Paper Short Abstract:

The Finnish peatscape has partly been shaped by the political relations between East and West due to the energy production. Securing energy self-sufficiency through the green transition will extend the impacts from peatlands to forests and fields. The Iron Curtain, now invisible, still transforms landscape.

Paper Abstract:

Peatlands are an important habitat type in the Finnish landscape, as almost a third of Finland's land area is peatland. In 2015, the year of the Paris Agreement, Finland was the world's leading peat producer. About 90% of the production was energy peat and 10% growth peat. The production volume was almost double that of Ireland and several times that of Russia and Belarus.

The study sheds light on the far-reaching impacts of global energy policy decisions on local nature, landscape and human life. It will also contribute to understanding the future implications of current energy policy decisions.

The data, collected using research methods of environmental humanities, has been analysed using actor network theory. The local knowledge at the heart of the research data sheds light on the landscape impacts of the invisible Iron Curtain that extended to the peatlands of Finland.

The analysis has identified the role of energy-related technology as a landscape-shaping actor. While the first two energy transitions have primarily affected communities and the environment linked to the peat industry, the third, the green transition, affects the entire Finnish environment and communities.

Industrial peat production in Finland was triggered by events preceding the construction of the Iron Curtain. The post-oil crisis energy landscape was shaped by Soviet machinery and engineering. The ongoing green transition is being accelerated by Russia's war against Ukraine. So, in a way, the Iron Curtain is still shaping the Finnish landscape, even though it was dismantled more than 30 years ago.