Environmental History: A New Discipline with Long Traditions

Timo Myllyntaus & Mikko Saikku, “Environmental History, A New Discipline with Long Traditions,” In: Encountering the Past in Nature, Essays in Environmental History, Ed. by Timo Myllyntaus and Mikko Saikku, 1st edition, Helsinki: Helsinki University Press 1999, pp. 17-26, 2nd edition, Athens, OH: Ohio University Press 2001, pp. 1-28.

ICOHTEC Travel Grants to Mancheter Symposium 2013

Guidelines

The ICOHTEC Board will make available a limited number of grants for graduates, post-graduates and young researchers who are giving a paper at the 2013 ICOHTEC Symposium Knowledge at Work in Manchester, UK, 22-28 July 2013. Special preference will be given to students and young researchers from developing countries as well as Eastern and Central European countries in transition who are not able to receive sufficient financial support from their home countries or sponsors in other countries.

These travel grants are not intended to provide the full costs associated with attending the symposium; they are meant as an encouragement, not a full subsidy.

Eligibility: ICOHTEC Travel Grants will be awarded to students or young researchers, travel costs and accommodation costs of whom have not been covered by some sponsors.

The Travel Grant of 350 euro is to be used to cover bus/train/ ship /flight tickets, lodging and/or registration fee. Reimbursement will be made after presenting paper or poster and proving the student’s or young researcher status by an appropriate document (Student’s ID or super¬visor’s/professor’s letter).

Application forms should be sent to the President as email attachments or by ordinary mail. Applica¬tions for support must include personal contact information, an estimate on travel, registration and accommodation costs, title of the paper/poster to be presented and a short CV. An application form may be downloaded from the ICOHTEC web site at:
http://www.icohtec.org/resources-prizes.html.

Deadline: Applications with appendices should be submitted by 15 November, 2012. Submissions via email are requested and preferred. Grants will be announced in January, 2013.

James Williams
President
101 Lake Winnemissett Drive
Deland FL 32724 USA
techjunc@gmail.com

CfP - Everlasting Bath: Transnational History of Sauna Culture

.
You are welcome to contribute the "Sauna History Session" under the theme "Knowing Users: Social Demands in Shaping Technology and Designing Products" at the 40th Symposium of the International Committee for the History of Technology, ICOHTEC (Manchester, UK, 22–28 July 2013). The session will take place as as part of the 24th International Congress of the History of Science, Technology and Medicine. Organiser: Timo Myllyntaus.

............................................................................................................

In hectic modern world, we tend to believe that our way of life is modern and our customs dates from fairly recent times. It is supposed that nearly everything has changed since the Middle Ages, and technological development is regarded to reshuffle our living style completely and force to reject practically all traces to the antiquity. Technology is often considered a mighty enemy of traditions. Nevertheless, there is at least one outstanding exception to this pattern.

While native Americans bathed sweat lodges several millennia ago, steamy bathhouses were at the same time common in entire Europe as well. Still a thousand years ago steam baths were quite common all around the northern hemisphere. Only in the Middle Ages, authorities banned public bathhouses in Central Europe in order to prevent the spread of infectious diseases. Nevertheless, steamy bathhouses stayed in tact only in sparsely populated eastern peripheries of Europe – from Turkey and Bulgaria to Estonia, Russia and Finland. As the result, this ancient bathing tradition has remained more common in cold and forested Finland than in any other country, and there are almost as many saunas (>2 mill.) as cars: one sauna per two inhabitants. Actually the Finnish sauna has become the common concept for steamy bathhouses although there are considerable cultural and national variations in building constructions and heating technology.

During the past four millennia, building materials, construction techniques and styles of housing have changed several times. These changes have not led to exclude steamy baths from the everyday life of peripheral countries. In contrast, technology has been used to modify physical features of these bath institutions to the current construction conventions and social demands. During millennia and centuries, saunas have changed but they have not vanished. Basic elements of saunas have remained and the pleasure of bathing has been preserved.

Sauna is the case in point how an ancient cultural habit can be persistent in a changing world and technology has been used to preserve a prehistoric custom with constant innovation and modification.

This session will examine and discuss the persistence of sauna culture and the malleability of technology in adapting steam baths to the changing world. Can we find technological determinism or technological momentum in the history of sauna? If there is a path dependence in this case study: is it technological or cultural? The session aims to analyse transnationally the persistence of sauna in a number of countries and if possible in several civilizations. Therefore studies on extinct steam bath cultures are particularly welcome.

Please, contact Timo Myllyntaus (timmyl@utu.fi) and submit a 200 – 400-word abstract of your paper proposal and a one-page CV by Friday 9 March 2012.

Further information at: http://www.icohtec.org/annual-meeting-cfp-2013.html

CfP - The Invisible Bicycle: New Insights into Bicycle History

Call for papers
Session on Bicycle History
ICOHTEC, Manchester, U.K., 22–28 July 2013
In conjunction of the 24th International Congress of the History of Science, Technology and Medicine


The Invisible Bicycle: New Insights into Bicycle History


Despite of the ongoing interest and the multitude on historical insights, bicycle history calls for further research, especially as the bicycle has at some point in time been an integral part of everyday life and mobility in probably all corners of the world. Many aspects of bicycle use and technology remain invisible or show only fleeting presence in the bicycle historiography. Partially this is due to locations that appear peripheral, such as developing countries and rural areas. But even the Western, urban cycling asks for more scrutiny, especially during the decades of bicycle’s most intensive use as a means of transport, from the early 20th century till the1960s. Similarly interesting are the dynamics of the decline and a new increase in cycling in the second half of the 20th century.

How can we study the history of everyday practices in bicycle use and non-use? Is the decline of cycling in industrial societies a universal phenomenon? How do the transnational timelines of bicycle history look like? How have technological features and design influenced on the image and popularity of cycling? Are there “national styles” in the design and technical characteristics of bicycles? To this session we invite papers on all aspects of bicycle history, but especially on those so far understudied. We encourage questioning typical timelines of bicycle history and presenting of alternative histories and controversial case studies.

Please, contact Timo Myllyntaus (timmyl@utu.fi) or Tiina Männistö-Funk (tiiman@utu.fi) and submit an abstract (200 – 400 words) of your paper proposal and a one-page CV by Friday 9 March 2012.

