WEBVTT - The Black Thread, Ep 1 | Meet the Norwegians 0:00:05.640 --> 0:00:09.039 Hello and welcome back to Drilled. I'm Amy Westerwaldt. I 0:00:09.080 --> 0:00:12.000 am super excited to be bringing you a new mini 0:00:12.119 --> 0:00:15.840 series over the next few weeks. It's called The Black Thread. 0:00:16.000 --> 0:00:20.360 It's about Norway's complicated relationship with its identity as both 0:00:20.480 --> 0:00:25.200 a progressive leader and an oil stage. It's coming at 0:00:25.280 --> 0:00:28.160 you from the host of the communicating climate change podcast 0:00:28.360 --> 0:00:31.639 Dick and Bonvicstone, and was created in collaboration with the 0:00:31.680 --> 0:00:36.880 Norwegian nonprofit Klima Culter. This is The Black Thread Episode one. 0:00:37.479 --> 0:00:38.440 I hope you enjoy it. 0:00:42.680 --> 0:00:47.159 Norway a country whose name conjures images of fairytale fjords, 0:00:47.479 --> 0:00:50.839 mighty mountains and northern lights. A place known for its 0:00:50.880 --> 0:00:54.440 great adventurers. It's sagas about Thor and the Vikings and 0:00:54.480 --> 0:00:58.280 its cultural treasures like paintings by Monk, plays by Ibsen 0:00:58.480 --> 0:01:02.600 and music like this by Greek A beautiful soundtrack for 0:01:02.640 --> 0:01:07.120 a nation famous for its natural wonders, clean energy, electric vehicles, 0:01:07.400 --> 0:01:11.680 and wealth. So much wealth invested in its citizens' well being, 0:01:11.959 --> 0:01:16.920 happiness and positive impact on the world today, Norway tops 0:01:16.959 --> 0:01:21.200 all kinds of global rankings for life quality, happiness, democracy, 0:01:21.440 --> 0:01:26.600 political participation, press, freedom, and more. In fact, It's hard 0:01:26.640 --> 0:01:36.520 to imagine a more perfect utopia, and yet Norway remains 0:01:36.560 --> 0:01:40.280 a country curiously at odds with its international reputation and 0:01:40.400 --> 0:01:45.039 indeed with its own identity. Despite being legally committed to 0:01:45.080 --> 0:01:48.800 global climate goals, acknowledging the risk of climate change impact 0:01:48.840 --> 0:01:52.720 within its borders, and maintaining a self image as a responsible, 0:01:52.840 --> 0:01:56.280 nature loving nation and a champion of human rights, Norway 0:01:56.440 --> 0:02:00.480 continues to drill for oil. In twenty twenty five alone, 0:02:00.520 --> 0:02:03.680 the Norwegian states earnings from its petroleum industry are expected 0:02:03.720 --> 0:02:07.280 to reach around sixty eight billion US dollars, most of 0:02:07.320 --> 0:02:10.200 which will be funneled to Norway's Sovereign Wealth Fund, known 0:02:10.240 --> 0:02:14.239 colloquially as the Oil Fund, an investment portfolio of around 0:02:14.240 --> 0:02:17.799 one point nine trillion dollars that promises to assure Norwegian 0:02:17.840 --> 0:02:21.600 wealth long into the future. With nearly one hundred active 0:02:21.639 --> 0:02:25.320 oil fields in the North Sea, seventy eight additional discoveries 0:02:25.360 --> 0:02:28.440 earmarked for future activity, and about half of all the 0:02:28.520 --> 0:02:31.359 oil that's ever been found on the Norwegian continental shelf 0:02:31.639 --> 0:02:34.680 still estimated to be in the ground, the industry shows 0:02:34.720 --> 0:02:38.280 no signs of slowing down. None of this fits with 0:02:38.360 --> 0:02:42.600 the world's view of Norway, or how most Norwegians see themselves. 0:02:43.000 --> 0:02:46.480 So what's really going on here, How do identity and 0:02:46.760 --> 0:02:50.760 action come to clash so significantly, and what forces keep 0:02:50.800 --> 0:02:55.280 this contradiction in place. From flagrant fossil fuel advertising and 0:02:55.400 --> 0:02:58.600 the revolving doors between the oil industry, politics and the 0:02:58.600 --> 0:03:02.320 boards of major institutions, to oil funded science exhibits for 0:03:02.400 --> 0:03:06.000 children and a widespread reluctance to fully face the consequences 0:03:06.000 --> 0:03:10.440 of their actions. A black thread oil runs through Norwegian 0:03:10.480 --> 0:03:16.600 society and culture, stitching together a complex patchwork of myths, money, manipulation, 0:03:17.080 --> 0:03:21.160 and denial. As a result, wherever you look in Norway, 0:03:21.440 --> 0:03:25.560 oil is not just present, it's accepted as