableringsstadium, med begränsad utbredning och ett fåtal (7) bestånd. I Forsån befann sig arten i ett senare etableringsstadium. Spridningen hade pågått under längre tid och det fanns flera (27), ofta väletablerade, bestånd. Bestånden varierade ifrån mycket små, till stora bestånd av monokulturkaraktär. Stora bestånd hade ett högre individantal per m², jämfört med medelstora och mindre bestånd. Bestånden hade en mycket hög spridningsrisk samt flera potentiella spridningsvägar. Vatten utgjorde den primära spridningsvägen, och översvämningar bedömdes ha gynnat spridningen. Andra spridningskällor var människor, vind, djur och maskiner.
I Hålan dokumenterades fler naturvårdsarter (21), i jämförelse med Forsån (2). Detta indikerade på Hålans höga naturvärden, där närliggande naturreservat riskerar att påverkas negativt om inte bekämpningsåtgärder snabbt implementeras. Förutsättningarna för att utrota arten i Hålan bedömdes som goda, förutsatt att resurser snabbt sätts in för att undvika en fortsatt spridning. Metoden rotdragning rekommenderades, då den inte påverkar områdets känsliga flora. På grund av den storskaliga spridningen i Forsån bedömdes det som svårt att utrota arten. Det föreslås att resurser avsätts för att kontrollera och begränsa artens spridning, tills alla anslutande vattenvägar och avrinningsområden som kan agera som nya spridningskällor, har inventerats. Valet av bekämpningsmetod var mer flexibelt, och flera metoder kunde användas i kombination med varandra. Främst rekommenderades värmebehandling med ånga tillsammans med slåtter och rotdragning, eller bete som kombinerades med rotdragning.The spread of invasive alien species has become an increasingly challenging global problem. Invasive plants are characterized by their competitive capabilities, as well as their strong dispersal abilities. They are one of the main causes of the loss of native plant species. Both national and international regulations are used, to try to hinder the spread of invasive species. Himalayan balsam (Impatiens glandulifera) is included on the EU list of invasive alien species, which includes strict regulations to manage and control its spread. The species, which thrives in wet habitats, is very troublesome as it forms large, dense stands, outcompetes native plants and spreads extensively. The aim of this study was to investigate, through a field inventory at two locations (Hålan and Forsån) in Ale municipality, the distribution of Himalayan balsam, the risk of spread and different dispersal pathways. In addition, threats to nature conservation species and recommended control methods, were examined. A literature review was also conducted.
The results showed that Himalayan balsam was present at both locations, but with a significant difference in its establishment phase, occurrence and distribution. The species was in an earlier establishment phase in Hålan, with a limited distribution range and a small number of stands (7). In contrast, the species was in a later establishment phase in Forsån, and there was evidence that the spread had persisted over an extended period of time. A total of 27 widely distributed and often well-established stands, were identified. The stands ranged from very small, to large monoculture stands. Large stands contained a higher number of individuals per m², compared to medium sized and smaller stands. The risk of spread was high, and the stands had several possible dispersal pathways. Spread via water was considered the main dispersal agent, and flooding was viewed to have facilitated the spread. Other dispersal agents included humans, wind, animals and machinery.
More nature conservation species were documented in Hålan (21), compared to Forsån (2). The large number of species recorded in Hålan, indicates that the area has a high nature conservation value. Adjoining nature reserves are therefore at risk, in case effective control measures are not implemented in the near future. The prospect of eradicating the species from Hålan was considered achievable, as long as resources were swiftly allocated to stop the continued spread. Hand-pulling was the recommended method, as it does not impact the area’s sensitive flora. Due to the large-scale spread in the area, it was deemed unlikely that the species could be eradicated from Forsån. Resources should instead be allocated to control and limit the spread of the species until all adjacent waterways and catchments have been inspected, in order to avoid dispersal from neighbouring source populations. A large variety of control measures could be used to treat the stands, allowing for multiple methods to be combined. These combinations primarily included steam treatment, mowing and hand-pulling, or grazing combined with hand-pulling
Sugar tax: : the hypothetical case of Sweden
Get PDFFood is a fundamental part of our life and the relationship we have with it shapes our overall wellbeing. From the social dimensions, to the physical and psychological one, everything depends by our health, and our health is directly linked with what we eat.
The contemporary food environment has been defined as the ‘eat more’ environment. As a matter of fact, it offers cheap, nutritionally low food while promoting overeating. To improve the overall wellbeing of people it is important to understand why this is the current food environment and how to contrast it. There are different measures implemented at the societal level, by the Governments, to improve the health of people. There are both ‘soft’ and ‘hard’ measures. The most implemented ‘hard’ measures are taxes and regulations that increase the price of foods and push producers to reformulate the nutritionally low, ultra processed food.
