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In this new column, we nestle in someone’s bed. We ask two personal questions: what keeps you awake and what do you dream of? This time: Rebecca Nordquist, scientist at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. With her research she wants to improve the welfare of farm animals, especially within the transition towards sustainable food systems.

What do you dream of?

“A world in which earth remains habitable, for ourselves and animals. In my dream I see us take small steps every single day to complete the climate goals. If we reach the goals, we won’t just drop everything at once, but keep working on them. This means a change in mindset. It’s actually a full life transition and not just that of agriculture.”

“I myself wasn’t born in an activist environment. I’m not a tree hugger, but I’ve grown more and more conscious of the consequences of our way of living. I’ve eat more plant-based, I use my car less and take the train for holidays more often. Working together on a more habitable earth is a dream for me.”

What keeps you awake?

“I´m afraid that everyone will creep back to their own faculty due to the cuts, which makes working on interdisciplinary projects difficult. This worries me. We need different kinds of expertise to work on questions about sustainability, such as the transition of agriculture. The majority of people think the welfare of animals is important so we should take that into consideration as part of the transition. If not, we would not only harm animals but also a bit of mankind.”

“More and more I realize that everything we do influences life around us, animals included. This applies to animals both far away and closeby. It may soon become too hot to keep cows in the fields or to walk dogs downtown, while both are necessary for welfare.”

“We need to change our way of thinking and living radically. Only then can we achieve this dream.”

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