Further information at: http://www.icohtec.org/annual-meeting-cfp-2013.html

ICOHTEC Travel Grants to Barcelona Symposium

.
Guidelines

The ICOHTEC Board will make available a limited number of grants for graduates, post-graduates and young researchers who are giving papers or present posters at the 2012 ICOHTEC Symposium Technology, the Arts and Industrial Culture in Catalonia, Spain 10-14 July 2012. Special preference will be given to students and young researchers from developing countries as well as Eastern and Central European countries in transition who are not able to receive sufficient financial support from their home countries or sponsors in other countries.

These travel grants are not intended to provide the full costs associated with attending the symposium; they are meant as an encouragement, not a full subsidy.

Eligibility: ICOHTEC Travel Grants will be awarded to students or young researchers, travel costs and accommodation costs of whom have not been covered by some sponsors.

The Travel Grant of 350 euro is to be used to cover bus/train/flight tickets, lodging and/or regis-tration fee. Reimbursement will be made after presenting paper or poster and proving the student’s or young researcher status by an appropriate document (Student’s ID or supervisor’s/professor’s letter).

Application forms should be sent to the President as email attachments or by ordinary mail. Applications for support must include personal contact information, an estimate on travel, registration and accommodation costs, title of the paper/poster to be presented and a short CV. An application form may be downloaded from the ICOHTEC web site at:
http://www.icohtec.org/resources-prizes.html.

Deadline: Applications with appendices should be submitted by 26 March, 2012. Submissions via email are requested and preferred.

James Williams
President
101 Lake Winnemissett Drive
Deland FL 32724 USA
techjunc@gmail.com

Kalastus ja vesien virkistyskäyttö

.
Reference:

“Kalastus ja vesien virkistyskäyttö” [Fishing and the recreational use of waters], Vesitalous, Finnish Journal for Professionals in the Water Sector, vol. 43 (2002) no 5, pp. 29-32.

The article was published in the special issue of Vesitalous dedicated to the centennary anniversary of the Finnish law on water rights.

.
Abstract:

Waterpower has always made a great contribution to the national economy, especially in the early 20th century, when the pace of industrialisation accelerated in Finland. Fishing, in contrast, is a legacy of the age of economic self-sufficiency, although today it is mainly a leisure practice. Nevertheless, the development of water rights legislation shows that fishing has had and still has a surprisingly high symbolic value, although the traditional Nordic “everyman’s right” has been minimized in fishing.

The interest paid to fishing in legislation promoted conservation, even before conservation had become an established concept. The 1902 Water Rights Act is of special importance as it includes and reinforces some old fishing rights principles, while seeking to balance the demands of various interest groups.

Standard of Living in Estonia and Finland in the 1930s

.
Reference:

“Standard of Living in Estonia and Finland in the 1930s,” Eesti Teaduste Akadeemia Toimetised, Humanitaar- ja sotsiaalteadused (Proceedings of the Estonian Academy of Sciences, Humanities and Social Sciences, Tallinn), vol. 41 (1992) no 3, pp. 184-191.

Abstracts available in Estonian and Russian

”’Tavallansa talo elääpi, puulla pirtti lämpiääpi,’ Energia Suomen historiassa

Reference:

Timo Myllyntaus, ”’Tavallansa talo elääpi, puulla pirtti lämpiääpi,’ Energia Suomen historiassa” [Energy in Finnish History], Tekniikan Waiheita – Teknik i Tiden vol. 19 (2001) no 2, pp. 13-20.

.
Abstract:

The amble use of energy has always been an important part of the Finnish way of life - not least because of the climate, industrial structure and long distances. Fire and firewood have held a central position in everyday live. The decisions concerning the use of energy had far-reaching consequences already in the 19th century.

Environmental History in Europe from 1994 to 2004: Enthusiasm and Consolidation

Reference:

Co-authored with Verena Winiwarter; Marco Armiero; Petra van Dam; Andreas Dix; Per  Eliasson; Poul Holm; Leos Jelecek; Robert A. Lambert; Genevieve Massard-Guilbaud; Manuel Gonzales de Molina; Jan Oosthoek; Christian Pfister and Lajos Racz, “Environmental History in Europe from 1994 to 2004: Enthusiasm and Consolidation,”  Environment and History vol. 10 (Nov. 2004) no 4, pp. 501-530(30).

Abstract:

This review presents European scholarship in environmental history by highlighting a limited number of works which have proved significant in their respective countries. The decade from 1994-2004 saw the development of a new scholarly network for environmental history in Europe. Members of this network have contributed to an overview about important work done in their region during the last ten years. A series of case studies on the UK, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, the Netherlands and Belgium, France, Italy, Spain and Czechia and Slovakia are offered. The emerging picture shows the diversity of approaches and themes as well as the different degrees of institutional backing and involvement into teaching curricula. The introduction discusses the language challenges in Europe and some common traits in the development are sketched in the conclusions.

Rautakaupassa kielitaito joutuu koetukselle

Reference:

Timo Myllyntaus, “Rautakaupassa kielitaito joutuu koetukselle,” [At the ironmonger’s shop, language skills will be tested], Helsingin Sanomat (17 Dec. 2011), p. C14.

The Efficiency of Electricity Supply in Estonia, Finland and Sweden, 1920–1938

Reference:

Timo Myllyntaus,  “The Efficiency of Electricity Supply in Estonia, Finland and Sweden, 1920–1938,” International Productivity Comparisons and Problems of Measurement, 1750 -1939, Ed. P. K. O'Brien, The Ninth International Economic History Congress in Bern 1986, Section B-6, Zürich 1986, pp. 96-105.

Aarniometsästä puupeltoon: Metsät Suomen taloudessa

Reference:

Timo Myllyntaus, “Aarniometsästä puupeltoon: Metsät Suomen taloudessa,” [From old-growth forest to field of trees: Forests in the Finnish economy],Ympäristöhistorian näkökulmia, Piispan apajilta trooppiseen helvettiin, Ed. Timo Soikkanen, Turun yliopiston poliittisen historian laitoksen tutkimuksia 14,  Turku: Turun yliopisto 1999, pp. 88-103.