One of the most discussed measures is the sugar-tax on sugar-sweetened beverages. This product, particularly detrimental for the health, is terribly consumed. Many Countries have a sugar tax. Sweden, although the high consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages, has never implemented such a measure. Thus, its analysis is fascinating.
In this thesis, I analysed the impact that a hypothetical sugar tax would have on the consumption of SSBs among Swedish consumers. The work was carried out through the study of the scanner data of the ICA Maxi located in Nacka, east of Stockholm. The data was analysed using the Quadratic Almost Ideal Demand System model, through the estimation of the Expenditure, Marshallian and Hicksian elasticities. Different trials with different tax rates have been tested. All the different tax rates show a decline in the consumption of the taxed products. As is it logical, the higher the price increase, the larger the reduction in demand. However, the results of this analysis are modest. As a matter of fact, the 20% tax determines a decrease in the consumption of SSBs by -2.29%, highlighting the need to combine different measures to really change the food consumption patterns of Swedes
Påverkan av skogsrestaurering på fågellivet : en studie med passiv akustisk övervakning i Färna Ekopark
Get PDFMaintaining biodiversity across landscapes requires continuous monitoring. For birds, their sounds play a crucial role in monitoring populations as they facilitate mate selection, resource defence, and species recognition, and can signal divergent speciation. In this study, I aimed to evaluate how restoration measures in a managed forest landscape, affect bird species richness, activity and occurrence of indicator species. The study was conducted in Färna Ecopark, Sweden. This study draws on data from two sources: three restored and three unrestored stands included in a pilot study, and an additional 15 stands that were part of a larger, separate full study. To gather information about birds, one audio box was placed in the center in each stand. In addition to audio recordings of birds, data on forest attributes across the different stands was collected. I identified the bird species in the recordings from each audio box, relying on distinctive vocalizations and established identification methods. The results suggested that the restoration measures influenced the bird activity and species composition, but not species richness. No differences were neither found in species richness among red-listed species or indicator species associated with broadleaf forests. The lack of differences in species richness may indicate that the restoration measures applied have limited immediate impact on species richness. However, bird activity of red-listed species differed significantly between target and unrestored stands. These findings indicate that restoration benefit habitat quality for birds and highlight the importance of continued restoration efforts
Being with nature : the significance of nearby nature in life
Get PDFEngaging with nature has a positive impact on human mental health and well-being. This study emphasises the relational aspects of people’s engagement with nature and adopts an ecopsychological and existential-phenomenological framework to investigate the lived meanings of everyday interactions with nature. It aims to address the subjectivity of experiences in nature and deepen the understanding of the meanings attributed to everyday nearby nature. It seeks to explore the importance of nearby everyday natural environments, helping to understand how experiences in nature affect individuals’ daily lives. Data were gathered through semi-structured interviews and analysed utilising a descriptive phenomenological psychological methodology. The findings indicate that the overall psychological significance of everyday nature experiences encompasses various opportunities for well-being, characterised by an openness to nature. The general structure consists of four constituents: 1) perceiving nature as an environment for processing and managing life; 2) cultivating social relationships through sharing experiences in natural settings; 3) establishing connections with animals, plants, or other natural entities (such as locations, landscapes, and bodies of water); and 4) providing a sense of belonging and inclusion within a greater whole. The discussion provides insight into the existential character of everyday nature experiences and their important role in people’s lives
Gödselanvändning och produktionseffektivitet inom svenskt jordbruk : en meta-frontier stokastisk analys av data på gårdsnivå
No full textThis thesis examines the efficiency and sustainability of Swedish agriculture, with a particular focus on fertilizer use, through a two-stage stochastic frontier analysis (SFA) framework. Using farm-level panel data from the EU Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN), technical efficiency (TE) is estimated for field crop, dairy, and grazing livestock farms via Translog production functions. To account for structural and technological heterogeneity, a meta-frontier approach is applied, yielding Technology Gap Ratios (TGR) and Meta-Technical Efficiency (MTE) scores.
Fertilizer Use Efficiency (FUE) is derived from a Cobb-Douglas specification to evaluate input-specific performance and is complemented by the estimation of Meta-FUE (MTFUE) and Fertilizer Overuse Efficiency (FOUE). These indicators enable a multidimensional assessment of both economic and environmental efficiency.
The results indicate that dairy farms exhibit high TE and MTFUE, while field crop farms show the lowest fertilizer efficiency and the highest overuse. Grazing livestock farms display moderate input efficiency but face the widest technology gaps. The study also explores how structural and policy-related variables—such as subsidies, farm size, and regional location—affect inefficiency.
