Schultz Environment Blog

2012-01-22T09:56:00.000-08:00

First skating this year!
Today was a really nice day to try the ice on Lake Vänern. It was silent, just to listen the scratch when the skates touched the ice. After a fun ride we could enjoy a cup of warm coffe and some sandwiches which tasted deliscious. Feels good to have done at least some wintersport this winter with almost no snow.

2011-12-18T12:01:00.000-08:00

Train spotting

Well, it is not exactly train spotting I’m thinking about sitting on the train. Maybe why the wild animals dosn't avoid rails and trains. Did you know that there are about 4 500 accidents per year between trains and animals in Sweden. From the 1 of July in 2012 there will be an obligation for the driver of the train to report the accident to the Police, which have not been the case so far.

2011-11-27T13:30:00.000-08:00

Like advent
The environmental status of Earth needs thoughts and ambitious like the spririt of advent - looking forward to something in the darkness? I mean the climate development really need some hope of better times, or am I too pessimistic ?

2011-10-02T12:09:00.000-07:00

New Minister of Environment
Sweden has now a new minister of environment, Lena Ek, former member in the European Parliament for the Swedish centre party (read more here:http://www.europarl.europa.eu/members/public/geoSearch/view.do?id=28127) . She will substitute the former minister, Andreas Carlgren, when the new leader for the centre party, Annie Lööf makes some changes among the leading charaters in the party and the primeminister Fredrik Reinfeldt reorganised the government. It will be interesting to see if the change will mean any changes in the environmental politics? For example the question about the hunting of wolves, were the former minister achieved to cause some discussion?

2011-09-25T13:03:00.000-07:00

Back from Brussels
Have been in Brussels for a week. Back in Karlstad I see that the Lake Vänern and the river of Klarälven have high waterlevels. The city of Arvika is near to be flodded again as in the winter of 2000/2001 according to the local newspapers. Although, now it seems to be better weather for the upcoming week, with less rain.

2011-08-26T13:31:00.000-07:00

Wolves in Sweden

How many wolves shall we have in Sweden? Should there be any hunting of them? There are some questions about the wolves in Sweden to be answered, that’s what the EU commission thinks anyway. Last week our Minister of Environment who earlier that week presented the Swedish governments reply to the EU Commission about the Swedish quota regulated Wolf Hunt. He declared that there will be no quota regulated hunt on wolves this winter but probably again 2013. The government don’t want a formal trial concerning if Sweden broke against the Habitats directive. He said this was a way to keep the decisions about hunting in Sweden and not to be in the hands of Brussels (read EU). The questions about the wolves are best handled here in Sweden near the people who live side by side with the wolves, he said.

The daily Swedish newspaper DN expressed some astonished that the same Minister of Environment in 2006 was angry about that Island decided about the hunt of 39 whales. It’s not a question for a single country to decide about, he said at that time.

The Swedish Society for nature conservation believes that the government is trying to fool the commission with their answer and they will, together with WWF Sweden and the Swedish Society for Predators, form a petition to the commission about this. – Hopefully, the Commission will take Sweden to the European Court of Justice. We hope that many will join our protest over the hunt and the fact that Sweden, once a pioneer in environmental protection, is eroding its biodiversity policy, says Mikael Karlsson , chairman of the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation.

The Swedish Association for Hunting and Wildlife Management means on the other hand that the quota regulated hunt must be back in 2013 and says also that it would have been better if the government had defended the hunt better and let the EU commission have tried it in the European Court of Justice.

As you can see there are different interests and opinions about wolves in Sweden…..

2011-07-18T13:22:00.000-07:00

Unreachable lamp bulbs
Today, I bought two lamp bulbs. The brand was ICA home. They were energy efficient bulbs consistent with the EU Green Policy Compliant RoHS, with low contents of Cadmium, Mercury etc. Some years ago these lamp bulbs were unusual and hard to find, but since the RoHS it's easier. On the package you can read that it should be recycled as hard plastic and paper. However, one thing irritates me a lot: it's almost impossible to get the bulb out of the package.
Why, dear producer, must there be such an impossible package which needs tools to get into? It ought to be possible to do a better package, or ??

2011-06-18T11:45:00.000-07:00

Best green cars in Sweden

According to the Swedish Association of Green Motorists and the juries they have relayed to, the best green car 2011 is: VW Passat TSI ecofuel (gas/petrol) followed by Volkswagen Touran TSI (gas) and Saab 9-3 Trifuel(gas/ethanol/petrol), Volvo C-30 electric (electricity) and Audi A4 (ethanol). These are according to the association, the cars with the best environment- and safety standards among new production of cars. This is said to be the world’s most ambitious examination of green cars. Although there were a majority of fossil fuels among the nominated 41 car models the top ranked cars are dominated by alternative fuels, perhaps a breakthrough?

2011-05-28T12:38:00.000-07:00

Champion's League
Barcelona versus Manchester United 1-1 by half time. I wonder if the football is fairtrade made? If you want to learn more about fairtrade, visit Karlstad in 7-8 of October this year. There will be a major Faitrade conference in the Karlstad Congress and Culture Centre.

2011-04-09T13:00:00.000-07:00

Change of work
I have changed job since the end of March. Now, I work at the Environmental Court of Appeal in Stockholm. It is very interesting to change place of work after nearly 18 years at the same place.

2011-02-15T11:35:00.000-08:00

More wolves

That’s the environmental issue for today, discussed in media. The minister for environment has earlier stated that the licensed hunt of genetic defected wolves is on part of the politic for a sane population of 210 wolf individuals in Sweden. The other part, according to him, is that wolves from zoological parks or wild wolves from Finland should be planted out by start this year.

Now, the Swedish radio report, both the association for zoological parks and Pentti Lähteenoja, head of dept. Agriculture- and Forestry department in Finland are pessimistic about such planting out of wolves. Hmm so, what is left of the plan presented 27 January 2011 by the minister?

2011-01-25T08:42:00.000-08:00

Licensed hunt of 20 wolves for 2011

A total of 20 wolves may be culled in six counties in the 2011 licensed hunt. The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has authorised licensed hunting to comply with the parliamentary decision that the wolf population should be no more than 210 animals and 20 litters, by 2012.

This is the second year that the EPA has decided to authorise the licensed hunting of wolves in accordance with the 2009 parliamentary decision that introduced a new predator management. That decision also included regionalised predator management and genetic strengthening of the wolf population. Licensed hunting is a compensation for having new wolves moved into Sweden in order to alleviate inbreeding.

Licensed hunting is allowed in the six counties where the wolf population has reproduced during the past three years. The allocation has been made on the basis of how large the population is in the various counties. Approximately one-third has gone to Dalarna and Värmland Counties 6 wolves each, 3 to Gävleborg, 2 to Örebro and 2 to Västra Götaland Counties. In Västmanland County, which was not represented in 2010, one wolf will be allowed to be culled. Last year, 27 wolves were allowed to be culled, and 28 actually were.

The above text is from the website of the Swedish EPA.

Yesterday, the fifth wolf in the county of Värmland was shot. It was an alpha male.

The EU commissioner Janez Potocnik regrets that Sweden has started the licensed hunt although the view of the Commission on the legality of the hunt was know by the Swedish government. He says that the Swedish authorities forces him to start a court procedure about crime against EU:s Environmental laws according to the Swedish radio news.

2010-12-23T08:04:00.000-08:00

Climate Change

Surely, we have noticed that the climate issue dosn’t get the same space in Swedish media as earlier. I read an article in a Swedish newspaper by Anna Wahlgren, about this in which is claimed to depend on the so called “climategate”, cold winters this and last year and finally the backlash in Copenhagen. It is also so that most Swedish politicians argue for action against climate change – very few are against this. It is also so the climate issue is complex and complicated, demands deeper knowledge to write about. There is according to the article a decrease by 70 – 90 % of the reporting in global media after Copenhagen! The reporting in Swedish media from Cancun was really poor, compared with the reporting from Copenhagen. We seem not to be able to separate weather from climate in the short run. When it is cold we can’t see the climate change towards a warmer climate. This morning we had minus 20 degrees below zero and lots of snow. We have had cold weather and snow since the middle of November. There are fewer articles about climate change and warmer climate of course. As the media perhaps overestimated the interest in articles about climate change in 2006-2009 they underestimate the same interest in 2010.

