Paper short abstract:

With insights from tourism activities in Jämtland, a mountainous region in northern Sweden, this session shows how growth is implicit for actors, yet shocking when seeing the impacts on our planet.

Paper long abstract:

What makes us continue accepting the impacts on our planet despite continuous growth? The Anthropocene is becoming increasingly pressing, yet the consequences of our everyday actions remain difficult to discern. Reminding us of Anna Tsing's argument (2015; 2005) that scholars need to adopt a more local lens, because the Anthropocene is never global but always appears locally, this presentation examines how individuals perceive their contribution to local environmental impacts. The insights are based on 50 participants from a running marathon and a mountain biking competition held in northern Sweden. During the interviews, the informants were shown 10 photos depicting various types of trail damage captured through photo-elicitation. This analysis shows how actors interpret and navigate actions to limit their impacts. While man-made impacts such as greenhouse gas emissions and waste were acknowledged as environmental issues, human-made impacts like trail damage were seen as natural phenomena that nature quickly recovered from. They expressed shock and surprise upon seeing the photos, having not fully realised the extent of their damage. This presentation offers insights into the complex relationship between participation in nature-based events and environmental impacts that emphasise the need for increased awareness and fostering self-limitation to challenge the imperatives of growth.