normal, reasonable, 0:03:25.840 --> 0:03:30.280 and even right. Hello and welcome to the Black Thread, 0:03:30.520 --> 0:03:35.480 a podcast series unraveling Norway's complex relationship with prosperity, identity, 0:03:35.680 --> 0:03:39.720 and responsibility in a warming world. I'm Dickon, a brit 0:03:39.760 --> 0:03:43.280 based in Oslo, the Norwegian capital, As a climate communications 0:03:43.320 --> 0:03:46.960 expert and having published research about how narratives shape public 0:03:47.000 --> 0:03:50.160 opinion and support for climate policies in Norway, I've spent 0:03:50.240 --> 0:03:53.200 a lot of time pondering over the curious dynamics on 0:03:53.240 --> 0:03:56.280 display in this place. I've come to call home. Over 0:03:56.320 --> 0:03:59.320 the next four episodes, I invite you to follow the 0:03:59.360 --> 0:04:02.040 black thread with me, as guided by a range of 0:04:02.080 --> 0:04:05.720 experts and industry insiders, I try to understand how these 0:04:05.720 --> 0:04:09.760 conditions are maintained and how Norwegians try to square this circle. 0:04:10.200 --> 0:04:13.120 We'll discover where the logic does and doesn't stand up 0:04:13.160 --> 0:04:16.400 to scrutiny, and even hear how Norwegians might move forward 0:04:16.640 --> 0:04:20.839 towards a future beyond oil and gas. In this first episode, 0:04:21.000 --> 0:04:24.560 we'll meet the Norwegians and explore how social norms and 0:04:24.640 --> 0:04:28.520 cultural values shape their identity as a good, caring and 0:04:28.600 --> 0:04:31.920 nature loving people. We'll learn what happens when those values 0:04:31.960 --> 0:04:35.040 come into conflict with the reality of Norway's outsized impact 0:04:35.120 --> 0:04:39.480 on climate change, and discover how and why oil influences 0:04:39.480 --> 0:04:44.280 people's response to this dilemma. So let's begin to pull 0:04:44.400 --> 0:04:45.320 on the black thread. 0:04:48.320 --> 0:04:52.599 You're not the only one wondering why Norway has had 0:04:52.839 --> 0:04:56.120 such a good reputation and it is strange, of course. 0:04:56.640 --> 0:05:00.760 That's Anikhar And Sather, author, journalist and project manager at 0:05:00.800 --> 0:05:04.240 the Norwegian Climate Foundation NORWI is green think tank. You 0:05:04.279 --> 0:05:04.839 could say. 0:05:04.760 --> 0:05:10.400 That we have been an ev front runner the sales 0:05:10.440 --> 0:05:13.280 of electric cars. Now we're up at ninety six percent. 0:05:13.600 --> 0:05:18.479 That's a good thing. And we have donated to forest 0:05:18.560 --> 0:05:22.800 preservation in the world. We are doing international climate and 0:05:22.920 --> 0:05:27.760 nature diplomacy, and we try to tell ourselves and the 0:05:27.800 --> 0:05:31.120 world that we are helping the climate. But we do 0:05:31.200 --> 0:05:34.839 profit on a product that is devastating for the climate. 0:05:35.000 --> 0:05:38.120 And the emissions from the wagon oil and gas adds 0:05:38.200 --> 0:05:42.440 up to about ten times as much as the national emissions. 0:05:43.000 --> 0:05:50.120 So we do have a real problem. 0:05:47.600 --> 0:05:51.080 A real problem. Indeed, scientists agree that the world is 0:05:51.200 --> 0:05:54.080 hurtling in the wrong direction when it comes to climate change, 0:05:54.160 --> 0:05:57.560 which is causing extreme weather events, rising sea levels, and 0:05:57.600 --> 0:06:01.640 the devastation of nature and biodiversity around the world. Across 0:06:01.640 --> 0:06:06.159 the globe is costing lives, impacting human health, driving mass migration, 0:06:06.520 --> 0:06:11.320 and even according to the International Monetary Fund, risking economies too. 0:06:11.560 --> 0:06:14.640 The main driver of this global challenge is rising carbon 0:06:14.680 --> 0:06:18.880 dioxide or CO two in the atmosphere, primarily driven by 0:06:18.880 --> 0:06:22.160 the burning of fossil fuels like oil and gas. As 0:06:22.200 --> 0:06:25.000 a result, the United Nations has called for an end 0:06:25.120 --> 0:06:28.919 to fossil fuels and instead for a rapid transformation towards 0:06:28.960 --> 0:06:33.400 renewable energy sources like solar and wind. Even so, the 0:06:33.440 --> 0:06:36.920 Norwegian Prime Minister Euana scar Sturdo says there is no 0:06:37.040 --> 0:06:41.159 contradiction between Norway's climate efforts and the country's continued expansion 0:06:41.200 --> 0:06:42.520 of its fossil fuel industry. 