However, this year we have an excellent Christmas weather here in Karlstad. I wish you a very merry Christmas and a Happy New Year and I wish that media will try to describe the complex Climate situation in a proper way the upcoming year.

2010-11-05T14:54:00.000-07:00

Climate Hawks

David Roberts, in Grist, consulted his readers about their opinion of what to call the people who care about climate change. He got 226 answers with different suggestions. After analyzing them he finally adopted to “Climate Hawks” as the best expression. He thought the term needed to be broad but shallow. That is, it needed to be broad enough to encompass everyone worried about these issues, but at the same time shallow enough that it doesn't imply a bunch of other positions or commitments. He also had three more good criteria’s for his sorting out among the suggestions. Do you have such term in your language, for people who care about climate change?

2010-10-06T11:43:00.000-07:00

Chemicals; out of control?
Today, as a coincidence, I watched the movie "Submission -in defence of the unborn", the same day as the Nobelprize in chemistry was annonced. You can read more about the movie in the link: http://www.underkastelsen.se/ (there is an english version). Two days ago there was annonced that Robert G won the Nobelprize in Medicine, battled societal and establishment resistance to his development of the in vitro fertilization procedure, which has so far led to the birth of around 4 million people. The later discovery will be well needed if you listen to the message in the movie with less functional men in the future, not able to breed any more due to the hormon disrupting chemicals we have all around us. The documentary manage to transform the general problem with chemicals to the personal dilema for a mother.

2010-10-05T11:48:00.000-07:00

SA & EU

Last week SA president Jacob Zuma met with Herman van Rompuy and José Manuel Barroso to discuss different subject. Obviously, the Climate issue was discussed and the leaders agreed upon to strive for ambitious and sustainable results at the upcoming conference in Cancun. Read more in the attached link from the meeting: http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_Data/docs/pressdata/en/er/116791.pdf

2010-10-04T11:31:00.000-07:00

Re-start in Tianjin, China

Today, delegates gather in China to try to come back on track in the negotiations again for next meeting in Cancun in November-December. Anyone who have lost faith in the outcome of these globetrotter negotiations? Since the Climate changes was recognized in a broad manor in the beginning of 2006, delegates from the nations have gathered in different parts of the world to become agreed upon actions to mitigate the Climate changes. So far the outcome of these “events” have been very poor.

2010-09-10T07:35:00.000-07:00

EU:s Consultation on Biodiversity

You can make your voice heard to the EU commission by answering the consultation which you can reach at : http://ec.europa.eu/environment/consultations/biodecline.htm

There you can read:

Many authoritative reports confirm that global biodiversity remains under severe threat, with losses occurring at 100 to 1000 times the normal rate. More than a third of species assessed are facing extinction and an estimated 60% of the Earth’s ecosystems have been degraded in the last 50 years. In 2001, the EU set itself the target to halt biodiversity loss in the EU by 2010. Efforts to tackle biodiversity loss were subsequently stepped up, and an EU Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) was adopted by the Commission in 2006 to accelerate progress. Despite the efforts to date, however, there are clear indications that the EU has not achieved its target.
The objective of this consultation is to gather input from a wide range of stakeholders on possible policy options for the European Union's post-2010 EU biodiversity strategy, which will be assessed by the Commission as part of the process of its development.

Take part and make your voice heard before the 22: d of October 2010!

2010-08-15T12:27:00.000-07:00

Travel smarter – live better

That is the theme of this year’s European Mobility week. You can find out more about the event at www.moblityweek.eu/ The actual week is 16-22 of September and it is an awareness rising campaign. I remember the first time Karlstad participated in the campaign “In town without my car” in 2000. At that time it wasn’t that many cities. I was interviewed by the BBC radio live and reported about the activities in Karlstad. We also had a possibility for the public to chat with the former EU commissioner Margot Wallström. We had lots of arrangements in the city centre and many people visited the area. Two years later 2002 the first European Mobility Week started. So far around 590 cities throughout Europe have listed to participate in September this year. By the way, now days also cities in Japan, Tawain, Barzil, Colombia and Equador are participating in a similar campaign. There will be far more by the start in September, I think. Is the city where you live participating?

2010-07-05T13:02:00.000-07:00

Do we need an Icebar everywhere?

I read about the new Icebar by Icehotel in Copenhagen somewhere. I happen to know some history about the Icehotel: Yngve Bergqvist from Jukkasjärvi far north up in Sweden got the idea of an Icehotel in the 1980:s and the first hotel was inaugurated in 1990 in Jukkasjärvi. He is a true entrepreneur and developed his idea further, so in 1993 the first Absolut Icebar was inaugurated in 1994 up in Jukkasjärvi. So far, I’m a great admirer of the project. The Icehotel and the Icebar drew lots of tourists to Jukkasjärvi, not least from Japan actually. I think that was the basic idea from the beginning, to attract people to Jukkasjärvi by exploiting the natural requirements, but then of course the allurement to earn more money took place.

The export of the idea and ice from the river Torne träsk began. Now there are an Absolut Icebar in Stockholm and one in London, with ice from Torne träsk. Another brand is Icebar by Icehotel and there are such bars in Tokyo, Oslo and now also in Copenhagen, with ice from the river Torne träsk. It’s not the export of ice I’m against, even if it takes some energy to move the ice chilled to a new place. Think also on the energy cost to run these bars in warmer climate. It is also against the base idea; to do something of the resources at the place of Jukkasjärvi and the natural requirements, namely ice and coldness. It’s as stupid as starting a Poolbar with palmtrees etc in Jukkasjärvi. But of course it could be a good idea for the environment to take the Icehotels and the Icebars to places where there are lots of people like Tokyo and London instead of having that entire people to take the plane to Jukkasjärvi in far North of Sweden? Perhaps it was the thought of this, save the climate by having less people going by airplane to Sweden? Or, are the Icehotels and Icebars in the big cities just an appetizer to get them to go to Jukkasjärvi and visit the original Icehotel and Icebar? What do you think? The icebar in Copenhagen needed 40 tons of ice for all from the furnishing to the glasses. There has also been around 50 temporary Icebars all over the world, with ice from Torne träsk, even in the desert of Niger! But of course, having an Icebar here and there is simply cool, or? Obviously, we can afford this whatever the natural prerequisites are!

2010-06-28T08:00:00.000-07:00

Sea-Eagle in Lake Vänern

During the 1800s the sea-eagle in lake Vänern in Sweden was quite common but during the 1900s it became extinct. Thanks to feeding of sea-eagles with good meat without toxic substances they came back and last year there were around 10 breeding pairs of sea-eagles in the lake. Two weeks ago in the northern part of the lake a tree with three juveniles in a nest was cut down. One official from the County Administrative board went out to ring the birds, but they were too small so he decided to come back one week later and then the tree had been cut down. It was no mistake because this tree was standing alone and the nest was conspicuous. It was just cut down in cold blood to harm the sea eagles. Who would do a thing like that? I thought the public in Sweden were more sensible in their judgement as for nature conservation. You feel somewhat ashamed for the humans towards the sea eagles or the nature. Of course one can only ponder on what motives the person could have had; money, bitterness or what? I take the occurrence as a sign for the need for more information and change of attitudes. Perhaps also the penalty for such crimes must be more severe to prevent people from doing these things.

Man can unfortunately be a treat almost as severe as the toxic substances by actions like the one described. Other treats today are power lines, wind turbines and exploitation of land decreasing breeding areas.

2010-05-21T09:48:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Nature's Year 2010

The United Nations declared 2010 to be the International Year of Biodiversity. It is a celebration of life on earth and of the value of biodiversity for our lives. The aim is that knowledge and consciousness about the problem will lead to measures that stop the impoverishment of the biodiversity. I’m not too convinced about this – just think of the Climate changes and the awareness and what is done to mitigate the effects. The United Nations global study, “Millennium Ecosystem Assessment” shows that the biodiversity deplete 100 to 1000 times faster today compared by 50 years ago. Unfortunately,however, everyone can do something to help to get awareness and inspire others, show good examples of what is done or can be done, and put pressure on the decisionmakers to protect the biodiversity. I think for instance the Swedish photographer, Mattias Klum, is doing an excellent work in this field and together with him lots of other photographers around the world. Tomorrow the 22:d of May the biodiversity is celebrated all over the world. On Sunday, the 24:th of May in Sweden we are celebrating the National Park day as a link in the Biodiversity year. So way not visit the nature this weekend and become captivated by the splendour in the nature.