Tekniset uudisteet graafisessa teollisuudessa 1800-luvun puolivälistä 1920-luvun alkuun

Rerefence:

Timo Myllyntaus, “Tekniset uudisteet graafisessa teollisuudessa 1800-luvun puolivälistä 1920-luvun alkuun,” [Technological innovations in the printing industry from the mid-19th century to the beginning of the 1920s], Sanoma-lehtien taloudellinen tausta, Suomen sanomalehdistön historia-projektin julkaisuja no 21, Helsinki 1983, pp. 56-70.

Tekniikan valtavirrat ja Suomen malli

Reference:

Timo Myllyntaus, “Tekniikan valtavirrat ja Suomen malli,” [Main stream of technology and the Finnish model], Suomi Euroopassa, Toim. Mauno Jokipii. Jyväskylä: Atena 1991, pp. 219-246.

Luku-ja kirjoitustaito teollistuvassa Suomessa - tilastoharhako?

Reference:

Timo Myllyntaus, “Luku- ja kirjoitustaito teollistuvassa Suomessa – tilastoharhako?” Historiallinen aikakauskirja vol. 89 (1991) no 2, pp. 116-121.

Call for Monographs to ICOHTEC Prize Contest

The deadline for submissions is 23 January 2012

ICOHTEC Prize for Young Scholars 2012

The International Committee for the History of Technology, ICOHTEC, invites submissions in the contest on the best monograph on the history of technology. The prize winning book will be presented and discussed at a special session of the next ICOHTEC symposium, July 2012 in Barcelona.

ICOHTEC is interested in the history of technology, focusing on technological development as well as its relationship to science, society, economy, culture and the environment. The history of technology covers all periods of human history and all populated areas. There is no limitation as to theoretical or methodological approaches.

Eligible for the prize are original book-length works in any of the official ICOHTEC languages (English, French, German, Russian or Spanish) in the history of technology: published or unpublished Ph.D. theses or other monographs written by scholars who, when applying for the prize, are not older than 37 years. Articles and edited anthologies are not eligible.

For the ICOHTEC Prize 2012, please send a copy of the work you wish to be considered for the prize to each of the three Prize Committee members. Your submissions must be postmarked no later than 23 January 2012. You may also submit an electronic version of the book or Ph.D. thesis by 24:00 o’clock of your local time on the same day. If your book is in Spanish or Russian, please also supply a summary in English, French or German of about 4500 words. In that case, the prize committee will find additional members, who are familiar with the language in which your book is written.

If the work is a Ph.D thesis, it should have been accepted by your university in 2010 or 2011; if it is a published work, the year of publication should be 2010 or 2011. The submission should be accompanied by a CV (indicating also the date of birth) and, if applicable, a list of publications. Applicants are free to add references or reviews on the work submitted.

Further information on the announcement at ICOHTEC’s website: http://www.icohtec.org/resources-prizes-young-scholars-call-2012.html

The 2011 winner of the ICOHTEC Prize for Younger Scholars (3,000 euro) was Christopher Neumaier with the book titled Dieselautos in Deutschland und den USA, Zum Verhältnis von Technologie, Konsum und Politik, 1949 –2005 (Stuttgart 2010), See at:
http://www.icohtec.org/publications/newsletter/2011-08-icohtec-newsletter.pdf

Call for Articles to Maurice Daumas Prize Contest

The deadline for submissions is 23 January 2012

MAURICE DAUMAS PRIZE 2012


The International Committee for the History of Technology, ICOHTEC, welcomes submissions for its new article prize, the Maurice Daumas Prize, which aims to encourage innovative and superbly written research in the history of technology. ICOHTEC is interested in the history of technology focusing on technological development as well as its relationship to science, society, economy, culture and the environment.
The Maurice Daumas Prize will be awarded to the best article submitted on the history of technology and published in a journal or edited volume in 2010 or 2011. Submissions are welcomed from junior and senior scholars of any country, and their focus can be the technological past of any part of the world.
Eligible for the prize are original articles published in any of the official ICOHTEC languages (English, French, German, Russian or Spanish). If the language of publication is not English, applicants should include a three-page English summary.
For the Maurice Daumas Prize 2012, please send your submission to each of the four Prize Committee members. Your submissions must be postmarked no later than 23 January 2012.
The submission should be accompanied by a CV and, if applicable, a list of publications. Applicants are free to add references or reviews of the work submitted. The winner will be contacted in mid-June 2012.
The prize will be awarded at our 39th Symposium, 10–14 July 2012 in Barcelona, Spain. The winner will receive a cash prize of Euro 500 as well as a travel grant of Euro 300 (if needed) to attend the ICOHTEC Symposium of 2012.

...

The first winner of the Maurice Daumas Prize was Joseph Masco. See at:
http://www.icohtec.org/publications/newsletter/2011-08-icohtec-newsletter.pdf

Call for Session Proposals: ICOHTEC 2013 Symposium in Manchester

Abstract

The International Committee for the History of Technology’s
40th Symposium in Manchester, UK on 22-28 July 2013

ICOHTEC will hold its 40th symposium as part of the 24th International Congress of the History of Science, Technology and Medicine in Manchester late July 2013 (http://www.ichstm2013.com). The general theme of the Congress is “Knowledge at Work” and ICOHTEC encourages proposals for sessions dealing with the history of techno¬logy within this broad framework. While open to all proposals, the programme committee suggests ten sub-themes for the consideration of session organizers and contributors.

We urge contributors to organize a full session of three papers, or multiple related sessions of three papers in each, with a named chair for each session. Individual paper submissions will, of course, be considered and grouped into sessions if deemed appropriate, but full sessions are strongly preferred. The programme committee encourages the organizers of sessions to announce their plans to compile sessions and communicate with potential collaborators through H-NET, Academia.edu and other networks including less formal social media. It is also possible to propose papers unrelated to the general theme. They can be presented in a “Special Topics” session.

Membership in ICOHTEC is not required to participate in the symposium. We especially encourage graduate students to participate in the symposium and submit their proposals. Limited travel grants will be available; see further information at: http://www.icohtec.org/

PROPOSAL SUBMISSIONS

The final deadline for all submissions is 15 March 2012.

Please, submit proposals for papers and sessions via the ICOHTEC online submission system at: http://www.icohtec.org/annual-meeting/cfp-system/2013-manchester/

Should you have any queries on the procedure, please contact Mark Clark, the chair of the programme committee, via email (mark.clark@oit.edu).

We look forward to meeting you in Manchester.

