It’s War and Everyone Can Do as They Please! An Environmental History of a Finnish City in Wartime
Author(s)
Lahtinen, Rauno; Vuorisalo, Timo
Abstract
The two world wars, especially World War II, and a civil war had devastating consequences for the environment of Turku, Finland. Urban agriculture, such as livestock production, intensified to the detriment of urban hygiene. Townspeople responded to scarcity in several ways, ranging from recycling to overlogging. Growth of industry led to river pollution and industrial landfills. Not the least of the effects of war was a change of attitude: the gravity of the wartime situation led to diminished concern for environmental issues.