Returning to Nature

Abstract

While industrial closures in past decades were legitimized through an emphasis on economic motives, current closures are often framed within an emphasis on ‘green transition’, that is, through prefigurative discourses about post-carbon futures. This article discusses how the prefigurative transition framework reshapes the industrialization narrative, seeking to bridge the anthropology of energy and theories of performance. By paying attention to how ‘proclaimed transition’ is envisioned, narrated, and performed, the article explores the ways in which transition in Svalbard is spectacularly dramatized by the dismantling of the Svea coal mines, accompanied by the ‘returning to nature’ of the area. The article analyzes this ‘returning’ as a social drama of our anthropogenic times, demonstrating how landscape and nature are made key entities in performances of post-carbon utopia(s).

Phasing out coal on Svalbard: From a conflict of interest to a contest over symbolic capital

“…Some scholars have pointed out that this can challenge Svalbard’s “Nowegianness” and ultimately fuel misperceptions about its legal status as subjected to Norwegian sovereignty (Hovelsrud et al, 2023, p. 100; Pedersen, 2017, p. 105). Others, however, argue that closing the mines shows that Norway is taking environmental responsibility and that this represents a new way to show national presence (Ødegaard, 2022, pp. 11–12)…”

“…In addition, the various ways coal mining has influenced culture and politics have been highlighted (Steinholt & Rogatchevski, 2022, p. 1). For instance, the dismantling and “turning back to nature” of the Svea mine have been described as a “turning point for narratives about Svalbard’s transition from a mining community to a showcase for the future” and are part of the Norwegian government’s official environmentalist narrative about Svalbard as “a site for innovative environmentalist initiatives and solutions” (Ødegaard, 2022, pp. 2–9).…”

“…Furthermore, it has been recognised that the transition represents a “balancing act” for the Norwegian government because it must navigate several and sometimes conflicting priorities (Hovelsrud et al, 2020, p. 425). Indeed, the closing of the mines reveals various conflict lines in the government and between the government and local actors (Ødegaard, 2022, p. 11). With this article, I contribute to the understanding of this current change by exploring the political process of phasing out coal on Svalbard and relating it to how power, in the form of shaping people’s perceptions and as prestige, influenced what interests prevail and why.…”