Naurun paikka?: Huumori ympäristökeskustelussa ja -tutkimuksessa

Environmental problems are usually interpreted as socio-ecological phenomena that must be taken seriously. However, various humorous aspects can be found from many environmental issues. For instance, humor can be intentionally used to ridicule opponents’ arguments in environmental disputes or humor can be used to forestall environmental initiatives that are feared to cause economic losses. Humor can also be a tool that helps to find new approaches, create innovations and aid conflict management. On a personal level, humor can help to cope with anxiety created by the increasing awareness about environmental degradation. This article gives an overview of the different traditions of humor research from the perspective of environmental problems. The examples, aimed to illustrate the many facets of humor, are drawn from the Finnish environmental debates, concentrating especially on the debates on climate change and biodiversity. Conclusions are made in order to identify promising directions for future research.