0:06:43.080 --> 0:06:47.120 Norwegians like to think of themselves as the good guy, 0:06:47.640 --> 0:06:52.040 a force for good in the world, a small country 0:06:52.080 --> 0:06:55.960 doing great things. And some of it's true. We do 0:06:56.080 --> 0:06:59.919 spend a lot of money on international aid and develop 0:07:00.080 --> 0:07:03.920 and we try to participate on the international scene as 0:07:03.920 --> 0:07:07.320 a diplomat and so forth. We are a country pushing 0:07:07.360 --> 0:07:14.240 the environmental and AGAINDA internationally to some extent. So it 0:07:14.280 --> 0:07:17.480 has worked really well to think of oil and gas 0:07:17.520 --> 0:07:20.960 as something positive. It's almost as we're doing it just 0:07:21.000 --> 0:07:23.679 to help the world become a better place. 0:07:24.280 --> 0:07:27.480 According to Anakharan, Norway sees itself as a force for 0:07:27.560 --> 0:07:29.880 good in the world, a nation striving to make a 0:07:29.920 --> 0:07:33.679 positive difference. But how do you reconcile that with selling 0:07:33.680 --> 0:07:38.000 a product that's driving a global crisis. Back in nineteen 0:07:38.000 --> 0:07:40.960 eighty nine, Norway was among the first countries to set 0:07:41.000 --> 0:07:44.760 a climate goal, inspired by the concept of sustainable development, 0:07:44.880 --> 0:07:48.200 which was spearheaded by Norway's first female Prime Minister, grow 0:07:48.240 --> 0:07:52.320 Harlem Brintland. Norwegians took real pride in their ambitious commitment 0:07:52.360 --> 0:07:56.440 to stabilize their emissions. However, according to Ana Kharan, once 0:07:56.480 --> 0:07:59.760 the reality of that commitment sank in, essentially meaning no 0:08:00.080 --> 0:08:02.720 further expansion of oil and gas production on the Norwegian 0:08:02.760 --> 0:08:08.320 continental shelf, both politicians and the public stepped back from it. Nevertheless, 0:08:08.480 --> 0:08:12.320 with a country electrified largely by hydropower and driven by 0:08:12.320 --> 0:08:16.200 a faith in technological solutions, Norway strove to cut emissions 0:08:16.240 --> 0:08:20.160 inside its borders, ultimately becoming a poster child for green 0:08:20.240 --> 0:08:24.600 growth and sustainable development. Decades later, and despite the ongoing 0:08:24.640 --> 0:08:28.720 expansion of their fossil fuel industry, Norwegians continue to express 0:08:28.760 --> 0:08:32.560 their deep concern for climate and the environment. Recent polling 0:08:32.600 --> 0:08:36.680 from research and advocacy organization Oil Change International shows that 0:08:36.720 --> 0:08:41.000 they rank climate and environmental issues above the likes of education, immigration, 0:08:41.280 --> 0:08:46.200 and employment. Meanwhile, oil and energy concerns rank far lower, 0:08:46.600 --> 0:08:50.040 only eleven percent of people see them as top priorities. 0:08:50.679 --> 0:08:55.280 Something here doesn't add up. If Norwegians feel so strongly 0:08:55.320 --> 0:08:58.480 about protecting the environment and they know oil is a 0:08:58.520 --> 0:09:01.320 major part of the problem, since they've worked hard to 0:09:01.360 --> 0:09:04.959 transform their own society away from using it. What's behind 0:09:05.040 --> 0:09:10.360 the disconnect? To explore this, let's turn to sociologists Carry Norgard, 0:09:10.480 --> 0:09:13.920 whose book Living in Denial sheds light on the cultural 0:09:14.000 --> 0:09:17.080 challenges Norwegian's face as they grapple with their role in 0:09:17.120 --> 0:09:18.480 the global climate crisis. 0:09:18.880 --> 0:09:21.080 What we do and don't think about is very much 0:09:21.120 --> 0:09:26.400 shaped by our collective context, both our social interactions and 0:09:26.480 --> 0:09:30.960 the kinds of cultural stories that we tell ourselves about 0:09:31.040 --> 0:09:34.240 how the world works, about what's happening, and the kind 0:09:34.240 --> 0:09:37.440 of cultural tools that we use or have access to. 0:09:38.000 --> 0:09:40.600 If we don't want to think about something, what's socially 0:09:40.640 --> 0:09:41.720 acceptable and what's not? 0:09:42.480 --> 0:09:44.720 So, what is it that's within the source code of 0:09:44.720 --> 0:09:48.880 Norwegian society and culture that allows this contradiction to continue. 