From an early age I was touched by the nature around me. Therefore, it was no surprise that I felt completely at home when studying Forest and Nature Management at Wageningen University. It was there that a seed has been planted to really understand conflicts between people and wild animals. Especially what lessons we can […]
We could characterize our food system as a social construct: a complex set of rules, habits, practices, beliefs and views that have developed over time, which shape our behavior. From this perspective, institutional change is essential for sustainability transitions. After all, such a transition can only take place if we change the rules of the
Towards a diverse and democratic food system Read More »
For as long as I can remember, I have been amazed by the tremendous biological diversity (or biodiversity) that our planet harbors. One of the things that fascinates me most is the multiplicity of ways in which species interact with each other and how these interactions shape the ecosystem processes on which our livelihoods depend
Getting to the roots of sustainability Read More »
More and more we see trees in NW Europe struggling with the effects of drought. Most native species have some natural degree of tolerance to drought, at least when growing in soils that do not have an overload of nitrogen. The widespread persistent high levels of nitrogen in the forest soil, because of agricultural, industrial
Drought and nitrogen load do more damage to nature together Read More »
Climate is one of the major factors composing tree ecological niches as defined by Hutchinson (Booth et al., 1987; Hutchinson, 1965). Consequently, concerns arise with the increase in harming events caused by anthropic climate change (Marini et al, 2012). Some species would not have neither the genetic potential to adapt nor the dispersal capacity to
Climate change is threatening forest and forestry in Europe Read More »
Can protecting our natural resources really be economically “too much”? Just as often with our own health, it rather seems to be a question of short vs long-term perspective, or business vs national economy. The degradation of some natural resources, like soil, water or stable climate, will have adverse economic effects on future generations that
Internalising external costs is key to dissolve conflicts of ecology and economy Read More »
Soils are complex ecosystems and not just the dirt beneath our feet. They teem with life, from earthworms to fungi and bacteria. As an environmental historian, I have studied the interaction between soils and humans, how in the European past the soil was cared for, impersonated as “Mother Earth” by Greek and Roman thinkers, fed
We can live only from living soil Read More »
The primeval nature of Bosnia and Herzegovina, rich in numerous endemics, is rapidly disappearing, whether it is mountain, hill or meadow ecosystems. Watercourses, mountain lakes and ponds are especially endangered, which are already on the verge of disappearing. So 20 years ago we had the chaotic construction of small hydroelectric plants, which sprouted like mushrooms
The state of nature in a transition country, the case of Bosnia and Herzegovina Read More »
The upcoming European elections are incredibly important for nature. European authorities have begun to roll back many policies and rules that are meant to protected nature, to ensure that our environment gets cleaner and healther, and to help industries and agriculture adopt environmentally friendly practices. This is worrying, because despite recovery here and there, the
Vote on a party that puts sustainability before short-term interests Read More »
Convivial conservation is a new “vision, a politics and a set of governance principles for the future of conservation” (Büscher & Fletcher, 2019, p. 284). Through its core focus on ‘living with’ biodiversity within planetary boundaries, it will also productively address the likely dramatic impacts of climate change (IPBES-IPCC, 2021). Grounded in a political ecological
Convivial conservation Read More »
