Finding Solutions

You said in something that I read, in preparation for this interview, that the science is there -- I'm paraphrasing you -- but what we really need to do as we deal with this problem is to draw on the work of the social sciences and the humanities, that they might help us as we move forward in this process of convincing people. What did you mean by that? Could you explain that a little?

I think that the character of environmental problems has changed over time. During the eighties, it was still "point sources" -- you need technical solutions and such things. But for example, we talk about climate change, it's much more integrated in society, which means that solutions also need research in other areas than natural science and technical science. You need research -- you really need cross disciplinary research. And that is a challenge, to get humanists or social science together with engineers and biologists, and form a project to put solutions on the table. That is a real challenge, and it's very difficult in many countries -- in most countries -- to have this cross-disciplinary communication.

So, for example, the social scientists could offer understanding about how people's attitudes change.

Exactly.

And the humanists could help us understand how we think about the long term versus the short term, how we think about future generations, what we hold dear, do we really hold dear our children's future, and so on.

And communication -- how you communicate rather complex things, and crisis communication, such things. There is a need now. The environmental research [has been done]. There is a need to have more cross disciplinary research projects to have the same objective, all the disciplines have the same objective of trying to solve the same type of problem, but together.

But in the end it will take political leadership, will it not?

No, I don't think -- it's not about that, because now we are in a situation where the natural scientists say that, "You have to do so-and-so." "How?," the policymakers say. Now they have to go back to another discipline and ask, "How are we going to do that?" You see? So, that's my point.

I see. Let me ask you -- students may watch this interview and if they're interested in being a scientist but they're interested in being part of the government, and they look at your career and find it interesting, which it is, how would you advise them to prepare for the future?

Oh! I think first of all, don't hesitate to take part of governmental work. I mean, it's very, very fun. For me personally, it's extremely fun, in fact, to see how you can make use of scientific results, and that you also understand both the scientific community you are coming from, but also the political community you communicate with. You are really satisfied if you manage to stand one leg in [each] community, and try to communicate and see that maybe, hopefully, you have an impact.

So, rather than frustration, it's fun to actually work out these solutions?

Absolutely.

Now one final question. If you were addressing an American audience as head of the Swedish EPA, what message would you like to leave them about the importance of this set of problems and how we can move together in the future to solve the problems of climate change?

Up to now we have national strategies, we have a European Community strategy, but we need one planet policy for this problem. We are all together, living on one planet, and we need a policy for the planet about this. That's so important that everyone, corporate and different type of national constraints hopefully can be put aside, because we need a policy just for one planet and not for four planets, as we maybe need if everyone is living as we are doing.

On that note, Dr. Liljelund, I want to thank you very much for being with us today, and bringing the Swedish perspective on environmental issues. Thank you very much.

Thank you.

And thank you very much for joining us for this Conversation with History.

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