Overall, the findings reveal substantial heterogeneity across farm types in both productivity and sustainable input use, offering evidence-based insights for more targeted and differentiated agricultural and environmental policy design in Sweden
Municipal forests close to urban areas. : communication and information
Get PDFDenna studie undersöker hur svenska kommuner arbetar med kommunikation kring tätortsnära skogar samt vilka faktorer som påverkar detta. Syftet är att identifiera kommunikationens roll i förvaltningen, vilka faktorer som påverkar den samt vilka utmaningar kommunerna står inför.
Studien bygger på en kvalitativ forskningsmetod med en induktiv ansats och en fallstudiedesign. Datainsamlingen genomfördes genom intervjuer med kommunala tjänstemän samt dokumentanalys av kommunala dokument. Fem teoretiska modeller användes för att analysera empirin och bidra till en fördjupad analys.
Resultatet visar att kommunikation är avgörande i förvaltningen av tätortsnära skogar, särskilt för att skapa legitimitet, öka förståelsen för beslut och förebygga konflikter. Även om kommunerna arbetar på olika sätt, finns det vissa gemensamma faktorer som återkommer. Formella och informella påtryckningar påverkar, såsom FSC-certifiering och sociala normer har stor påverkan. Det uppdagades även att det finns resurs och tidsbrist inom kommunernas skogsförvaltning.
Slutsatsen är att kommunikation inom tätortsnära skogsförvaltning inte enbart handlar om informationsspridning, utan även fungerar som ett verktyg för att bygga förtroende, skapa legitimitet och minska konflikter. För framtida forskning föreslås studier med fokus på invånarnas perspektiv, för att bättre förstå hur kommunikationen uppfattas och identifiera framtida utvecklingspotential.This study examines how Swedish municipalities work with communication regarding urban forests and what factors influence this process. The purpose is to identify the role of communication in forest management, which factors affect how communication is carried out, and what challenges municipalities face.
The study is based on a qualitative research method with an inductive approach and a case study design. Data was collected through interviews with municipal officials and document analysis of municipal materials. Five theoretical perspectives were applied to analyze the empirical data and provide a deeper understanding.
The results show that communication is crucial in the management of urban forests, particularly for building legitimacy, increasing understanding of decisions, and preventing conflicts. Although municipal approaches differ, several common factors recur. Both formal and informal pressures, such as FSC certification and social norms, have a significant influence. It was also revealed that municipalities often face a lack of resources and time in forest management.
The conclusion is that communication in urban forest management is not solely about disseminating information it also serves as a tool for building trust, establishing legitimacy, and reducing conflicts. For future research, studies focusing on residents’ perspectives are recommended to better understand how communication is perceived and to identify potential areas for development
Scenarios of large-scale Swedish transition from milk consumption to plant-based milk alternatives : impact on the environment, food waste and nutrition
Get PDFThis master’s thesis examined whether replacing cow’s milk with fortified oat and pea drinks in the Swedish adult diet could make Sweden’s food system be in accordance with the planetary boundaries defined in the EAT-Lancet Commission Framework. It also evaluated the nutritional consequences of this dietary substitution. Using life cycle assessment and material flow analysis, three scenarios for transitions with different combinations of oat and pea drinks were modeled and compared to a 2023 business-as-usual scenario for the Swedish adult population. Scenarios were assessed across the six EAT-Lancet Earth system processes (climate change, land-system change, nitrogen cycling, phosphorus cycling, freshwater use, and biodiversity loss), food waste across the supply chain and contributions to nutrient intake.
To support household food waste estimations, a small-scale sensory test was conducted to challenge the maximum drinkability window of the drinks. Household losses were then estimated based on the share of consumers relying on best-before dates (32 %), sensory information such as taste, smell, and appearance (26 %), and handling errors (42 %). These proportions were combined with data on surplus volumes around the best-before date and the outcomes of the sensory test. Oat and pea drinks lasted 20 and 24 days, respectively, after opening, compared to 10 days for fresh milk after opening. Since plant-based milk alternatives are UHT-treated when unopened, they remain stable until opening, while milk is affected by its fresh-product packaging. An analysis of drink losses in the entire systems showed that households were the main contributors to waste, and that total drink losses decreased by 25–30 % when replacing milk with plant-based milk alternatives.