Cordially,
Timo Myllyntaus
ICOHTEC, Secretary General

Call for Papers: ICOHTEC 2012 Symposium in Barcelona

Technology, the Arts and Industrial Culture
The International Committee for the History of Technology’s
39th Symposium in Barcelona, Spain, 10 – 14 July 2012

The aim of the symposium is to examine technology in a multidisciplinary framework. The key questions are how technological development has interacted with design, architecture, the arts as well as popular culture and whether we can regard industrial culture as a melting pot of various influences. Reflecting on the theme of the previous conference we hope also to explore the role of consumers in this dialogue.

The symposium programme will include scientific and plenary sessions, poster presentations, excursions, social events such as receptions and a banquet, and possibly pre- and post-conference trips. The premises of the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya will serve as venues for this meeting.

Farewell to Self-sufficiency: Finland and the Globalization of Fossil Fuels

In the volume: Energy, Policy, and the Environment: Modeling Sustainable Development for the North, (Eds.) Marja Järvelä and Sirkku Juhola, Studies in Human Ecology and Adaptation vol. 6, New York, Springer Science + Business Media 2011, pp. 31-44.

A general assumption is that industrialization has regularly been related to a steep increase in the use of energy. The renewable sources of energy, which have in most cases been also indigenous energy sources, have been considered insufficient for a major structural modernization of the economy. As a result, it has been as a general model in economic history that industrialization has required and still requires the extensive consumption of fossil fuels. Actually most countries has followed this universal model.  In the 19th and early 20th century, industrializing Finland was an odd man out that did not fit the general model. Only in the 1960s – in the mature phase of industrialization – did Fin land switch from indigenous energy sources, i.e. fuelwood, wood refuse and hydro power, to imported fossil fuels. Why did this transition in the energy system take place so late in Finland? Why did the transition proceed so rapidly? What were the consequences? These are pivotal questions in the article r that examines industrialization from the perspectives of economic and environmental history.

Because the background factors for the rapid transition form a complex web, this article focuses on the role of the Finnish foreign trade policy and industrial policy in the greatest swift in the country’s energy economy in the 20th century.

Environmental literacy in interpreting endangered sustainability: Case studies from Thailand and the Sudan

Reference:

Minna Hares, Anu Eskonheimo, Timo Myllyntaus & Olavi Luukkanen, “Environmental literacy in interpreting endangered sustainability, Case studies from Thailand and the Sudan,” Geoforum vol. 37 (January 2006) no 1, pp. 128-144.

Methods in Environmental History

Reference:
Timo Myllyntaus, “Preface: Methods in Environmental History,” In: Thinking through the Environment. Green Approaches to Global History, (Ed.) Timo Myllyntaus, Cambridge, White Horse Press, 2011, pp. 1-14.

Supplying Light and Power to St. Petersburg

Reference:
Timo Myllyntaus, “Electrical Imperialism or Multinational Cooperation? The Role of Big Business in Supplying Light and Power to St. Petersburg before 1917,” Business and Economic History, by the Business History Conference (Williamsburg, USA), vol. 26 (Winter 1997) no 2, pp. 540-549.

Foreword to the edited volume 'From a Few to All'

References,

Timo Myllyntaus, “Foreword,” In: From a Few to All. Long-term Development of Water and Environmental Services in Finland, Eds. Petri S. Juuti and Tapio S. Katko, Pieksämäki: KehräMedia Inc. 2004, pp. 7-16.

Writing about the Past with Green Ink: The Emergence of Finnish Environmental History

Reference:

"Writing about the Past with Green Ink: The Emergence of Finnish Environmental History," H-Net Humanities Online, Historiography Series in Global Environmental History
(Published on 16 December, 2002).

Summer Frost, A Natural Hazard with Fatal Consequences in Pre-industrial Finland

Reference:

Timo Myllyntaus, “Summer Frost, A Natural Hazard with Fatal Consequences in Pre-industrial Finland,” Natural Disasters and Cultural Responses: Case Studies toward a Global Environmental History, eds. Christof Mauch and Christian Pfister, New York: Lexington Books 2009, pp. 77-102.

Sustainability in danger? Slash-and-burn cultivation in nineteenth-century Finland and twentieth-century Southeast Asia

Reference:

Timo Myllyntaus, Minna Hares & Jan Kunnas, “Sustainability in Danger? Slash-and-Burn Cultivation in Nineteenth-Century Finland and Twentieth-Century Southeast Asia,” Environmental History (Dur-ham, USA) vol. 7 (April 2002) no 2, pp. 267-302.

Changing Forests, Moving Targets in Finland

Reference:

“Changing Forests, Moving Targets in Finland,” In: Restoration and History. The Search for a Usable Environmental Past, Ed. Marcus Hall, Routledge Studies in Modern History vol. 8, London: Routledge 2010, pp. 46-57.

Abstract

Finland is one of the most forested countries in Europe. Forests cover approximately 66 % of its land area. Because the management of forests is primarily dedicated to produce timber for wood-processing industries, in the southern half of the country less than two per cent of forests is conserved. The public opinion, however, presumes that even ten per cent of our forests are old-growth forests and expects a further expansion of forest conservation. The European Commission has set similar goals urging conservation.

The problem is how to restore old growth forest, which were cut decades ago. One idea is to transform a part of modern economic forests into old-growth forests. This scheme sounds simple: leave the forest chosen for conservation to manage on its own and let time take care of restoration. However, forest is not a pendulum that simply slides back to its starting point. Moreover, is the "starting point", primeval forest, the only value of forested nature for conservation?

The article claims that forest – even modern economic forest – is an environment with several historical layers and some of them have been under vivid discussion on symbols of national heritage. Historical marks of swidden cultivation, tar production, timber cutting and grazing are still preserved in modern forests, which form a great deal of our cultural landscapes. Are these valuable enough to be conserved? If the reply is positive, conservationists have to make choices at what historical environment they are aiming. Then foresters and various other specialists, including historians of technology, are needed to identify cultural and ecological layers in the history of forests, find methods for their restoration and achieve the chosen goal of conservation. Focusing on issues, how to identify historical layers in actual forested landscapes and simulate natural processes, and what are chances to success in this kind of task, will form the central part of the article.

Decline or increase? The standing timber stock in Finland, 1800-1997

Reference:

Timo Myllyntaus & Timo Mattila, “Decline or Increase? The Standing Timber Stock in Finland,” Environmental Economics, vol. 41 (May 2002) no 2, pp. 271-288.