2010-05-08T11:34:00.000-07:00

Nice place to take a break

Some week ago I was at the Swedish west coast for fishing trout. Oh, yes I did catch a few. Together with some friends I headed back to Karlstad from Gothenburg by car. We thirsted for coffee and stopped at a place I have stopped at before, the Lödöse Museum, North of Gothenburg along the road E45. Have a look at the link; http://www.lodosemuseum.se/Kultur_Default.aspx?id=62229

It is a really good place to stop at, they have good and cheep coffee, sandwiches etc, it is Fairtrade and the personnel are very helpful and you also have the possibility to look at some history of the place. There are very few people stopping there, they go to Rasta, you know the big places along the way with a petrol station, higher prices and lots of people. Do yourself a favour and stop at Lödöse next time - because it worth it.

2010-04-11T11:33:00.000-07:00

"Green cars"

In March 8 735 “green cars” were registred in Sweden. This corresponds to 34, 1 % out of all cars registred compared with 38, 2 % in March 2009. A dip by 4 %, although there are more “green car” models to choose from and more consciousness among the buyers, or is it not? Of course we don’t have the premium of 10 000 SEK you got when you bought a “green car” we had earlier, but the “green cars” are exempt from tax the first five years. We have a never ending discussion about the negative aspects of each renewable source of fuels. Perhaps this make potential buyers unsure. But, the share of “green cars” should rise instead of decrease, don't you think?

2010-03-27T12:21:00.000-07:00

Been a busy month
Since last time I wrote it has been a lot of things to follow in the environmental issues. Last week I listened to three different views regarding the results from COP 15 in Copenhagen. All three were quite pessimistic about how to reach consensus among the worlds leaders. We’ll see what will happen in Mexico. Perhaps the host of that meeting can gather the countries in South America to have a more cooperative role than in Copenhagen? But how will US and China take their position in that meeting, and India. It all goes back to how we allocate resources in the world and how it has been so far. For the poor countries it is all about poverty control before making efforts for the environment. Of course the developing countries must be stopped from making the same mistakes in how the society is built as the developed part of the world has done.
I have also listened to a discussion about how to get a sustainable agriculture on a global level and I must say that subject also sees quite pessimistic. It is, as in the climate issue, hard to get the politics, the experts and the public opinion to become united in how this is done. And of course agriculture as such has a large impact in the combat of climate changes. We must changes the down-going spiral to a more positive upward-going spiral. How is this done? I don’t know – do you?
Last Saturday I was waken up by the phone at 06.00 a.m. We have a major leakage in our water system was the message. What should have been a lazy weekend became a more work intensive weekend. Around 50 000 people was out of water before the leakage was found. It was one of two feeder tubes so it could be shut of and the other one is now used until the other one is repaired. Our society is quite vulnerable and this is demonstrated at times like this.

2010-02-26T09:57:00.000-08:00

Winter

In a way it feels quite good having this sort of old fashioned winter. I mean with snow and coldness from December to the end of February. Today is actually the first day with one degree above zero, since December. And according the weather forecast we will get more snow and the temperature will go below zero again. It is pretty awkward that still, January was the so far warmest January, measuring the temperature I the Earths atmosphere, I read in some newsletter. But of course it is easy to forget that for example Australia have had some really hot time in January, when we are freezing up in the far North.

2010-01-21T13:11:00.000-08:00

Double standard?

Today I have read about how the Norwegian Oil fund (which has plenty of billions) throws out some bond shares which are not ethical right, such as Swedish Match, Philip Morris, British American Tobacco, Wal-Mart. That is of course good out of ethical reasons as the fund is a big player on the world markets. But you must say that it is a bit contra dictionary that all the money earned by the fossil oil from the bottom of the North Sea must of course be placed in an ethical way?

2010-01-12T13:19:00.000-08:00

Wolves again

Today, you can read in Swedish newspapers that the wolves shot in the licensed hunt have been autopsied and that there are no signs of malformations caused by in-breed so far. And the explanation of why the government approved of the call for hunt from the hunting organisations, is that it was the best way to decrease the number of malformed wolves, the weak ones, like being the natural selection itself. But during the hunt there were no such selection done, or even possible to do. Of course, the most serious consequence of in-breed is that the clutches gets smaller. Instead of five puppies they now only get three to four puppies. But this isn’t helped by the licensed hunting. Against this only transplantation will help. I shall be interested to follow how this will proceed.

2010-01-04T11:11:00.000-08:00

Little Red Riding Hood and the big bad wolf
Once upon the time there was a small country called Sweden in which a small population of wolves lived. Actually the wolf was almost extinct during the 1960-80 but suddenly some wolves were seen in the county of Värmland north of the big lake Vänern. Many hunters and reindeer owners were very satisfied with the extinction of wolf as they saw wolves as competitors. Although several wolves were shot illegally, the population grew very slowly. The Nature conservation organisations were very happy about the growth of the population but also worried as the scientists stated that the genetic variation in the population was too small and that new blood was needed. In 2009 it was decided by the government that licensed hunt should be carried out during the period 2nd of January and the 15:th of February 2010 and that 27 wolves should be killed. The last licensed hunt was in the 1960:s before the wolf was placed under protection. Since the beginning of 2000 there has been hunting only of specific individual wolves, if they have caused some special problems.
In this tale, our minister of environment Andreas Carlgren (whom by the way, has a slightly red tint to his hair), will symbolise the little red riding hood. He was on the radio today and declared that he would like the population to be not more than 210 individuals (that’s the goal the parliament earlier has set) and that the big threat against the population is the small generic variation of the population, i.e. the risk for inbreeding. He had difficulties explaining how a licensed hunt which would decrease the population by 27 individuals should help to prevent this from happening. At least one aim was reached, the hunters were pleased. The licensed hunt attracted around 12 000 hunters to hunt 27 wolves in 5 Counties. Isn’t this more like an implacable hatred hunt, than the hunters’ way of taking responsibility for the stock of game as for that of every other species? The hunt was not coordinated among the different Administrative boards which surveyed the hunt so as the hunters in one county shot more than their share; the hunt wasn’t stopped in the neighbouring county. Furthermore nobody actually knows if the “right” individual wolves were shot or if some alpha males were taken down. However, the minister of environment is still appears totally innocent and talks about how much he like to have a vivid population of wolves (but not more than 210 individuals) which is guarded by hunters and conservationists together.
The first day of the hunt 25 wolves were shot and then you should remember that hunting wolves is a very difficult kind of hunt, at least if you listen to experienced hunters. In the county I live all the 9 wolves cleared for hunting were shot the first day of the hunt.
Is it right or wrong to have a licensed hunt?? In the long run, and if the population establishes better and becomes more stable, a licensed hunt can be a possible way to guard and control the stock of wolves. I think this hunt came at this moment mostly because of the pressure from the hunting organisations and also that several County Administrative Boards saw licensed hunt like a problem solving measure. I mean that they saw it like a way to get rid of illegal hunting (of course there are also mostly responsible hunters in Sweden). I think Andreas Carlgren, the minister of environment, didn’t succeed in explaining how this licensed hunt contributed to a greater genetic variation in the population of wolves in Sweden or Scandinavia. Quite frankly, he is consequently loosing out in credibility.

2009-12-16T14:28:00.000-08:00

COP 15

Yesterday I visited Copenhagen together with some colleagues from Sweden to get some atmosphere from the Climate Conference and negotiations. We didn’t bother to try and get inside at the Bella Centre. We heard it was approximately 5 hours of cueing although you were accredited.

We saw the fair “Hopenhagen” outside the City Hall and the nice photos at Kongens Nytorv etc. I also almost bumped into Arnold Schwartzenegger outside the Restaurant “Sunny Side” when he leaved after having dinner. Copenhagen seemed more international than ever. At least, I sealed the deal!

2009-12-12T00:48:00.000-08:00

POLIS network and Top leaders in Brussels

I visited the POLIS network Thursday the 10:th in Brussels. There was a Conference on “Unlocking the economic and environmental potential of innovation in urban and regional mobility”.

Polis is a network of European cities and regions from across Europe, which promotes supports and advocates innovation in local transport. The network strive to improve transport at local level, especially in relation to the environment & health, mobility & traffic efficiency, the economic & social aspects of transport and safety & security.

