Esa's Notebook

I have always been fascinated by nature. Back in my teenage years, I was already involved when awareness of nature conservation began to grow in Finland as well, and people started talking about protecting trees from logging. I was also always interested in influencing. I wanted to make a difference in the things around me and in society, and not just be a bystander. Later, I also became interested in politics, which is why I was excited when I was asked to stand as a candidate for the Green Party’s municipal elections. That was the beginning of my political career – which, admittedly, was short due to leaving the town for a new job – but I had time to be involved in the Green Party’s local and national politics.

Later it became clear to me what really lies behind the global ecological movement and what factors are central to the global environmental movement. Many things contributed to the fact that I found it difficult to be involved in the green movement. I will mention a few of these below.

1. There is No Such Thing as Green Economy

I was constantly annoyed that the Greens did not have a credible economic agenda, be it on the national or municipal level. In Finland, there were a few key persons in Green party who were familiar with economic problems, but as a whole it was my perception that for the Greens, economic issues were less prominent than for example social equality, gender equality, green energy and, at the time, the anti-nuclear sentiment. This in itself was a pity because – then and especially now – politics needs a vision of the economy, the construction of a sound budget and the management of economic problems such as public debt. It could rightly be said that the economy has always been the central issue of politics, and mastering its subject matter is perhaps the most fundamental skill in making policy.

2. Green is Fundamentally an Ideology, not a Policy

I felt that Green is more of an ideology than a policy. It should not be forgotten that, at least in the early stages, the Green movement was associated with a fundamentally Malthusian and anti-human ideology, as may have been seen in what the former Finnish green figure Pertti Linkola said. According to him, the survival of the earth is more important than the survival of humankind. It may not have been perceived as eco-fascism at that time, but you cannot really give any other name to the view if you correctly understand its fundamental meaning. There have been plenty of horrible examples of this kind of anti-humanity in the world. Eco green is an almost religious ideology that believes man to be a parasitic enemy of nature, and the green movement to be the messiah that saves the earth.

It is certainly important to promote social and gender equality, but the Greens have made feminism a central part of the political agenda and have declared themselves a feminist party. Feminism, taken to the extreme, has not necessarily promoted equal gender equality, but may even have led to discrimination against men.

3. Is Green Energy the Solution to Our Energy Problems?

It was also eye-opening to see that the energy policy instruments proposed by the Greens were ultimately unsustainable. In the 2000s, it has been difficult to even see what would have been the Green solution to the increase in the need for energy. “Forbidden” were not only nuclear power, but also hydropower and, of course, fossil non-renewable fuels, even the burning of waste and wood. The supply of energy should have been secured by renewable forms of energy such as solar and wind power, or by hypothetical forms of energy, which were only at the development stage. This approach would be, of course, catastrophic from a global perspective. Such an energy policy, if implemented in developing countries, would lead to the impoverishment and starving of these countries. Only rich countries could afford to secure their energy supplies solely through non-fossil energy sources. And Europe in a state of war has seen where this has led.

The above does not mean that I am not green minded. On the contrary, ecology, nature and the protection of nature are still close to my heart. Nevertheless, I feel that I can lead a green and ecological lifestyle without belonging to any particular Green Party.