Abstract

In western Europe, Finland is a country that has most recently cut down its large old-growth forests. In the 18th century, nearly one-third of the forests in the southern half of the country were real old-growth forests (>200 years). In northern Finland, the proportion was almost half of the forested area. At present, the percentage of old-growth forests in the southern half is a mere 0.1 and in the northern half still a good 10. It is estimated that only 2% of the original old-growth forests now remain in the temperate regions of Finland, which are abundant with animal and plant species.

Most of the profound changes in forests are attributable to human activities. In the severe Finnish climate, the utilisation of timber has been a necessity, and population growth further increased the demand for timber used for heating and other domestic purposes. Clearing fields for cultivation also reduced the forested areas, while the rise of industry also consumed increasing amounts of timber.

Concurrently, since there were also factors that supported the growth of the standing timber stock, it is not self-evident that the timber volume was in constant decline. First, after the Little Ice Age (1550–1850) the average annual temperature has risen and the annual growth period has lengthened. Both of these features have stimulated the growth of trees. Second, the use of timber in industry and space heating has continued to become more efficient and economical. Third, a significant feature in the changes in space heating is that firewood has to a great extent been replaced by other energy sources. Consequently, the demand for timber in the Finnish economy has not increased steadily—at least not parallel to GDP.

While the felling of timber decisively increased in the 19th century, more attention was paid to forestry in order to guarantee sustainability. Both the governmental forest policy and the actions of private landowners aimed to increase the growth of the standing timber stock. However, it took many years before forestry achieved tangible results in promoting growth. Only in the late 20th century was there unanimous agreement that the standing timber stock has been increasing, and even today, researchers do not agree on the situation before the 1950s.

This paper focuses on examining the relationship between the consumption of timber and the growth of standing timber stock. The key research question is whether, during the past two centuries, Finland ever overused its forests to the extent that the annual felling exceeded the annual growth of timber.
Article Outline

1. Defining the research problem
2. Methods and sources
2.1. Consumption
2.2. Growth
3. Timber consumption in the 19th and 20th century
3.1. Slash-and-burn, tar production and other proto-industrial use
3.2. Space heating and other household use
3.3. Usage for industrial purposes
3.4. Fuel for transport
3.5. Exports of firewood and roundwood
4. Variations in the volume and structure of timber use and the total drain
5. Growth of standing timber volumes
6. Standing stock
7. Discussion
8. Archival sources
Acknowledgements
References

Postponed Leap in Carbon Dioxide Emissions: The Impact of Energy Efficiency, Fuel Choices and Industrial Structure on the Finnish Economy, 1800 – 2005

References:
Co-authored with Jan Kunnas, “Postponed Leap in Carbon Dioxide Emissions: The Impact of Energy Efficiency, Fuel Choices and Industrial Structure on the Finnish Economy, 1800 – 2005,” Global Environment (2009), pp. 128-163

Anxiety and technological change--Explaining the inverted U-curve of sulphur dioxide emissions in late 20th century Finland

Reference:

Jan Kunnas and Timo Myllyntaus, “Anxiety and Technological Change - Explaining the Inverted U-curve of Sulphur Dioxide Emissions in Late 20th Century Finland,” Ecological Economics vol. 69 (2010) no 7, pp. 1587-1593.

Abstract
This article examines the linkage between per capita GDP and sulphur dioxide emissions for one single country, in this case Finland. The narrow approach together with a combination of a historical and economical approach enables us to cut deeper into the controversial environmental Kuznets curve-hypothesis. We found the main reasons for a downturn in sulphur emissions to be: technological development and anxiety about possible environmental damage and economic costs related to that. It can be discussed whether our results refute the environmental Kuznets curve or just show possible ways in which the environmental Kuznets curve is achieved. Nevertheless our case study casts some serious doubt on the most straightforward assumption coming out from the EKC, that economic growth would automatically solve environmental problems. We claim that the causal connection might also go in an opposite direction: proper environmental standards and conservation comprise a necessary condition for economic growth in the long run.
Article Outline

1. Introduction
2. Emission Data
3. Technical Change and Regulation
4. Regression Analysis
5. Discussion and Conclusions
Acknowledgements
References

The Environmental Kuznets Curve Hypothesis and Air Pollution in Finland

Reference:

Co-authored with Jan Kunnas, “The Environmental Kuznets Curve Hypothesis and Air Pollution in Finland,” Scandinavian Economic History Review vol. 55 (2007) no 2, pp. 101-127

Abstract

The article tests a hypothesis claiming that the gaseous emissions of energy production follow an inverted U-curve related to income. The hypothesis is known as the ‘environmental Kuznets curve’ (EKC). The tested data contain Finnish emissions in the period 1800–2003 using newly constructed emission series. Although the carbon dioxide emissions from Finnish energy production increased at the beginning of the period under study according to the EKC hypothesis, a steady decline of these emissions at high income levels could not be found. We find a genuine support for the EKC hypothesis only for sulphur dioxide emissions and, with some reservations, also for nitrogen oxides.

Finally we bring up some problems related to the interpretation of the EKC. First, an inverted U-shape may be found in some cases, but the vital question is: which part of the curve are we in at this particular moment? If there is a long way up to the turning point, economic growth will cause environmental damage for a considerable period of time. Second, it is questionable whether economic growth has an automatic tendency to diminish environmental damage at high-income levels. A limitation of the reduced-form approach used is that it is unclear why the estimated relationship between pollution and income exists. Finally we question whether the severity of environmental degradation might itself create a turning point for the emissions.

Forerunners and Policy Tunnels

Reference:

Co-authored with Jan Kunnas, “Forerunners and Policy Tunnels,” European Union Policies in the Making, Ed. Leszek Jesień, Kraków: Tischner European University 2008, pp. 249-263.

Are There Policy Tunnels for China to Follow?