The conference had some really interesting issues to deal with and here were several interesting speeches both on city planning in the form of sustainable urban transport plans and different projects on public transports as well in cycling.

This was on the same day as the EU top leaders gathered in Brussels to agree on how much money the EU will support the developing countries with to get an ease on the negotiations in COP 15. It’s a long way to go between the agreements on world level to the practical solutions to reach the goals, although the meetings was hold not so far from each other. The challenge is to get the different levels in the society to work together from global to local without sub optimizing.

2009-11-22T02:15:00.000-08:00

Economy and ecology ought to go hand in hand

Sometimes I wonder why everything becomes so complicated when we talk about economy, I mean from private, national to global economy. When we talk about ecology or actions against global warming its more straightforward so that what you do as a private person (save energy, use environment friendly car, etc) always is good for the national and global level. Make the same example with the economical eyeglasses and you suddenly get a discussion about how we must act on the private level to get the wheels in the global economy to roll.

This week professor Paul Krugman spoke at a Quality fair in Göteborg and there is an article in today’s Svenska Dagbladet. He warned about that the world economic crisis not yet are over. Nations has to keep the interest rate low so that we invest and consume at such a high level that the bank system will recover and re-capitalize. Always it is this economic mantra that we must consume more to get the economic wheels to roll. Economics ought to deal with how we get the best welfare in certain economic situations and not to maximise the economic value in every moment. I also spoke at the quality fair about a project I described earlier in this blog – How 100 families learned and enjoyed to live in a more environmentally and friendly way. The audience in my session was small and very enthusiastic with lots of questions. The audience at Pual Krugmans session was enormous because of his fame but I doubt that they were familiar enough with the science of economy to ask questions. The environmental issues are complex and also rely on politics and economy to get solved, but the economy as a science is too complicated or one way looking to be a good tool in the war against global warming.

2009-11-11T12:20:00.000-08:00

Covenant of Mayors

Yesterday, the 10:th of November 25 Swedish municipalities signed the covenant of mayors during a ceremony attended by Dion Wierts, representative for the office of the covenant of mayors. Earlier we have 6 Swedish municipalities who have signed the covenant. So now there will be 31 Swedish municipalities among 978 cities in the world who have signed the agreement. The municipalities undertake to do more than the EU climate goals demand. One of the municipalities was Karlstad, where I work. Our work with a new Environmental and Climate strategy has begun, although we even earlier have good plans for the energy and transport issues.

2009-10-02T08:10:00.000-07:00

Yes, we can!

The city of Karlstad has granted around one million Euro over a period of three years to make energy efficiency measures in the buildings owned by the municipality. During the last two years the preparing of the work has been conducted and now it is time to realize the plans. The CO2 emissions are estimated to be lowered by 2 900 tons per year and the energy bill will also be cheaper. During the next 20 months almost 400 000 square meters of buildings will be rebuilt. It’s nice to live in a city which makes such energy efficient measures in public buildings. The investment is totally profitable as the savings is far better then the costs for the project. The entrepreneur also has given a saving guarantee which of course was nice to have in the back when doing the investment. Why not talk to your municipality to take inspiration from Karlstad in Sweden?

2009-09-11T10:03:00.000-07:00

High level meeting about European cities and how they tackle the Climate challenge in Stockholm the 14-15 of September

It is really good that environment questions in the form of global climate challenge are a subject for high level meetings. But, it has to come out some sort of results soon. There is a continuously change of politicians in the world and new people that have to get acquainted with the subject. The people answering for the negotiations also change but some are the same and stays with their opinion for long time. I think, people in general get tired of these high level meetings where there are no results.

Yesterday, our Prime minister Mr Reinfeldt visited President Zuma in South Africa to discuss which position S.A will take in the negotiations. I think this is one good way to try and lobby to get results at the meeting in Copenhagen. But it’s a lot of more hard work at different levels needed. Of course, it is a great complexity in these questions and several key person’s changes all the time. But until now, I think the high level meetings have been a failure in the eyes of the public.

Irrespective of all the fair words at the high level meetings it seems to be much of “business as usual” at the next moment in most countries. I hope I will be proven to be wrong when the meeting in Copenhagen have been held!

2009-08-05T13:10:00.000-07:00

After the subsidies….
In July there was 14 551 new cars sold in Sweden and that is a decrease by 13, 9 % compared with July in 2008. Out of these sold cars 31, 0 % were so called green cars compared with 32, 6 % in 2008. The bonus of 10 000 SEK that a private person buying a green car, got from the government ended by the end of June and perhaps this explains the dip by 18,9 % of new sold green cars since last month. Probably, quite a few people made the decision to by a green car in June, before the bonus disappeared. It will be interesting to see how the decrease of tax for green cars will attract individuals to buy green cars compared with the bonus of 10 000 SEK. The value of the decrease in taxation isn’t worth that much and you don’t get it in your hand six months after you have purchased a new car like the bonus. New green cars will be free from taxation for five years since 1:th of July 2009. So, the government lowers the carrot for people to by a green car to some extent.

2009-07-27T11:55:00.000-07:00

More green cars
In Sweden 43, 5 % of all sold new cars in June were so cold green cars according to the Swedish Road Administrations definition of a green car. In June 2008 the figure were 34, 2 %. Compared with 2008 when more than 60 % of the green cars were ethanol cars, less than 50 % were ethanol driven. It’s more of fuel-efficient diesel and petrol driven cars among the green cars in 2009. I'm curious about how the development will be by next year.

2009-06-26T12:45:00.000-07:00

Yesterday’s meeting for Environment ministers of the European Union

When the ministers meet yesterday they handled the issue about the Industrial Emissions Directive (IED). The idea is to put seven other directives together in one directive, the IED. One of the other directives involved is the IPPC directive, Integrated Pollution Prevention Directive and that one haven’t been that easy to supervise for the regional or local authority. I wonder if the ministers are at all aware of the implications of the change will have for the authorities that are in charge of supervision? This time I hope the integration of the directives in one will be in favour for the supervision, but I haven’t done an elaboration on that. The Swedish position by the minister will be that this can be taken for the parts which deals with ground, best available technique BAT and for big incineration energy plants. Hopefully, the change will make the supervision of the directive easier and at least not more difficult than it already are.....

2009-06-12T09:35:00.000-07:00

Pessimism about negotiations about green house gases

How will they (heads of governments) succeed with next Climate agreement? I listened to the Swedish negotiator Lars-Erik Liljelund last week and I must say that he was rather pessimistic. He thought the negotiations wouldn’t be solved before the heads of governments sits down and possible not at all. There hasn’t been that much of real progress since 2001 and the Kyoto agreement. But of course a lot of talk and promises.

Today I read about what the Japanese Prime minister said yesterday; they are only ready to decrease their emissions of greenhouse gases by 15 % in 2020 counted from 2005. Calculating from1990 that’s only 2% more to accomplish, than what they promised in the Kyoto agreement from 1997.The Japanese government ought to be a shame, the fifth largest emitter of greenhouse gases and on of the large economies in the world, not performing better Climate politics. I share the pessimism with Lars-Erik Liljelund.

2009-05-13T08:30:00.000-07:00

Oil-money from Sweden

In the beginning of this year, five of the Swedish Pension Insurance Funds owned shares for 15 billion SEK in companies involved in the Canadian project which aims at prospecting oil sand according to the Swedish newspaper DN. The government of Alberta, Canada, forecasted that the emission of greenhouse gases will be about 400 million tonnes in 2050, mostly because of the oil sand industry. That could be compared with the Swedish emission at 70 million tonnes last year.

Once more it is shown that economical interests and environmental interests must be handled in the same manner. I mean the official attitude in Sweden is to lower the emission of greenhouse gases, then, it’s most important that the Swedish Pension Insurance Funds doesn’t go another way around to get higher outcome of the capital and rises the emissions of greenhouse gases some other place on Earth.

2009-05-12T11:14:00.000-07:00

Soil management

Often you can read about pollution of air or water, but not that often about pollution of the soils. Yet, there have been a lot of pollution of the soils during history. In a municipality we often work with polluted grounds and when somebody wants to build apartments or offices they must take responsibility for cleaning up the ground.