0:09:49.480 --> 0:09:51.920 Let's dig into the academic literature for a bit of 0:09:51.960 --> 0:09:56.319 background on this place, its inhabitants, and particularly their relationship 0:09:56.400 --> 0:10:00.840 to nature. Norway is about the same size Poland or 0:10:00.920 --> 0:10:04.800 Vietnam three hundred and twenty four thousand square kilometers, but 0:10:04.840 --> 0:10:06.960 with a national population of just five and a half 0:10:07.000 --> 0:10:10.640 million people, it's mostly wild. Only three percent of the 0:10:10.679 --> 0:10:13.720 land is suitable for farming, Around a quarter is forest 0:10:14.000 --> 0:10:17.520 and less than one percent is actually urbanized. The rest 0:10:17.559 --> 0:10:20.400 of the country, about seventy percent of it is made 0:10:20.480 --> 0:10:24.480 up of mountains, lakes, and bogs, and that vast, untamed 0:10:24.559 --> 0:10:27.800 landscape is a huge source of national pride. In fact, 0:10:28.160 --> 0:10:33.679 for many Norwegians, nature isn't just scenery, its identity, its heritage. 0:10:34.200 --> 0:10:37.920 Nature is often seen as a birthright, something every child 0:10:37.920 --> 0:10:40.959 should grow up with and within. There's even a word 0:10:40.960 --> 0:10:46.640 for that free lift sleeve. The outdoor life hiking, skiing, climbing, canoeing, 0:10:46.800 --> 0:10:50.400 et cetera. Being in nature isn't just a pastime, it's 0:10:50.559 --> 0:10:55.560 part of being Norwegian. The late sociologist Thomas Holland Eriksson 0:10:55.640 --> 0:10:58.240 claimed that a Norwegian who doesn't get out into nature 0:10:58.400 --> 0:11:01.719 might be seen as a poor specimen by their fellow citizens. 0:11:02.160 --> 0:11:05.440 The special Norwegian relationship to the outdoors is summed up 0:11:05.520 --> 0:11:09.319 often in the classic saying the Finish ka doolivad barda 0:11:09.440 --> 0:11:12.040 dor lei klad. There's no such thing as bad weather, 0:11:12.679 --> 0:11:17.800 just bad clothes. Basically, being prepared, understanding the elements and 0:11:17.920 --> 0:11:20.280 having the skills and the grit to endure them no 0:11:20.400 --> 0:11:23.480 matter what they might be is deeply ingrained in the 0:11:23.559 --> 0:11:27.719 Norwegian psyche and in the way outsiders think about Norwegians too. 0:11:28.400 --> 0:11:32.199 As Carrie Norgard explains, Norway's connection to the outdoors is 0:11:32.400 --> 0:11:33.160 rather unique. 0:11:33.640 --> 0:11:35.360 This is a place where to me it does seem 0:11:35.400 --> 0:11:38.319 really clear that the natural world in the long time 0:11:38.400 --> 0:11:41.000 connection with the natural world is a distinct thing for 0:11:41.160 --> 0:11:43.960 Norwegians and certainly is something that's different. You know, sure, 0:11:44.400 --> 0:11:47.600 Finland and parts of Russia and Sweden have a lot 0:11:47.640 --> 0:11:49.520 of contact with the natural world, but if you look 0:11:50.040 --> 0:11:53.599 throughout Europe, not everybody has so much as people do 0:11:53.720 --> 0:11:57.000 in Norway. I think it's immediately apparent, and it's immediately 0:11:57.040 --> 0:12:00.240 apparent when you look at things like you know of 0:12:00.360 --> 0:12:04.280 time that people still spend doing outdoor activities, going to huts, 0:12:04.360 --> 0:12:06.840 going to the ocean, going to the mountains, going skiing. 0:12:07.559 --> 0:12:10.199 This creates a kind of self sufficiency and people of 0:12:10.400 --> 0:12:14.480 values around self sufficiency. There is a sense of connection 0:12:14.600 --> 0:12:20.240 to the natural world that is affirmed through activities like 0:12:20.440 --> 0:12:24.240 walking in the mountains, sometimes by yourself for days at 0:12:24.280 --> 0:12:28.559 a time. This sense of simplicity, this sense of innocence 0:12:28.720 --> 0:12:32.680 that can come from both culturally recreating it, but experiencing 0:12:32.840 --> 0:12:37.000 oneself in this way, it can be a strong jumping 0:12:37.080 --> 0:12:39.800 off point. Those connections with the natural world is an 0:12:39.800 --> 0:12:42.520 opportunity to care about it, to know about it, to 0:12:42.640 --> 0:12:46.360 make observations, to have your sense of security and your 0:12:46.400 --> 0:12:49.680 sense of identity rooted in the winter, in the summer, 0:12:50.240 --> 0:12:53.440 in the activities that you do, even the bodily sensations 0:12:53.480 --> 0:12:56.160 of jumping into the ocean, or the bodily sensation of 0:12:56.840 --> 0:13:00.240 knowing how to dress in the winter for skiing and 0:13:00.840 --> 0:13:03.880 knowing how to move your body across snow in the winter, 0:13:04.520 --> 0:13:07.800 there creates a very strong sense of identity and community. 