Reference:

Jan Kunnas and Timo Myllyntaus, “Are There Policy Tunnels for China to Follow?,” China and Global Climate Change: Reconciling International Fairness and Protection of the Atmospheric Commons, Proceedings of the conference held at Lingnan University, Hong Kong, China, 18–19 June 2009, Organised by the Centre for Asian Pacific Studies and the Environmental Studies Programme, Director Paul G. Harris, pp. 401-412

Foreign Models and National Styles in Teaching Technology in the Nordic Countries

Reference:

Timo Myllyntaus, “Foreign Models and National Styles in Teaching Technology in the Nordic Countries,” La formation des ingénieurs en perspective. Modèles de référence et réseaux de médiation – XVIIIe–XXe siècles, Textes réunis par (eds.) Irina Gouzévitch, André Grelon & Anousheh Karvar, Collection Carnot, Rennes: Presses Universitaires de Rennes 2004, pp. 141-152.

Discovering Switzerland: Internationalisation among Nordic Students of Technology prior to World War II

Reference:

Timo Myllyntaus, “Discovering Switzerland: Internationalisation among Nordic Students of Technology prior to World War II,” Travels of Learning. A Geography of Science in Europe, Edited by Ana Simões, Ana Carneiro and Maria Paula Diogo, Boston Studies in the Philosophy of Science, Amsterdam: Kluwer Academic Publishers, 2003, pp. 299-328.

"The Best Way to Pick Up a Trade," Journeys Abroad by Finnish Technical Students, 1860–1940

Reference:

Timo Myllyntaus, “‘The Best Way to Pick Up a Trade,’ Journeys Abroad by Finnish Technical Students, 1860–1940," ICON, Journal of the International Committee for the History of Technology, (London: Frank Cass), vol. 2 (1996), pp. 138-163.

Education in the Making of Modern Finland

Reference:

"Education in the Making of Modern Finland," Education and Economic Development since the Industrial Revolution, Ed. Gabriel Tortella. Conference proceedings related to: Session A-5, The Tenth International Economic History Congress in Leuven 1990. Valencia: Generalitat Valenciana 1990, pp. 153-171.

The growth and structure of Finnish print production, 1840-1900

Reference:

“The Growth and Structure of Finnish Print Production, 1840 - 1900,” De nordiske skriftspråkenes utvikling på 1800-tallet, vol. 2, Behovet for og bruken av skrift i 1800-tallets forvaltning, naeringsliv og privat kommunikasjon, Rapport fra et symposium på Själö 17 – 20. september 1984, Nordisk språksekreteriats rapporter 6, Oslo 1985, pp. 241-277. Published also in Finland: The Growth and Structure of Finnish Print Production, 1840 – 1900, Institute of Economic and Social History, Communication no 16, Helsinki: University of Helsinki, 1984, 40 p.

Det tryckta ordet i 1800-talets Finland: En viktig insats på samhällets omdaning

Reference:

Timo Myllyntaus, “Det tryckta ordet i 1800-talets Finland: En viktig insats på samhällets omdaning,” Finsk Tidskrift (1985) no 4, pp. 181-189 (in Swedish).

The title of the article in English: Printed word in 19th century Finland: A significant input to societal restructuring.

The Finnish model of technology transfer

Reference:

"The Finnish Model of Technology Transfer,” Economic Development and Cultural Change (Chicago) vol. 38 (1990) no 3, pp. 625-643. Published later in the series of ETLA Eripainos/Reprint no 141, Helsinki: Elinkeinoelämän tutkimuslaitos 1990

Published also in the edited volume Gatecrashing apprentice by Timo Myllyntaus (See the category "Books").

Technology Transfer and the Contextual Filter in the Finnish Setting: Transfer Channels and Mechanisms in an Historical Perspective

Reference:

Timo Myllyntaus, Technology Transfer and the Contextual Filter in the Finnish Setting. Transfer Channels and Mechanisms in an Historical Perspective, ETLA Discussion papers no 416, Helsinki: The Research Institute of the Finnish Economy 1992, 52 Pp. – Published later in the book Mastering Technology Diffusion - The Finnish Experience, Ed. Synnöve Vuori ja Pekka Ylä-Anttila, ETLA-Series B 82, Helsinki: The Research Institute of the Finnish Economy 1992, pp. 195-251.

The Transfer of Electrical Technology to Finland, 1870-1930

Reference:

Timo Myllyntaus, "The Transfer of Electrical Technology to Finland, 1870–1930," In: Technology and Culture (Chicago) vol. 32 (1991) no 2, Pt. 1, pp. 293-317.

This article was reprinted in the edited volume titled "The Gatecrashing Apprentice" by Timo Myllyntaus, (See the category "Books" in the profile).

Technological Change in Finland

Reference:

Timo Myllyntaus, “Technological Change in Finland,” Technology and Industry, A Nordic Heritage, Eds. Jan Hult and Bengt Nyström, Nantucket: Science History Publications/USA 1992, pp. 29-52.

Ensimmäisen maailmansodan vaikutus Eestin ja Suomen metalliteollisuuteen

Timo Herranen & Timo Myllyntaus, Ensimmäisen maailmansodan vaikutus Eestin ja Suomen metalliteollisuuteen, Helsingin yliopiston Talous- ja sosiaalihistorian laitoksen tiedonantoja N:o 15, Helsinki 1984.

Paper is available also in English:
Timo Herranen & Timo Myllyntaus, "Effects of the First World War on the Engineering Industries of Estonia and Finland," Scandinavian Eco-nomic History Review (Bergen) vol. 32 (1984) no 3, pp. 121-142.

Effects of the First World War on the Engineering Industries of Estonia and Finland

Reference:

Timo Herranen & Timo Myllyntaus, "Effects of the First World War on the Engineering Industries of Estonia and Finland," Scandinavian Economic History Review (Bergen) vol. 32 (1984) no 3, pp. 121-142.

Environment in Explaining History

Reference:

Timo Myllyntaus, “Environment in Explaining History,” In: Encountering the Past in Nature, Essays in Environmental History, Ed. by Timo Myllyntaus and Mikko Saikku, 1st edition, Helsinki: Helsinki University Press 1999, pp. 121-138, 2nd edition, Athens, OH: Ohio University Press 2001, pp. 141-160.

Technology and the Environment: Searching for their Nexus in History

Reference:

“Technology and the Environment: Searching for their Nexus in History,” Tekniikan Waiheita – Teknik i Tiden, vol. 21 (2003) no 2, pp. 5-15.

A Line Drawn in the Water: Historical Perspectives on Technology and the Environment

References:

Timo Myllyntaus: “A Line Drawn in the Water, Historical Perspectives on Technology and the Environment,” Public Works, Management & Policy, Research and Practice in Trans¬portation, Infrastructure, and the Environment, Sage Publishing Co, vol. 9 (April 2005) no 4, pp. 278-286.

