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Sustainability assessments and indicators aim to produce and communicate information needed for evidence-based policymaking, strategic planning or learning. It has been assumed that in order to induce the desired effects, indicators must be relevant and reliable and they must be communicated to the right audience in the right way at the right moment. However, following the criteria for a good indicator does not guarantee that the indicator will be used, nor does it guarantee that the use will produce the desired effects. Various unintended side effects of indicator communication may emerge, particularly with sustainability issues characterised by various actors and multiple temporal, functional and spatial scales. We propose a comprehensive typology summarising different forms of sustainability indicator usage, namely use, non-use and misuse. This typology helps to identify potential positive or negative side effects of indicator usage. We discuss the implications of indicator-based communication, based on insights gathered in four research projects and a literature review. Attention given to potential unintended effects of indicator usage may be the key to increasing the effectiveness of sustainability communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Light pollution is increasingly affecting ecosystems and human health. We present results from an online survey aimed to chart what aspects of lighting are considered harmful and how light pollution is perceived by the public. We focus on affluent societies by using Finland as an example of a northern industrialised country. The survey generated 2053 responses, particularly from well-educated urban persons living in residential areas and interested in astronomy or environmental issues. The results show that the lighting of residential areas and lighting serving traffic are considered the most common sources of light pollution while commercial lighting is perceived as the most annoying form of light use. Respondents commonly considered light pollution as a disturbance for outdoor recreation and relaxation. The results suggest that the ecological and health effects of light pollution emphasised by the research are poorly known by the people emphasising the aesthetic aspects. The results indicate relatively wide but passive acceptance for policy measures aimed at reducing light pollution. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Media representations of the future are a key component of climate change and energy policies. This study integrates media analysis with futures studies and focuses on the media framings and representations of futures related to key national-level energy and climate strategy documents. It utilizes qualitative content analysis of online news articles of Finland's national public broadcasting company committed to high-quality journalism. The results show that a more multifaceted coverage of climate action increased during the study period of 2015–2020, especially in terms of frames and future scenario archetypes, and indicate gradually widening awareness of climate risks. However, climate change has been framed as an isolated policy area, and climate change mitigation and adaptation remain framed as subordinate to economic policy targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Insufficient physical activity is an increasing threat to personal well-being and public health. While significant research has focused on the factors that encourage or restrict physical activity, the impact of family constellations on physical activity remains under-researched despite its evident impact on leisure-time physical activity (LTPA). This study aims to analyze how being embedded in a family constellation reflects on LTPA. Our data are drawn from interviews with 89 working adults living in a household with a spouse and/or children. The results indicate that individuals have both escapist and integrative motivations for LTPA, which reflect particular family constellations. This finding leads to the following LTPA dimensions: solitary escapism, co-escapism, integrative escapism, and integration. Furthermore, the mechanism is bidirectional: family affects LTPA, and LTPA reflects on personal and family well-being. Public and private actors can utilize these findings when compiling policies and recommendations and developing services intended to increase LTPA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]