0:13:08.640 --> 0:13:10.800 With a long history of public access to land and 0:13:10.880 --> 0:13:15.040 natural resources, today Norwegian's right to roam what they call 0:13:15.240 --> 0:13:19.120 alamans Redden is protected by law. Everyone has the right 0:13:19.240 --> 0:13:23.640 to walk, swim, camp and forage pretty much anywhere, even 0:13:23.800 --> 0:13:26.599 on private property. There's a real sense that Norway and 0:13:26.679 --> 0:13:30.040 its resources are for everyone. That means if you're out 0:13:30.040 --> 0:13:31.760 in the woods and you find a patch of wild 0:13:31.840 --> 0:13:35.480 berries or mushrooms, you can pick them. Of course, initially 0:13:35.720 --> 0:13:39.280 my British instinct was to grab every single chanterelle mushroom 0:13:39.360 --> 0:13:43.120 I saw, because why not? Them's the rules and find 0:13:43.160 --> 0:13:45.679 as keepers. But as my pockets filled up and I 0:13:45.800 --> 0:13:48.280 rummaged in my backpack to make space for more, my 0:13:48.440 --> 0:13:51.640 Norwegian wife stopped me. What are you doing? She said, 0:13:51.880 --> 0:13:54.559 we don't need more, just leave the rest for the 0:13:54.679 --> 0:13:57.520 next person that comes along. It was a moment that 0:13:57.600 --> 0:14:00.000 stuck with me ever since, because it speaks to something 0:14:00.320 --> 0:14:04.280 deeper that there are unspoken rules here, a quiet ethic 0:14:04.360 --> 0:14:08.959 of fairness, of sharing, of prioritizing the collective over the individual. 0:14:09.440 --> 0:14:13.079 And that brings us to Yantlouvin, a silent set of 0:14:13.200 --> 0:14:16.760 rules that Norwegians live by. You can think of yant 0:14:16.760 --> 0:14:19.000 to Lauvn as a social code that works to keep 0:14:19.040 --> 0:14:22.080 people humble. Nobody should be so bold as to think 0:14:22.120 --> 0:14:25.400 that they're better than anyone else or deserving of more. 0:14:25.920 --> 0:14:28.320 It's a culture where people don't tend to show off, 0:14:28.680 --> 0:14:31.400 don't speak up unless they have something to say, don't 0:14:31.480 --> 0:14:35.880 push themselves forward, and rarely make bold claims. That might 0:14:35.960 --> 0:14:39.160 sound cold from the outside, but in Norway's part of 0:14:39.240 --> 0:14:43.560 a strong, quiet social fabric, one where fitting in matters 0:14:43.640 --> 0:14:47.280 more than standing out. Here's carrying Norgard to tell us more. 0:14:47.480 --> 0:14:51.160 Jante Lavin would be again sort of a cultural code 0:14:51.680 --> 0:14:55.080 around not sticking your neck out, around not thinking too 0:14:55.160 --> 0:14:59.960 much of yourself. It's a code that creates conformity and humility, 0:15:00.240 --> 0:15:03.440 and you know, it's harder to critique. If you make 0:15:03.480 --> 0:15:08.359 a social critique, it's seen as rude, it's seen as inappropriate, 0:15:08.520 --> 0:15:11.640 it's seen as thinking that you're smarter than other people. 0:15:11.920 --> 0:15:15.160 And I'm sure that that is part of what can 0:15:15.280 --> 0:15:19.160 make breaking out of the box around conversations on climate 0:15:19.280 --> 0:15:24.760 change just seem more inappropriate in the best of circumstances, 0:15:25.080 --> 0:15:28.760 the very best of circumstances, talking about climate change is terrifying. 0:15:29.320 --> 0:15:33.400 It's very difficult, it's beyond difficult. It's very disturbing at 0:15:33.440 --> 0:15:35.800 every level. And then if you have it that it's 0:15:36.360 --> 0:15:39.480 socially inappropriate, that you're breaking social norms on top of it, 0:15:39.960 --> 0:15:42.040 it becomes a way of dismissing the point of view 0:15:42.200 --> 0:15:45.520 right in order to have the conversation. There's just a 0:15:45.640 --> 0:15:50.080 much narrower set of things that are acceptable to talk 0:15:50.120 --> 0:15:53.040 about ways that is acceptable to approach your problem, and 0:15:53.160 --> 0:15:56.600 that would be a major