Historians tend to lack an integral view of the major factors of the physical world. The separation of phenomena according to disciplinary traditions is a general custom. Usually, historians pay attention to the interplay between technology and the physical environment only when something extraordinary takes place or when things do not work in an expected way. This article examines the significance of water in human history and past interactions between technology and water issues. Humanity has used technology to govern, control, and subdue water. Nevertheless, water and the environment in general have not yielded entirely to human domination. It is claimed that the maltreatment of the natural world contains a risk of environmental backlash. Some droughts, floods, salinization, and waterborne diseases are examples of human-induced environmental problems. Water-related environmental issues illustrate the close connection between environmental history and the history of technology, which are as interconnected as the two sides of a coin.

Vertaileva tutkimus - yhteiskunnan peili

Reference:

Timo Myllyntaus, Vertaileva tutkimus – yhteiskunnan peili [Comparative research – the mirror of society], Tieteessä tapahtuu, vol. 13 (1995) no 1, pp. 8-10.

An Introduction to Comparative Analysis of Small Countries

Reference:

Timo Myllyntaus, "An Introduction to Comparative Analysis of Small Countries," In: Economic Crises and Restructuring in History. Experiences of Small Countries, Ed. by Timo Myllyntaus, St. Katharinen/Germany: Scripta Mercaturae Verlag 1998, pp. 3-20.

When Foreign Trade Collapsed… ...: Economic Crises in Finland and Sweden, 1914 - 1924

Reference:

Co-authored with Erik Tarnaala, “When Foreign Trade Collapsed ... Economic Crises in Finland and Sweden, 1914 – 1924,” Economic Crises and Restructuring in History. Experiences of Small Countries, Ed. Timo Myllyntaus, St. Katharinen/Germany: Scripta Mercaturae Verlag 1998, pp. 23-63.

Popularising electricity in Finland, 1870 – 1960

Reference

Timo Myllyntaus, “’As soon as there are sockets in the walls, electricity will take care of everything,’ Popularising electricity in Finland, 1870 – 1960,” Technik zwischen Artes und Arts / Technology between Artes and Arts in History, Festschrift für Hans-Joachim Braun, hrsg./eds. Reinhold Bauer, James Williams and Wolfhard Weber, Cottbusser Studien zur Geschichte von Technik, Arbeit und Umwelt, Band 31, Münster: Waxmann Verlag 2008, pp. 87-102.

Foreign investments on Finnish electricity supply utilities, 1884-1936

Reference:

Timo Myllyntaus, “Foreign Investments in Finnish Electricity Supply Utilities, 1884 – 1936,” Revista de Historia: Transportes, Servicios y Telecomunicaciones vol. 14 (2008), Madrid, Spain, pp. 120-143.

The Development of Electricity Supply in Finland, A Case Study of Technology Transfer

Reference:

“The Development of Electricity Supply in Finland, A Case Study of Technology Transfer,” In: Recent Doctoral Research in Economic History, D-Sessions, Eds. Erik Aerts and Herman van der Wee, The Proceedings of the Tenth International Economic History Congress. Leuven: Leuven University Press 1990, pp. 173-178.

The Development of Electricity Transmission in Finland

Reference:

Timo Myllyntaus, “The Development of Electricity Transmission in Finland,” Sitä kuusta kuuleminen, Jorma Ahvenaiselle omistettu juhlakirja, Studia historica Jyväskyläensia no 41, Jyväskylä: Jyväskylän yliopisto 1990, pp. 235-259.

Electricity Supply Systems in the Nordic Countries

Reference:

Timo Myllyntaus, “Electricity Supply Systems in the Nordic Countries,” Electricity Generation and Supply: Regulation, Market and Competition. International Comparisons, Ed. Alan Beltran and Henri Morsel, The Proceedings of the Eleventh International Economic History Congress, vol. B-15, Milan: Università Bocconi 1994, pp. 73-84.

Les réseaux d'alimentation en électricité dans les pays nordiques

Reference

Timo Myllyntaus, “Les réseaux d'alimentation en électricité dans les pays nordiques,” Bulletin d'histoire de l'électricité, No 22, Décembre 1993, Paris: Association pour l'Histoire de l'Electricité en France, pp. 85-98.

This article is available also in English. It is titled 'Electricity Supply Systems in the Nordic Countries'. See the list of my papers.

Kilowatts at Work: Electricity and Industrial Transformation in the Nordic Countries

Reference:

Timo Myllyntaus, "Kilowatts at Work: Electricity and Industrial Transformation in the Nordic Countries," In: Nordic Energy Systems. Historical Perspectives and Current Issues, Eds. Arne Kaijser and Marika Hedin, Canton, Mass.: Science History Publications/USA 1995, pp. 101-128.

The Role of Industry in the Electrification of Finland

Reference:

Timo Myllyntaus, “The Role of Industry in the Electrification of Finland,” Électricité et électrification dans le monde. Actes du deuxième colloque international d'histoire de l'électricité, Ed. Monique Trédé, Paris: Association pour l'histoire de l'électricité en France 1992, pp. 235-249. Published earlier under the same title in a series of ETLA, Discussion Papers no 333. Helsinki: The Research Institute of the Finnish Economy 1990, 35 Pp.

Initial electrification in three main branches of Finnish industry, 1882- 1920

Reference:

Timo Myllyntaus, "Initial Electrification in Three Main Branches of Finnish Industry, 1882–1920," Scandinavian Economic History Review (Bergen) vol. 33 (1985) no 2, pp. 122-143.

The Introduction of Hydraulic Turbines, 1840-1940

Reference,

Timo Myllyntaus, “Finland: The Introduction of Hydraulic Turbines, 1840 – 1940,” In: Innovation technologique et civilisation, Editions du CNRS. Paris: Commission internationale d'histoire des mouvements sociaux et des structures sociales 1989, pp. 113-130 (Résumé en français, pp. 126-127).

A preliminary version of this article was published as a booklet in 1984:

The Introduction of Hydraulic Turbines and Its Socio-economic Setting in Finland, 1840–1940, Institute of Economic and Social History, Communications no 14, Helsinki: University of Helsinki 1984, 40 Pp. (Résumé en francais pp. 33-37).

