Det blir litt mindre håpløst når du kan gjøre litt. En kvalitativ undersøkelse blant strandryddere på Nordvestlandet

Abstract

Summary The purpose of this research has been to investigate why and how come some persons dedicate so much time and effort to beach cleaning. The death of the so-called “Plastic Whale” in January 2017 (Moore, 2017) was a wakeup call for many, and the start a new wave of beach cleaners. Some beach cleaners spend a vast amount of their spare time to work, often in bad conditions with winds and rain, for free. How did they become deeply engaged in beach cleaning and how has this affected them? How do these people perceive themselves, nature and the community around them? Nine beach cleaners from the north-western part of Norway were interviewed in the autumnof 2019. They were selected as they have been engaged over several years but still see themselves as volunteers. The data was analysed under three themes; emotions, engagement in and with nature, and space and place. In the Nordic tradition, it is (still) quite common to spend time on outdooractivities (friluftsliv), and there is a common belief that Norwegians care for their nature. The participants in this study had a varied degree of experience of “friluftsliv”, but what got them deeply engaged was the realisation of the threat plastic makes to nature and all its inhabitants. Images like the Plastic whale and finding huge amounts of plastic onshore moved and stirred emotions in people and they felt it as a call to action. Despair and anger were used constructively to make a change .To clean marine litter, or litter in general, does take a toll on how we see nature and people. Some felt the experience of nature was degraded but they were there to do the job, while others felt a stronger connection to “their” beach and took their time to enjoy nature whilst cleaning, “to stop, close my eyes and just listen...”. Motivation to continue was generated by inner motivation, the participants found joy in seeing the result there and then, although they knew that new debris would come in on the next high tide. The knowledge that each piece of plastic that was removed, was one piece that would not be eaten of a bird or an animal, was mentioned by several. To “pay off the environmental debt” to generations to come was also a driving force. Personal growth through getting more assertive, knowing people and places contributed towards a feeling of eudaimonia, or flourishing, which again gave more inspiration to continue working. These engaged people in the age range from mid-twenties to seventy had several irons in the fire, and this might be the prime feature among them – they have a soul burning to make their local society a better place to be, for all inhabitants.

Sammendrag

Formålet med denne oppgaven har vært å se på hvordan og hvorfor enkeltpersoner ofrer tid og krefter på rydde strender. Da den såkalte «Plasthvalen» døde i januar 2017, var det et sjokk som fikk mange til å ta en tur i fjøra for å rydde marint avfall. For noen ble dette et engangstilfelle, mens enkelte har fortsatt gjennom mange år. Hvorfor ønsker noen å bruke sin fritid på å rydde gratis, ofte i dårlig vær? Denne oppgaven ser på hvordan disse personene ble dypt engasjert i strandrydding og hvordan dette har påvirket dem videre. Hvordan oppfatter de seg selv, naturen og samfunnet rundt dem? Ni strandryddere fra Nordvestlandet ble intervjuet høsten og vinteren 2019. De ble valgt ut da de hadde arbeidet med problematikken over mange år, men oppfattet seg selv som frivillige. Dataene ble analysert gjennom tre kategorier, emosjoner, erfaring med natur og sted. I den norske tradisjonen står friluftslivet sterkt, og viktigheten av sporløs ferdsel fremheves gjerne. Mange nordmenn har et syn på seg selv som miljøvennlige. Hendelser som Plasthvalens skjebne og funn av store mengder avfall i fjøra endret verdensbildet til utvalget, og de opplevde at de «måtte gjøre noe». Å rydde marint avfall påvirker hvordan respondentene opplever naturen og samfunnet rundt seg. Enkelte fortalte av naturopplevelsen blir forringet, mens andre følte en sterkere tilknytning til «sin strand» etter å ha tilbrakt mye tid der. Indre motivasjon er viktig, og de fant en direkte belønning i å se at fjøra ble renere, bit for bit. Omsorg for de kommende generasjoner, av alle arter, er også en motiverende faktor. Personlig vekst, som å bli tøffere,bli kjent med folk og steder bidrar til en opplevelse av eudaimonia, som igjen gir krefter til en tur til