limitation. It's not that Norwegians 0:15:56.640 --> 0:15:58.880 are not thoughtful, kind people, it's just that that's just 0:15:59.040 --> 0:16:02.200 not how things are done in most cases, so. 0:16:02.560 --> 0:16:05.520 We can imagine how Janthelovin could contribute to people not 0:16:05.680 --> 0:16:08.640 sticking their necks out, not wanting to rock the boat. 0:16:09.240 --> 0:16:13.080 But not only a Norwegians absolutely kind and thoughtful, they're 0:16:13.200 --> 0:16:19.240 also highly cooperative. Norwegian identity is typically described as practical, calm, 0:16:19.640 --> 0:16:23.400 conflict shy, and emotionally reserved, but it's also built on 0:16:23.480 --> 0:16:27.280 a strong sense of collective responsibility and collective action for 0:16:27.400 --> 0:16:30.560 the greater good of the group or for society at large. 0:16:31.000 --> 0:16:33.560 There's even a word for that too, dougnad. 0:16:33.840 --> 0:16:36.720 So dugnad just to define it is this idea of 0:16:37.360 --> 0:16:41.240 collective purpose, of that you contribute to, volunteer actions that 0:16:41.360 --> 0:16:43.800 we have, that people have to take care of each 0:16:43.840 --> 0:16:45.880 other in some way. It's a way of creating a 0:16:46.000 --> 0:16:48.960 sense of responsibility to participate in a project. I mean, 0:16:49.000 --> 0:16:50.800 the first way that I was introduced to it was 0:16:50.880 --> 0:16:53.720 in the community where I was staying when I did 0:16:53.760 --> 0:16:56.160 the work on living in Denial, and there was a 0:16:56.280 --> 0:16:58.360 barn that needed to be taken down, and so all 0:16:58.440 --> 0:17:03.200 the neighboring farmers brought their tractors and other equipment over 0:17:03.320 --> 0:17:05.440 and by the end of the day the barn was 0:17:05.480 --> 0:17:08.520 on the ground, and then everybody was eating food and 0:17:08.720 --> 0:17:12.400 drinking and celebrating together and having a wonderful community experience. 0:17:13.160 --> 0:17:16.639 It's an old tradition shaped by the landscape itself. In 0:17:16.720 --> 0:17:20.800 a country of scattered settlements and challenging terrain, communities had 0:17:20.840 --> 0:17:23.600 to rely on each other. You couldn't go it alone. 0:17:24.160 --> 0:17:27.520 So dugnot isn't just about getting things done. It's about 0:17:27.600 --> 0:17:30.960 being part of something, doing your bit, whether it's cleaning 0:17:31.040 --> 0:17:35.240 local beaches, tidying up shared apartment gardens, or going into 0:17:35.359 --> 0:17:39.640 lockdown during the pandemic. Nobody is above it. In this way, 0:17:39.840 --> 0:17:43.119 dougnot is also anti class, which really speaks to the 0:17:43.200 --> 0:17:48.320 sense among Norwegians of egalitarianism and equality. Everyone benefits from 0:17:48.400 --> 0:17:51.880 the collective commitment, but like so much in Norway, it's 0:17:52.040 --> 0:17:55.359 rarely spoken about. But it's there, part of the quiet 0:17:55.480 --> 0:18:03.119 social code, alongside Alamansreddin, alongside Yanthelovnri but deeply understood. So 0:18:03.240 --> 0:18:05.800 that was your crash course into some of the fundamentals 0:18:05.840 --> 0:18:09.520 of Norwegian society and culture. But carries work in Norway 0:18:09.600 --> 0:18:13.200 specifically sought to uncover the mechanics of climate denial. So 0:18:13.800 --> 0:18:16.760 how is it that deeply rooted rules, norms and ways 0:18:16.800 --> 0:18:19.800 of being like those we've just discussed, can contribute to 0:18:19.920 --> 0:18:22.159 what seems like such an obvious paradox. 0:18:22.600 --> 0:18:26.320 When you study sometimes something that says threat to society, 0:18:26.480 --> 0:18:29.720 it becomes a moment where you can see how things work. 0:18:30.400 --> 0:18:34.200 And so taking climate change as an example of how 0:18:34.680 --> 0:18:38.359 the social organization of denial operates, we can see in 0:18:38.480 --> 0:18:43.040 a Norwegian context, there's values of egalitarianism, there's values of 0:18:43.160 --> 0:18:47.560 human rights, there's values of connection to nature. There's a 0:18:47.600 --> 0:18:53.000 strong sense of moral code, there's a sense of collective purpose. 