Climate changes may also release a lot of carbon stored in the soil. I saw a figure that around 70 billion tonnes of organic carbon are stored in Europe’s soils. This carbon has been stored in the soils for a very long time but may be released by the rising temperatures. The way the land and soils are managed can mean a lot for how they will emit the carbon, with following higher carbon dioxide percentage in the atmosphere. For example will longer crops rotation reduce the carbon emissions while deeper ploughing reduces diversity and earthworms, while grassy field margins will enhance soil biodiversity.

2009-05-07T10:27:00.000-07:00

Local meeting about transport plan

Today I attended a local meeting about making a local traffic plan. We already have a Transport strategy which talks about what to do and stating a vision for the local transports. This new traffic plan will deal about how to reach these goals in the transport strategy. The meeting today was a kind of referendum with many of the different stakeholder’s organisations but also the different departments in the municipality. A consultancy talked about experience from different other cities in Sweden and we had a discussion about traffic problems we see in our own city. So far so good.

It is often easy to set up the vision and the goals in the strategy but when it comes to reality in how to reach the goals, what priorities to make; it usually becomes a bit harder to get the decisions from the politicians. Then it becomes a little more “realistic” measures. Lets hope this will not happen in our case so that we can keep to the strategy.

2009-04-08T08:43:00.000-07:00

Growth, to what extent?

I saw an interview with a Swedish Eu politician Anders Wijkman, at the blog Klotet, Swedish radio. He was glad about the so called Stiglitz commission, with not less than four Nobelprize winners and the British Nicolas Stern, dealing with how to express GDP with regard to the environment as well. The Stiglitz commission is searching after new ways to describe economical equality, sustainable development and quality of life. Anders Wijkman said – there are limits for growth, although certain economists want accept it but it’s a fact. We live on a limited planet. He like The french initiative from Nicolas Sarkocy, with the Stiglitz commission.

He is right I think. We have to find economic instruments to measure and value how to develop the materials on Earth in the most sustainable way. Until now “the economical laws”, mostly treasured by economists and politicians, has lead us the wrong way in how to get as much real value as possible in a sustainable way. Let’s hope that the Stiglitz commission will make a good job.

2009-03-20T10:44:00.000-07:00

Earth Hour

The manifestation “Earth Hour” started by WWF in Sydney, Australia in 2007 has grown in size and thereby also in importance. Now you can even listen to UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon in a video on YouTube proclaiming the participation in Earth Hour. The UN headquarters in New York will turn out the light during Earth Hour. He also urges all cities and all humans on Earth to participate and send a strong message to the politicians to deal with and solve the climate change problems.

My city, Karlstad will participate in the manifestation, will your city do that….?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6nu4gYSOJn4

2009-03-18T13:32:00.000-07:00

The insurance company “Länsförsäkringar” has understood something

The Swedish insurance company Länsförsäkringar has understood the value of being preventive. They have started a collection of hazardous waste amongst customers having a farm. They collect scrap metal, waste oil, pesticides, fertilisers, chemicals etc for free. They have understood that the alternative is that there is a big risk that chemicals etc otherwise end up in the ground which will cost the insurance company a lot more to restore. Besides doing a good business they are also doing a favour for nature. Something for other insurance companies to copy?

2009-02-23T12:27:00.000-08:00

Will Vattenfall make Nuon greener?
Today it was announced that the Swedish energy company Vattenfall buys the Dutch company Nuon. In Holland the discussion was like it was seen as a good affair because Vattenfall is known as a “green” energy company but in Sweden there were doubts about Vattenfall investing in fossil energy. Things may always be seen from different view points. But of course it is not only the environmental issues that conducts what’s going to be bought or not. There are also issues like money, politics and power. Often the environmental issue is spoken of a lot when the real motives are others.

2009-02-17T11:36:00.000-08:00

Nuclear Power Plants

The Swedish parties in majority newly agreed upon that new nuclear power plants could be possible to build in Sweden. The opposition is against and all of a sudden energy issues has become block politics. The moratorium was abandoned and exciting power plants will not necessary be taken out of production in advance as earlier decided. The question about nuclear power was intensively discussed before the vote in 1980. In the mirror of climate changes and oil peak it is convenient for the pronuclear power forces to suggest it to be possible with new power plants and longer use of exciting power plants. According to the Swedish professor in physics, Kjell Aleklett peak oil was in July 2007. He has been active politician for the liberals (yes, one of the pronuclear parties already in 1980) and according to his blog he is almost the architect behind the new political decision. In a way, his “hidden agenda” about nuclear power diminish his peak oil achievement? Or what do you think?

By the way, did you read about the two atomic submarines that had an improbable collision in the Atlantic in the beginning of February? It should not be possible to happen according the experts. No worry, says the French and British governments which owns the submarines. It reminds me of Harrisburg and Chernobyl.

2008-12-26T14:27:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year
I will have a break for holidays and be back in a month. Until then, have a nice time and enjoy this Swedish Snowman!

2008-12-20T06:42:00.000-08:00

Car industry, infrastructure investments and the financial crises.

What about your environmental adaptation of the celebration of Christmas? Buying less Christmas gifts? Making more of them by your self? That’s not good according the governments in Europe (and the rest of the world perhaps). We ought to consume more to make the economy better according to the governments. But of course they doesn’t say it right out. The governments want to protect the jobs and in that battle almost everything is accepted. Otherwise they will not be re-elected. Buy a new car to save the jobs in the car industry? New developments and promises are fulfilled by new economical innovations that make it possible to get things without having the money. How many billions of tax payers money has been promised to the car industry the latest weeks? A smaller part of this money has been conditioned to be used for new, more environment friendly techniques. Most money in the EU system for infrastructure investments is spread out in the EU without any obligations that the investments must be environment friendly or sustainable. The EU society counts on the national governments to take care of the environment when they make the investment in infrastructure. Smaller parts of money is set off to take care of smaller projects for sustainable energy use and more environment friendly transports as the big wheels in the system keeps pumping out money without any conditions on sustainability and environment. You may become a little disappointed on the system but keep on working with the small projects because someday they will come through to the politicians and they will see that they have to change their paradigm of economy and development. Hopefully there will come out something good of the financial crisis and the climate change threats, but I’m not sure.

2008-12-01T12:50:00.000-08:00

To compare emissions from the transport sector

To compare the emissions from transports in a proper way, will be of interest when the goal 20-20 -20 shall be examined. The European Committee for Standardization (CEN) has started the work with a standard for how to calculate energy consumption and emission of green house gases within the transport sector. The work has been initiated by France and now will the Swedish Standards Institute (SIS) also start up the work in Sweden to help CEN with views from a Swedish horizon. I wonder how this work will take off and what it will end up in?

2008-11-12T12:54:00.000-08:00

Jardin Botanique Kruituin Have you been in Brussels and visited the Jardin Botanique Kruituin? The botanical garden was inaugurated in September 1829. At that time it was ponds, copses, fields, vegetable gardens and low lying marshlands in that area. The area for the garden was around 6 hectares. The Iris which was growing along the banks of La Senne became the emblem of Brussels. Since then, the civilisation and growth of Brussels has injured the garden. The state of Belgium promised at the beginning to be the safeguard of the botanical garden, but the opposite has happened. During the 1950:s and onward the infrastructure demand and building of offices etc has decreased the area of the garden. The promise that no buildings should be built near the garden, which would destroy the sense of the garden, has been broken more than once. The noise from the traffic is annoying when you walk in the park and the high buildings only some meters from the fence make a surrealistic impression. Why do these things always happen? Why couldn’t Brussels have kept the green lounge of the garden intact? How come the urbanism cannot preserve a green infrastructure when evolving? Well, I think this historical review at the botanical garden in Brussels could teach us to see the value of green planning in cities for the future.

2008-10-14T12:32:00.000-07:00

Disappearance of forests more expensive than the bank crises
Reading on the BBC news Friday, a new study reveals that the disappearance of forests is more expensive than the bank crises. Well to be thought of these days. The reality is that, at today's rate we are losing natural capital at least between $2-$5 trillion every year to be compared with the loss in the bank crises. Take a look at the link and read more about the issue.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7662565.stm

2008-10-08T11:26:00.000-07:00

Green cars

This year, 2008, there was a huge raise of registered green cars compared with last year. Not less than 8 627 new green cars were registered in September 2008 in Sweden. This is almost 38 % of all cars registered in September in Sweden. The five most popular brands are: Saab 9-3 BioPower Volvo V70 Flexifuel, Volvo V50 Flexifuel, Saab 9-5 BioPower and Ford Focus Flexifuel.

