Seasonal Change and the Baltic Sea: Encountering Knowledge(s)

In our efforts to combat environmental problems of various kinds, (natural) scientific knowledge needs to be complemented not only with knowledge produced by humanistic and social scientific research but also with so called experience based or local/traditional knowledge. This kind of knowledge is often constructed through tangible changes that can be experienced in nature, such as, regarding the knowledge of climate change, for instance, the prevalence of extreme climatic phenomena, changes in flora and fauna, and the dissolution of the four seasons. My paper examines the interrelations between scientific and experience-based knowledges in the case of the Baltic Sea protection. The focus is on the Baltic Sea, the protection regime of which is widely known and often used as an example of successful environmental cooperation as well as of smooth science-policy interaction. My paper looks at the role of various types of knowledge in the work of the Baltic Sea protection regime, drawing on the idea that local, experience-based knowledge may serve as a useful instrument for transnational and global environmental governance and for connecting with “on the ground” political constituencies. At the same time, it scrutinizes what kind of humanistic and social scientific research on environmental problems is needed to complement the knowledge-base needed to enhance sustainability of the Baltic Sea and, on a more general note, of the entire globe.