People
A citizens' project with positive visions for the future Do you dream of a brighter future? Then maybe the citizen project Utopian Stories is something for you. The project collects positive visions of the future and experiences during the pandemic, from schools and and ther public, which will then be subject to climate projections. – Greta Thunberg urges the public to listen to the researchers. But in this project, the researchers will listen to the public to investigate possible future worlds. We are quite used to dystopian narratives about impending environmental disasters, extraterrestrial attacks or malicious artificial intelligence. However, Camilla Brudin Borg, Senior Lecturer in Literary Studies, believes that utopias, where one imagines a better world or a brighter future, are not only interesting but can also provide specific help in creating a more sustainable society. – During the pandemic, we have all had to change our behaviour: For example, we have not been able to travel or consume in the same way as before. Although we must do much more than that to help the climate, the changes have meant a step in the right direction. What we need to think about now, as we begin to return to a more normal situation, is how to take advantage of the experiences we have gained. Therefore, the first part of the project involves investigating which lifestyle changes we have not perceived as particularly negative, which we can therefore consider continuing with. The second part of the project is to
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GUJOURNAL NOVEMBER 2021
Camilla Brudin Borg and climate researcher Alasdair Skelton cooperate to collect utopian stories about the future.