It will be interesting to see the frequency of new registered cars in September next year 2009. In June next year the Swedish government takes away the bonus of 10 000 SEK every buyer of a green car, that fulfil the governments criteria in this matter, gets.

2008-09-15T14:15:00.000-07:00

Sustainable investments?
Easy to say but hard to promote, it seems, having in mind the latest development in the world of investment banks. I have written earlier about green banks and I will come back to the issue later on.

2008-09-03T09:37:00.000-07:00

Reminder: take part in the EU consultation on Climate Change Agreement The Commission is holding a public consultation on the EU’s approach to a global climate change agreement up to and beyond 2012 when the current Kyoto Protocol targets will end. Everyone is invited to put forward their views on issues such as mid-term emission reduction targets for developed countries and emission reduction actions for developing countries, adaptation to climate change, technology cooperation and finance. The results of the survey will help shape the EU’s position on the global post-2012 agreement. Under the Kyoto Protocol, the EU committed itself to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 8%, compared to 1990 levels between 2008 and 2012. In December 2007, at the UN conference on climate change in Bali, participating countries set out an action plan for an agreement on a post 2012 framework, to be completed by 2009 in Copenhagen.
http://ec.europa.eu/yourvoice/ipm/forms/dispatch?form=climatepost2012
Make your voice heard if you have the patience to fill in the questionnaire.

By the way, yesterday I saw one Great Grey Owl (Strix Nebolusa) near to the motorway. The owl had larger impact than the police to slow down the traffic! Unfourtenately, I only had a small compact digital camera.

2008-08-14T13:19:00.000-07:00

Eco cars popular in Sweden
This year we have a 30, 9 % sale of eco cars for the first half year to be compared with 15, 4 % for the same period last year in Sweden. The ethanol driven cars account for 65, 6 % of all eco cars sold this year. Bestsellers are of course, Saab 9-3 BioPower, Volvo V70 and V50 flexifuel and Saab 9-5 BioPower, all Swedish brands.

2008-08-06T04:24:00.000-07:00

Visit to an old oat mill

In my holidays I visited an old oat mill in Stöpafors in Värmland, Sweden. Mr Lennart Svahn, showed us how the oat is roasted and produced to a special brand, which in Sweden is called Skrädmjöl and in Finland Talkona. In his mill there was not a single computer, he managed the production using his senses, the nose, his taste etc, like in the old days. We had a nice chat about energy issues, and environment in general. By the way, Lennart cooperates with Oren Lyons who I wrote about in April this year.

2008-07-06T12:28:00.000-07:00

Criticalmass in London?
Last week I had the pleasure to bump into the phenomenon criticalmasslondon. It comprises of biker’s who wants to claim space for bicyclists in the streets of London. Biker’s have joined up every last Friday in month since 1994 for taking a 2 hours ride on bike in London. The tour isn’t planned in advance, the people in front makes it up as the ride starts. You can read more about it in the link below. They are still biking every last Friday a month.
It was nice to have a chat with some of the biker’s before thy started the ride. I think it was more than one thousand of people who had gathered on the 27: th of June at the south riverbank at Waterloo bridge.

http://www.phonifier.com/phonify.php?l=1&u=http%3A%2F%2Fcriticalmasslondon.org.uk%2Fmain.html&i=0

2008-06-24T12:24:00.000-07:00

The wrong direction
Yesterday you could read the following in many newspapers around the world. The advertisement was initiated by the Tällberg Foundation in Sweden and had over 170 signatories, including leading environment scientists. I think these scientists gives the most reason to listen to the message.
I agree with them – the world is heading the wrong direction!
Barack Obama says he want to decrease the emissions of CO2 by 80 % by year 2050, compared with the level of 1990, while John McCain wants to decrease the emissions of greenhouse gases by 60 % during the same period. But, it isn’t what you say that counts, its what you do.
Here is the advertisment quoted.

“We’ve been there: atmospheric concentration of carbon
dioxide (CO2) of 350 parts per million (ppm).
On this day twenty years ago, when Dr. James Hansen of
NASA’s Goddard Institute of Space Studies warned the US
Congress of global warming forced by greenhouse gases
emitted through human activities, CO2 stood at 350 ppm.
That was then. Today it is up to 385 ppm. Sixteen years after
the UN Convention on Climate Change was agreed upon to
stabilize greenhouse gases at a level preventing dangerous
human interference with the climate system, global carbon
emissions are still increasing – more rapidly than ever. We
are well on our way to 450 ppm and beyond.
What does the best science tell us?
Until recently, scientific consensus set the safe zone to avoid
the worst effects of climate change at 450 ppm. But today
the latest science tells us the danger zone may already
begin at 350 ppm. Catastrophic effects cannot be ruled out if
levels above 350 ppm are maintained for a long time.
What does this mean?
We’ve gone too far – in a dangerous direction. Now we know
enough. To act now. To foresee and forestall any risk of
massive and irreversible damage to the earth and all its
inhabitants for generations to come, we must reduce
atmospheric CO2 to levels below 350 ppm. Scientific insights
bring political responsibilities. We need leadership that
respects the planetary boundaries of life.
We, the signatories of this message from all continents, call
upon all nations in the ongoing climate negotiations to adopt
350 as the target to be reached peacefully and deliberately,
with all possible speed.
350 is one of our planet’s boundary conditions. It should not
have been transgressed. We must go back for a future:
<350>

2008-06-17T12:43:00.000-07:00

Green Banks ??
On Monday several Swedish newspapers quoted a report from the consultancy AT Kearney about the lack of environmental devotion in Swedish banks. “Best in show” according to the newspapers is the Swedbank. Many people don’t connect their bank issues with environment, but actually a bank can mean a lot for the environment by the way they do business. Do you ever confront your bank with questions about how they care for the environment? Then I don’t mean how they manage their waste etc. I mean how they care for the environment through their banking terms.
Today I had a meeting with representatives for the JAK member’s bank. We have cooperation in an EU project that I have described earlier in this blog. The thing about JAK is that they have interest-free savings and loans. The aim is to get a more fair society and to get less environment distress through less economic growth as a consequence of non-excitant interest-rates. You can read more about the JAK member’s bank on their website. The television from Italy has done reportage about the JAK member’s bank and the banks in Italy and the Netherlands are seen to be more environmentally devoted in general than the Swedish bank system. The membership in Sweden grows more every time interest-rates rise, today there are 35 000 members.
http://www.jak.se/

2008-06-03T08:24:00.000-07:00

Mercury in Fish still a problem in Sweden
Although, the fallout of mercury in Nature has decreased the last ten years, the levels in fish still increases. Swedish researchers have done a study of more than 2000 lakes since the 1960’s. The level in fish in general is now 3 to 5 times the natural background level.
The mercury fallout from air in Sweden mostly come from combustion processes in other European countries and is still of the size, although lowered, that the levels of mercury in the ground still increases and leaks out from the ground to the water. To stop this process the meercury fallout from the air must be cut down with 80 % from today’s figures, according to the scientists.
The climate change and changes in the processes which steer how much mercury that is emitted from the ground to the lakes and the uptake of the fish are other reasons for the problem with high levels of mercury in fish in Sweden. It’s a rather complex heavy metal process to understand and the measures are not still enough to stop the problem from escalating. During all these years since the problem was found one would have wished that effective measures could have been undertaken.

2008-05-16T09:08:00.000-07:00

To be listened to
Often you find yourself not to be listened to. Then, sometimes someone with some power really comes and listens to you. I experienced this twice the last 24 hours.
On Thursday afternoon the Swedish minister for Minister for Integration and Gender Equality were in Karlstad and spoke on a conference. She stopped at our Advice Bureau “Radrummet” and for one hour she wanted us to describe our work with consumer guidance and environment projects. Her ministry also holds the questions about consumption. It is quite nice to have the opportunity to speak about your work for an interested minister.
The next occasion was today, in the morning when the Ambassador for the US in Sweden, Mr Michael Wood, came for 1,5 hour to have a conversation about energy issues and what we as a municipality in Karlstad worked with in this field of issue. Its great to get the chance to say what you think is right or wrong way of thinking. Of course, sometimes you come to think of what to say to late, when the meeting is over, but that’s life. You’ve had your chance at least.