The Introduction of Hydraulic Turbines and Its Socio-economic Setting in Finland, 1840-1940: A Research Report

Reference:

Timo Myllyntaus, The Introduction of Hydraulic Turbines and Its Socio-economic Setting in Finland, 1840–1940, Institute of Economic and Social History, Communications no 14, Helsinki: University of Helsinki 1984, 40 Pp. (Résumé en francais pp. 33-37).

This topic has also been dealt with in the article:

Timo Myllyntaus, “Finland: The Introduction of Hydraulic Turbines, 1840 – 1940,” Innovation technologique et civilisation, Editions du CNRS. Paris: Commission internationale d'histoire des mouvements sociaux et des structures sociales 1989, pp. 113-130 (Résumé en français, pp. 126-127).

Hydro and Thermal Power in Finnish Industry in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries

Reference:

"Hydro- and Thermal Power in Finnish Industry in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries," In: Scandinavian Journal of History (Stockholm) vol. 8 (1983) no 2, pp. 109-118.

Suomalaisen ympäristöhistorian kehityslinjoja

Suomen talouspolitiikka ja valtiontalous, 1809-1860

Colonial Technology: Science and the Transfer of Innovation to Australia

Den lysende gas: Etableringen af det danske gassystem 1800-1890

Talouspolitiikan paasuuntaviivat

Suomen graafisen teollisuuden kasvu 1860-1905

Elämän ja kuoleman vesi

Ympäristöaktivismi yhteiskunnallisena toimintana

Reference:

Timo Myllyntaus, “Ympäristöaktivismi yhteiskunnallisena toimintana,” [Environmental activism as societal action], In the volume Liikkeen voima – Kansalaistoiminta ympäristökysymysten muovaajana [Power of the movement – Citizens’ activism shaping environmental issues], Ed. Timo Myllyntaus, Research reports no 122, Oulu: Oulun Yliopisto, Pohjois-Suomen tutkimuslaitos 1994, pp. 11-27.

This article is available only in Finnish.

Abstract


The report 'Power of the Movement' consists of four articles examining the reactions of citizens and the impact of pressure groups on environmental issues. Internationally, the conservation of nature began in the continental countries in the mid-19th century and spread around Europe. At the turn of the 19th and 20th century, there are vivid discussions on environmental damage caused by industrialisation but it was only in the 1960s when a new kind of environmental movement emerged. In the introductory article, Timo Myllyntaus considers Finnish ‘green activism’ from the 1960s to the early 1990s so fragmented that there are difficulties to speak about the environmental movement in singular. Despite the great heterogeneity, there were, however, some common elements in the movement, such as thinking in terms of global ecosystems, the criticism of industrial society and the condemnation of the waste of natural resources.

Finnish History of Technology at the Turn of the Millenium

Reference:

Timo Myllyntaus, Tiina Männistö and Riikka Jalonen, “Finnish History of Technology at the Turn of the Millennium,” ICOHTEC Newsletter July 2007 vol. 39. Available online since 18 July 2007.

Valoa, voimaa ja vastuksia: Tekniikan historian tutkimus Suomessa

Reference:

Timo Myllyntaus, “Valoa, voimaa, vastuksia: Tekniikan historian tutkimus Suomessa,” Tekniikan Waiheita – Teknik i tiden – Finnish Quarterly for the History of Technology, 26 vsk (2008) no 4, pp. 5-17.

Abstract in English:

Research of the Finnish History of Technology in Retrospect

In Finland, the history of technology has raised the interest of very diverse group of scholars, whose topics of research have embraced mainly Finland and Finnish technology. The most important results within the history of technology have been achieved in cooperation and within the frame of different research groups. Internationalization of the Finnish history of technology really started in the 1990s, since when it has been progressing fast.

In Finland the research of the history of technology has been burdened by the lack of visibility and status. The absence of institutionalization has on one hand been a great problem. On the other hand, this has encouraged versatility and search of new perspectives especially in the 2000s. Despite complex circumstances, the vitality of the history of technology in today’s Finland is astonishing even on the international scale: for instance, in per capita terms the Finnish quarterly for the history of technology, Tekniikan Waiheita, is 20 times more popular than its American counterpart, Technology and Culture. In recent years, Finnish researchers have also participated very actively in international meetings.

Työvoimapolitiikka autonomian ajan alkupuoliskolla

Reference:

Timo Myllyntaus, “Työvoimapolitiikka autonomian ajan alkupuoliskolla,” [Finnish labour policy during the first half of the autonomy, 1809 – 1863], När samhället förändras – Kun yhteiskunta muuttuu, Historiallinen Arkisto 76, Helsinki: Historiallinen seura 1981, pp. 155-181.

Summary

The annexation of Finland to the Russian Empire in 1809 was followed by a long period of several decades during which the laws inherited from Sweden and economic principles based on mercantile ideas dating back to the “Age of Freedom” (1721–1772) were consistently retained in Finland. Accordingly, the country’s economic leadership sought refuge from backward methods in solving novel social problems of which relative overpopulation, resulting from an exceptional rapid population growth, was not among the smallest. Contrary to many other countries of the nineteenth century, Finland’s countryside was distressed by menacing pauperism more gravely than the urban areas.

This article surveys specifically what measures the government adopted in labour administration primarily in the early nineteenth century. Likewise it seeks to deduce whether these measures formed a distinct course of action that could be labeled a “late-mercantilist labour policy”.

The goals of the governement’s labour policy were facilitated by a form of hiring out obligation called “a system of legal protection”. Furthermore, government aims were also advanced by imposing restrictions on labour migration, colonization, subdivision of farms and freedom of trade.

At the beginning of the autonomy, Finland’s population was classified into three categories:
1. Citizens with full rights.
2. Citizens under private legal protection, who could not protect others.
3. Persons compelled to seek protection from citizens with full rights.

Finland’s labour policy during the first half of autonomy was designed to serve an outdated late-mercantilist economic policy, and the government’s primary aim was to contain the country’s economic and social problems. Consequently, later generations were burdened with a tangled web of overwhelming social dilemmas that they could not sort out without sacrifices.

Vaaran laelta toimiston nurkkaan: Taloudellinen kehitys ja elämänmuodon muutokset

A Survey on Recent Finnish Research in the History of Technology, Polhem