0:18:53.560 --> 0:18:58.240 And those are wonderful things, absolutely wonderful qualities that I 0:18:58.280 --> 0:19:01.160 wish more countries had. But I think one thing that's 0:19:01.200 --> 0:19:03.600 important to realize is as much as these are potentially 0:19:03.760 --> 0:19:08.440 very positive qualities, really critically essential qualities when it comes 0:19:08.520 --> 0:19:12.879 to solving a large global environmental human rights problem like 0:19:12.960 --> 0:19:18.720 climate change, that if we think about psychological principles like 0:19:18.840 --> 0:19:24.320 cognitive dissonance, for example, we can also see where they 0:19:24.400 --> 0:19:25.840 can be like an achilles heel. 0:19:26.840 --> 0:19:29.720 Cognitive dissonance is the feeling of being stuck between what 0:19:29.800 --> 0:19:32.920 you believe and how you feel, often in relation to 0:19:33.040 --> 0:19:36.240 some actions that you've taken. It's kind of a mental 0:19:36.400 --> 0:19:38.840 tension that makes it hard to fully face a problem 0:19:39.160 --> 0:19:43.680 or take strong action to fix it. Sometimes, learning new information, 0:19:44.080 --> 0:19:47.000 for example, that the emissions associated with your national oil 0:19:47.040 --> 0:19:50.480 industry are driving climate change, can lead to the discomfort 0:19:50.600 --> 0:19:54.159 of cognitive dissonance. People sometimes deal with this by finding 0:19:54.200 --> 0:19:57.760 ways to justify their behaviors or finding ways to discredit 0:19:57.920 --> 0:20:01.560 or ignore that new information. This may explain the great 0:20:01.680 --> 0:20:04.520 confidence many Norwegians have in a slew of as of 0:20:04.640 --> 0:20:08.560 yet unproven technological solutions to the challenge of rising emissions, 0:20:09.160 --> 0:20:11.600 and the fact that in recent years, at the same 0:20:11.720 --> 0:20:15.000 time as ranking environmental issues highly in its list of priorities, 0:20:15.480 --> 0:20:18.000 Norway has also ranked as having some of the highest 0:20:18.040 --> 0:20:21.600 climate denial rates in the world. Let's hear from Carrie 0:20:21.680 --> 0:20:25.680 Norgard about how their national virtues, values and norms come 0:20:25.800 --> 0:20:27.159 back to bite Norwegians. 0:20:27.760 --> 0:20:30.400 If you take at the individual level, how those are 0:20:31.240 --> 0:20:35.399 in conflict with emotions that people share come up for 0:20:35.520 --> 0:20:39.320 them talking about climate change, such as guilt, such as 0:20:39.480 --> 0:20:42.640 fear about the future, such as a sense of helplessness. 0:20:43.480 --> 0:20:47.800 You have these three emotions that really come into conflict 0:20:47.880 --> 0:20:52.240 for people with these ideas of how they see themselves 0:20:52.920 --> 0:20:56.960 as morally good as strong environmentalists, so circling back to 0:20:57.119 --> 0:21:00.920 the idea of Yontloven and that it's socially unacceptable to 0:21:01.040 --> 0:21:04.040 break out of a mold that becomes a cultural tool 0:21:04.119 --> 0:21:07.800 that you can wield to attack someone by their personality 0:21:07.960 --> 0:21:11.400 rather than having to deal with the uncomfortable thing that's 0:21:11.480 --> 0:21:15.840 being proposed. Sociology talks about three levels of social organization, 0:21:16.000 --> 0:21:19.679 and the processes of denial cuts across these three levels, 0:21:19.720 --> 0:21:23.719 which are the individual level where we have psychological constructs, 0:21:24.119 --> 0:21:27.840 the cultural level, where we have social interactions and cultural 0:21:27.960 --> 0:21:31.800 norms and cultural tools that we use to recreate culture, 0:21:32.359 --> 0:21:34.840 and then the larger macro level, which is kind of 0:21:34.920 --> 0:21:38.040 the political economy and where you have things like in 0:21:38.160 --> 0:21:42.320 Norway that it's a capitalist society that's organized around fossil 0:21:42.359 --> 0:21:46.040 fuel production, and how those levels of social organization shape 0:21:46.480 --> 0:21:49.600 what people do and don't think about, and what is 0:21:49.880 --> 0:21:52.240 potentially problematic to think or not think about. 