2008-05-12T10:03:00.000-07:00

The weather saved us this spring
We have had very good weather, preventing floods in the river since the last time I wrote. However, this morning the level was rising again. But, the water level are supposed to culminate this week and than begin to lower again in next week. To reach the levels of 1995 the river has to rise one and a half meter from now. So, it seems as we has been blessed from severe damages from flooding this spring.

2008-04-27T08:51:00.000-07:00

Extreme Spring flood this year?
This year the river Klaralven, flowing through Karlstad, may experience an extreme spring flood. Last time was in 1995, when I remember people used to go down to the river each evening to estimate the margin before their houses would be effected by the water.
The reason why, one should be worried, is that the snow quantity in the Norwegian mountains in many places are more than 50-80 % than usual. The rescue departments in the county are although better prepared than in 1995, so perhaps the damages can be limited.

2008-04-17T12:55:00.000-07:00

Environmental Health Collaboration
Tomorrow the Environmental Health Collaboration in my County Wermland will officially start. The project will be number nine of its kind in Sweden and the aim is to make the supervision of the legislation in the Environmental Code more effective and to with held the competence of the staff in the environmental agencies. The local authorities will get support by the project with checklists, legislative summaries, fact sheets etc. The project will also arrange conferences and extension courses for the environment officers. The projectleader will be stationed at the Environment Agency in Karlstad.

2008-04-03T11:25:00.000-07:00

Shaking hands with Oren Lyons
Today we had the pleasure to have Oren Lyons, the traditional Faith keeper of the Wolf Clan and Native American, to visit us in Karlstad. He is a member of the Seneca Nation and of the Six Nations of the Iroquois Confederacy, in northern New York State. First, he met a class in one of the secondary schools and had a speech and discussion with them and later on he met professionals working with environment issues in Karlstad and some politicians. He made a very good speech about the global warming and our lifestyles. He certainly got the spirit and capability to captivate the audience and also the warmth and humbleness which makes his message to get through. It was a pleasure to meat him and he made us reflect on the state of the Earth and how we as human beings should act.

Oren Lyons arrived in Sweden on the 2: d of April and will do a tour, visiting four Swedish cities and on the 8: Th of April he will talk to the Swedish Parliament.

2008-03-18T05:08:00.000-07:00

Climate work in Swedish cities
Today, the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation (SSNC) a report where the work with measures against climate changes were released. Through a questionnaire the organisation has constructed a Climate index and ranked the cities from this. In top, with the best work is Trollhattan followed by Lidkoping, Olofstrom and Karlstad among the 209 cities which have answered the questionnaire. The chairman of the SSNC says that if the government were aware of the work the Swedish cities are performing in the work against the climate changes they shouldn’t need to argue so much in the national climate delegation about the goal for how much decrease of carbon dioxide that should be the national goal. If you read Swedish, have a look at the link and you will know why. http://www.naturskyddsforeningen.se/

2008-03-05T10:35:00.000-08:00

Swedish debate about figures
The majority and the opposition in the Swedish Climate Committee couldn’t agree upon a common understanding about how many percentages of green house gases. Now the Minister of Environment, Andreas Carlgren has to negotiate with the colleagues in the Swedish Government about what to suggest in the government bill in autumn this year. It’s interesting to follow the numerical bids about the future decrease of emissions with all exceptions etc. You can see that the economists have taken place on the arena where the actions are discussed. Seriously, how many people can follow and see the implications of the proposals of percentages and years to fulfil the obligations?

2008-02-13T11:47:00.000-08:00

Fairtrade City
Today Karlstad became the 6: th Fairtrade City in Sweden. There were representatives from ngo:s, churches, educational institutions, the municipality, politicians etc assembled in Karlstad manifesting the diploma and information were given to media. Tomorrow there will be activities in the malls, the university, the secondary schools etc with information about fair-trade and possibilities to taste fair-trade labelled bananas and chocolate.

2008-02-10T09:15:00.000-08:00

THE 11: th HOUR
I have just now seen Leonardo DiCaprio’s movie about the climate change problems. First, I think it is really good that people like Leonardo DiCaprio engage themselves in projects like this. I saw the movie with around 100 other people active in our environmental project, as I described a little about yesterday and also earlier in this blog. The idea with our project is to inform, engage and help people to undertake own actions for the environment, with the municipality as supporter. The movie itself was perhaps a little too much of different scientists views about what’s happening to the Earth. However, I will have another view on Leonardo DiCaprio when I see him in the next movie. I think he deserves respect for having a real engagement in the environment and that he wants to influence other people in the issue about global warming etc.

2008-02-09T08:29:00.000-08:00

The future of regions in Sweden.
I participated in a conference about the future of the regions in Sweden. The conference took place up in Åre were the apine world championship tokk place last year. Amongst other things also the climate changes were discussed. There was the “easy” economic solution proposed from a professor in economics, of course. We should put our money in the developing countries were it is a better pay off in the emission of green house gases, and there ought to be a global CO2 tax, and it is no use to do so much either for the individual person or a municipality in Sweden. That was his message and it was supported by a doctor in technician issues. Some academic people quite often think they are always right….

I talked about a project we do in Karlstad, were people who wants to reduce their environmental emissions etc, with advices and support. We have over 100 families who participate in the project. But, according the “economic” view, this sort of projects is not so necessary to perform. Read more about the project on the link;
http://www.karlstad.se/miljo_konsument/miljovardag/mvd2007/

engelska/omprojektet_eng.shtml

2008-01-24T12:45:00.000-08:00

Action against climate changes or only numerical calculations?
When José Barrosso yesterday presented the European action plan against climate changes, it was more of an account of numerical calculations where the compromises between the countries are hidden in complicated structures of different solutions for managing the decreases in emission of greenhouse gases, than real proposals for action.
The countries likes to appear to be considered but when it comes to action this is hidden in complicated numerical calculations. These calculations are on a general level, hard for the common citizens to see through. Most of the figures are either already clear that they are easy to reach, or how they could be shown to have been reached, but perhaps hasn’t really been reached. It’s more easy to speak about numerical calculations than real actions, or what do you think?

2008-01-08T12:22:00.000-08:00

Ice plug in the river
Today’s news in Karlstad is that the ice in the river Klarälven has caused an ice plug in the river by ice flakes pushed in a vertical position. Up stream the water level rises and reminds us of the flooding in for example 2000/2001. The public works has tried to take the ice stopper away by the help of excavators but perhaps they will have to try and blow it up with explosives. In that case there will be a danger of ice taps falling over the city centre…

2007-12-30T14:18:00.000-08:00

Grey, rainy Christmas.

The Christmas holidays in most of Sweden have been grey, rainy and quite warm but also very relaxing and nice. This afternoon it has become a little chilly outside, but it’s not winter temperatures yet. This year has been the year when the Swedish media has explored the climate changes more seriously than ever.
Well, a New Year is soon to begin and in many homes in Sweden one gives oneself a New Year promise, you know like stop smoking or start jogging. Even that can be hard to figure out and how about the global New Year promise dealing with the climate changes? Will it differ if I do something? Of course it will, but it will differ more if the nations give the right prerequisites and give economical and social advantages if one does something good for the environment.
I can imagine how hard the Bali negotiations must have been, however finally they reach a compromise and what do we know, in a few years that ought to be sharpened, it seems as the action has begun, or??

2007-12-22T01:13:00.000-08:00

Trade with emission rights for flights
The environmental council with the ministers of environment in Europe yesterday agreed to fully integrate all air flights in the trade with emission rights from 2012. At the start 90 % of the emission rights will be allotted to the airline companies for free. The last 10 % will be sold by auctions. The percentage that will be auctioned will increase year by year. The total amount will be decided by the average emission of the airline sector 2004-2006. The distribution of emission rights will be harmonized within the European Union and emission rights from the exciting trade system shall be made possible to use by the airline sector. I wonder if this is the best tool to decrease the emissions from aircrafts. But, perhaps it’s better than nothing.

2007-12-15T14:57:00.000-08:00

Bali
Finally, the leaders of so many countries could manage to compromise about a solution; to negotiate for two more years. No real figures of decrease of greenhouse gases are mentioned, just intervals of possible results. However, the result of the negotiations is called a success in media and by participating politicians. I would like to see the real content of the treaty before I call it a success. I can not imagine how there will be possible to undertake measures from this sort of inexact compromise at different organisational levels in he world. But if all countries, including the US and China and India, will participate actively in future measures and take their part of decreasing the greenhouse gases, that is of course quite good.

