Popular impressions of the Norwegian relationship to nature tend to be simplistic, derived either from popular reporting on Norwegian environmental policy, or from the images of Norwegian mountain and fjord landscapes promoted by the tourist industry. In both instances, Norway is portrayed as offering something unique to the world due to its exceptional landscape and culture of nature appreciation. The title of Peder Anker's The Power of the Periphery: How Norway Became an Environmental Pioneer for the World gives the impression that the author will provide a historically grounded account of Norwegian environmental exceptionalism. However, it soon becomes apparent that Anker's actual aim is to expose the notion of “the power of the periphery” as a national narrative that has, at best, failed to deliver on its utopian vision and, at worst, exempted Norwegian environmental policy from scrutiny—scrutiny that was particularly warranted as the nation became wealthier due to the...
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