0:21:52.880 --> 0:21:56.639 So, according to Carrie Norwegians are proud of being kind 0:21:56.840 --> 0:22:00.440 and caring about each other, about nature, and about being 0:22:00.560 --> 0:22:03.240 a force for the greater good, but their role as 0:22:03.240 --> 0:22:06.919 an oil nation driving global climate change can bring up 0:22:06.960 --> 0:22:11.159 feelings of guilt, helplessness, or fear it clashes with how 0:22:11.200 --> 0:22:14.679 they see themselves as good and responsible people, leading them 0:22:14.720 --> 0:22:18.760 to potentially reject the reality due to cognitive dissonance, or 0:22:18.880 --> 0:22:21.639 otherwise discredit those who voice that there might be a 0:22:21.720 --> 0:22:25.440 problem as being culturally deviant and thinking they're smarter than 0:22:25.440 --> 0:22:28.359 the rest. As we've learned, that's a big no no 0:22:28.600 --> 0:22:32.360 in Norway. Something else that's worth adding is that Norway's 0:22:32.400 --> 0:22:36.560 small communities, even within its major cities, create overlapping social 0:22:36.680 --> 0:22:40.560 networks where almost everyone is connected in some way. As 0:22:40.600 --> 0:22:43.760 a result, you might hesitate to criticize the service at 0:22:43.760 --> 0:22:46.440 a restaurant because the waiter is friends with someone in 0:22:46.520 --> 0:22:49.800 your extended family, or avoid commenting on a new local 0:22:49.880 --> 0:22:54.520 development because your neighbour is involved. In casual conversation, people 0:22:54.680 --> 0:22:59.119 often leave out identifying details like company names or surnames 0:22:59.359 --> 0:23:02.440 because the people on the adjacent table, or next in line, 0:23:02.840 --> 0:23:06.200 or sitting nearby on the bus might share social connections 0:23:06.280 --> 0:23:09.960 in some way. The result is a pervasive self censorship 0:23:10.040 --> 0:23:13.479 that I simply haven't encountered anywhere else. While this can 0:23:13.560 --> 0:23:18.879 make everyday interactions smoother, it also means important but difficult conversations, 0:23:19.119 --> 0:23:23.960 for example, dissatisfaction with a colleague's conduct or Indeed, critiques 0:23:24.040 --> 0:23:28.480 of the oil industry often never happen, but the story 0:23:28.520 --> 0:23:31.840 doesn't end there. These inner conflicts are made even more 0:23:31.920 --> 0:23:35.399 complex by the fact that oil isn't just an abstract problem. 0:23:35.680 --> 0:23:39.160 It's also a huge part of everyday life. Let's take 0:23:39.160 --> 0:23:42.440 a step back and hear how it all began. In 0:23:42.560 --> 0:23:45.960 nineteen sixty nine, oil sprung into the picture on the 0:23:46.000 --> 0:23:49.680 website of Equinor, Norway's national oil company. It reads the 0:23:49.800 --> 0:23:52.480 same year that humans landed on the Moon, taking their 0:23:52.560 --> 0:23:55.280 first steps out into the stars. What was then the 0:23:55.359 --> 0:23:59.359 world's largest offshore oil field was discovered in Norway's subsurface 0:23:59.440 --> 0:24:03.359 universe on the continental shelf. The discovery of Ecofisk, that 0:24:03.520 --> 0:24:06.560 oil field southwest of the city of Stavanga on Norway's 0:24:06.600 --> 0:24:11.320 west coast, offered vast opportunities for Little Norway to expand 0:24:11.400 --> 0:24:15.159 on our understanding of those early days. Here's Yanik Lindbag, 0:24:15.440 --> 0:24:18.680 executive vice president for Communications at Equinor. 0:24:18.960 --> 0:24:23.320 Oil was discovered late sixties, and then the Parliament set 0:24:23.640 --> 0:24:27.320 the principles for the development of natural resources that was found. 0:24:27.960 --> 0:24:31.960 These principles have served Norway really well. The political choices 0:24:32.600 --> 0:24:34.520 that were made was able to make sure that the 0:24:34.640 --> 0:24:37.360 resources was developed in a way that benefited the whole 0:24:37.400 --> 0:24:39.880 of society, and that was the political aim at the time. 0:24:40.560 --> 0:24:42.760 And as part of that, it was also a choice 0:24:42.840 --> 0:24:46.719 to establish a national oil company which was Statoil at 0:24:46.760 --> 0:24:49.919 the time, which is now Equinora. Obviously, for as long 0:24:49.960 --> 0:24:52.000 as it was one hundred percent state on it was 0:24:52.080 --> 0:24:57.000 obviously every Norwegians property. Now the Norwegians share that interest 0:24:57.080 --> 0:24:59.399 with some other shareholders, but still it's received to be 0:25:00.000 --> 0:25:02.920 company of the people, owned by the people, and supposed 0:25:02.960 --> 0:25:06.280 to act in favor of public ambitions and goals. 0:25:07.160 --> 0:25:10.000