The results showed that all plant-based test-cases had lower impacts on Earth system processes than the dairy-dominated base-case. Annual greenhouse gas emissions decreased from 1.0 to 0.5 Mt CO2e, land-system change from 150 to 72, 81, and 63 ha, nitrogen application from 35 to 12, 11, and 13 t, phosphorus application from 1.1 to 0.4 kg, freshwater use from 4.1 to 3.3, 2.9, and 3.6 m3, biodiversity loss from 4.5 · 10–7 in the base-case to 2.2 · 10–7 and 2.4 · 10–7 E/MSY (extinctions per million species-years), in test-cases 1-3, respectively.
When the whole diet was assessed on a per-capita basis and compared to the 2023 global targets, all Earth system processes exceeded the safe limits except for freshwater use. Climate impact reached 2.2 tons of CO2e per capita, well above the global 0.6 tons of CO2e target, indicating major overshoot. Land-system change was 0.24 m2 per capita, exceeding the global 0.16 m2 target with moderate overshoot. Nitrogen application ranged from 49–52 kg N, far above the global 11 kg N target, and phosphorus application was 4.6 kg P, exceeding the global 1.0 kg P target – both with major overshoot. Freshwater use remained within the safe space at 49 m3 per capita, below the global 309 m3 target. Biodiversity loss reached 7.8 · 10–9 E/MSY, surpassing the global 1.2 · 10–9 E/MSY target, with major overshoot. As milk alone accounts for a relatively small portion of total dietary emissions, addressing only milk is insufficient; other components of the diet must also reduce their unsustainable resource use.
Substituting milk with oat and pea drinks can be nutritionally viable on a population-level. Oat and pea drinks provided most of the micronutrients typically supplied by milk, in similar amounts, including calcium, vitamin D, vitamin B2, and vitamin B12. However, they contained only about half the protein and lacked certain essential amino acids.
Replacing milk with fortified oat and pea drinks improves sustainability and lowers food waste but is not enough to align with planetary boundaries. Achieving this goal will also require broader dietary shifts, technological innovation, and systemic reductions in waste
Use of hay nets when feeding horses
Get PDFHästen är en gräsätande art (herbivor) med ett naturligt ätbeteende som innebär att den betar upp till 10–12 timmar per dygn med huvudet nära marken, vilket gynnar både dess fysiska och psykiska välmående. Dagens hästhållning avviker ofta från detta beteende genom begränsad tillgång till grovfoder, få utfodringstillfällen och uppstallning i miljöer som inte tillåter naturligt födosök. Detta kan leda till beteendestörningar som stereotypier, exempelvis vävning och krubbitning. En litteraturstudie genomfördes som inkluderade 24 stycken artiklar med syftet att undersöka hur hästarnas äthastighet och ättid påverkades av utfodring med grovfoder i hönät samt om det gav några negativa konsekvenser på nack-ryggmuskulatur eller tandslitage. Undersökningen visade att grovfoder som utfodras i hönät, kan förlänga ättiden genom att minska mängden foder hästen kan få i sig per tugga. Studier visar att mindre maskor (3 cm2) i nätet ger längre ättider, vilket potentiellt minskar risken för utveckling av stereotypier. Samtidigt kan icke-naturlig ätställning, frustration och ryckande i nätet innebära negativa hälsoeffekter. Beroende på hur högt upp hönätet är upphängt kan det även ge belastning på rygg och nacke. Risken för negativ påverkan på hästens tandhälsa vid utfodring av grovfoder i hönät bedöms som låg. Slutsatsen som kunde dras var att hönät kan vara ett bra verktyg för att reglera hästarnas ättid om hänsyn tas till placering, maskstorlek och fodertyp.Horses are herbivorous animals with a natural behavior of foraging for up to 10-12 hours of the day, primarily by slowly consuming forage with their head close to the ground. In modern horse management, this behavior is often restricted due to limited feeding times, reduced access to roughage, and stabling in environments that do not allow natural foraging behavior, which can lead to behavioral issues such as stereotypies. One tool that has gained popularity to support longer feeding time is the use of hay nets. A literature study was conducted that included 24 articles with the aim of investigating how horses eating speed and eating time were affected by feeding roughage in hay nets and whether it had any negative consequences on neck and neck and back muscles or dental health. The study showed that hay nets can prolong feeding time by reducing the amount of forage a horse can consume per bite. Studies show that smaller mesh sizes (3 cm2) result in longer feeding ties, which may potentially reduce the risk of developing stereotypic behaviors. At the same time, unnatural eating positions, frustration, and tugging at the net may have negative health effects. Depending on the net placement height, it can also put strain on the back and neck. The risk of negative impact on the horse’s dental health when feeding roughage in hay nets is assessed as low. The conclusion that could be drawn was that hay nets can be a good tool for regulating horses eating time if consideration is given to placement of the net, mesh size and feed type