2007-12-05T11:26:00.000-08:00

Sustainable municipalities in Sweden
I participated last week in a conference in Uppsala, where the Swedish Energy Agency, launched the initiative with sustainable municipalities. In total 63 cities, whereof Karlstad was one, had applied their interest to participate. The Energy Agency decided to support all of the applications for the coming four years. I will come back and report more about the initiative further ahead.

2007-11-26T12:16:00.000-08:00

Climate Star Award !
On Friday evening I had the pleasure to be part of the Climate Star Award solemn ceremony, in Baden, Austria. During the day there was an interesting dialogue-based workshop, The Future Café, about mobility issues. During the day we produced several front pages of the Journal of tomorrow about mobility, back-casting from 2015 until 2007. Think about being in 2015 and think about what you think could have happened since November 2007.
The city I work, Karlstad, for had the pleasure to get a “Climate Star Award” for the work in the field of energy and transport issues, and the project The Echo Action.

2007-11-20T10:12:00.000-08:00

Let the cities sweat….
It is usual to hear the city planners make their tributes to the condensation of the city. They find several positive environmental effects from concentration of houses and people. Less transports and easier to arrange water and sanitation etc compared with urban sprawl. By these environmental facts it is possible to go on with the rapid growth of the city. Many green areas and parks have been built on the last decade in many cities.
In this climate change time, a research team in Manchester has estimated that an increase of the green areas of the city by only ten percent would neutralize the rise of temperature from the climate change. An enlargement of the green areas would decrease the temperature by four degrees Celsius. The decrease is due to the fact of cooling from when the water evaporates from leafs and vegetation. More green areas is also needed in the cities to store water when the cooling effect is most needed.
Well, says the city planner, we must build high-rise blocks…..!!

2007-11-13T13:37:00.000-08:00

Mass death among razorbills in the North Sea
Thousands of razorbills have, earlier this autumn, been found dead along the coastline of the North Sea in Norway, Sweden and Germany, this autumn. Most of the birds were adults and were extraordinary thin – starved to death. They belonged to the specie Alca torda islandica which breeds around the Great Britain and in the North Sea. The lack of sand eels, which are an important feed for the juveniles, caused that the breeding was interrupted. Why the sand eels are missing isn’t elucidated yet, but it is assumed to be a consequence of over fishing and climate change.

2007-11-07T11:45:00.000-08:00

Why didn’t Bill address the issue?
Hillary Clinton has a bold and comprehensive plan to address America's energy and environmental challenges, which shows that environmental issues is more important in the president election campaign for 2008, than ever. On her website you can read:
Setting ambitious targets, the plan would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent from 1990 levels by 2050 to avoid the worst effects of global warming, and cut foreign oil imports by two-thirds from 2030 projected levels, more than 10 million barrels per day.
Hillary would transform our economy from carbon-based to clean and energy efficient, jumpstarting research and development through a $50 billion Strategic Energy Fund and doubling investment in basic energy research. She would also spur the green building industry by funding the retrofitting and modernization of 20 million low-income homes and take concrete steps to reduce electricity consumption, including enacting strict appliance efficiency standards and phasing out incandescent light bulbs.
Recognizing that transportation accounts for 70 percent of U.S. oil consumption, Hillary would increase fuel efficiency standards to 55 miles per gallon by 2030, but would help automakers retool their production facilities through $20 billion in "Green Vehicle Bonds."

Better late than never!
http://http://www.hillaryclinton.com/issues/energy/

2007-10-31T13:17:00.000-07:00

Taxation an acceptable way to get better climate?
László Kovács, the European commissioner for taxation, hopes that taxes can help saving the environment. He has said that, taxation should in the first place discourage what is undesirable, rewarding at the same time all sorts of positive behaviour.
There has been a consultation on market-based instruments for the environment earlier this year. Later this year there will come a report on the contributions received from the consultation and proposals for action in 2008. The most well-known market mechanism so far is the pan-European Emission Trading Scheme which was launched in January 2005. It is mostly the northern countries like Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Germany, UK and the Netherlands which has promoted a “green tax shift” so far. Some business organisations are negative in general to new taxes and regulations but there are also organisations in favour for taxations as a fair way in achieve a shift towards less emissions of greenhouse gases.

2007-10-22T12:03:00.000-07:00

Eat locally!
On average, our food travels quite far before it ends up on our plates. The locavores are a group of people that are making an effort to eat only foods grown or harvested within a 100 miles radius of San Francisco for an entire month. They recognize that the choices they make about what foods they choose to eat are important politically, environmentally, economically, and healthfully. In 2005, they challenged people from the bay area (and all over the world) to eat within a 100 mile radius of their home during the month of August. In 2007 they extended the challenge to September. What food grows in your region in the fall? I think, taking up the challenge, is a nice way of paying attention to the food sources you have. It gives you a nice feeling to harvest the potatos you ahve grown on your own land.

You can read more about people blogging at www.eatlocalchallange.com and learn about their locavores experience.

2007-10-10T09:52:00.000-07:00

Sales returns of Green cars in Sweden
In September 4 242 green cars were registered in Sweden, which is 17, 8 % of the sales. This should be compared with last years September sales returns of 12, 9 %. The most sold green car in Sweden, so far this year is the Saab 9-5 BioPower. Perhaps every 5:th sold car will be a green car by the end of the year?

2007-10-07T12:18:00.000-07:00

ICAO stops the suggested European system for emission trade in aviation.
The International Civil Aviation Organization, ICAO, met on the 28: Th of September and agreed amongst other things that market-based options are valuable tools for addressing aircrafts emissions. A majority of the delegations felt, however, that States should not apply emissions trading system to the airlines of other States except pursuant of mutual agreement.
The assembly also recognised the tremendous work that ICAO has been doing over the years for mitigating the impact of aviation on the environment! Hmmm, have they?

2007-09-21T11:33:00.000-07:00

International Environment Week in Karlstad, Sweden
Since last Saturday, the 15:th, there has been an International Environment Week arranged in Karlstad. There have been lots of arrangements for enlightening the public in environmental issues. The politicians were engaged in a “collecting trash and litter in the city” competition. The centre party won. We had a lot of information about energy issues, air quality, how to wash a car more environmentally friendly, a completely new structure for the bus service was introduced on Monday the 17:th, information about Fairtrade, free entrance to Al Gore’s An inconvenient truth, on Tuesday it was the day of the bicycle in the University campus, etc.
Tomorrow, on Saturday the 22:d there’s a Inline competition in the afternoon, just like it has been in arranged Paris, Berlin and Copenhagen.
By the way, last Saturday, the 15:th, we had a Kick-off in the Echo Action project, which I have written about in my earlier contributions. Have a look at the picture. They are the representatives for 100 families participating in the project. If you are curious about the project look into the website below.
http://www.echoaction.net/

2007-09-13T12:13:00.000-07:00

Tell the European Commission your opinion
The European commission wants your opinion on the adapting to climate changes in Europe. The consultation is open until the 30: th of November this year. I think these consultations aren’t that well-known and not too many people answers as private persons. It is mostly organisations of different kinds that answer. So, make the difference and answer –you don’t have to answer all questions, just the ones that you are interested in.
On Saturday we will open the International Environment week in Karlstad, Sweden. We will also have the kick-off meeting of the Echo Action project. One hundred families will start their work on better environment behaviour. Karlstad is the only city in Sweden participating in the project, but in Europe also Berlin, London, Bourgas, Venice, Bologna etc are in the project. The project concerns about 2000 families in Europe. I will try to keep you updated about the project. You could also take a look on the website: http://www.echoaction.net/
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/climat/adaptation/consultation.htm

2007-09-10T12:43:00.000-07:00

Subsidiarity
Subsidiarity is the principle which states that matters ought to be handled by the smallest (or, the lowest) competent authority. Throughout Europe the principle is called upon by the European Commission and Parliament. In Sweden we have 290 municipalities which have the responsibility to perform the environmental supervision of the environmental legislation. In other countries in Europe it is the National body that carries these obligations. It is much more convenient and easy to conduct and transform the European legislation to a national level if it is organized like in most European countries and not like in Sweden. In Sweden we have a strong Municipal autonomy and a subsidiarity in the environment supervision. But, as the state becomes more and more a servant to the European Union, the state needs easy ways of gathering reports etc from the supervision of the EU legislation, the municipal autonomy becomes an obstacle in doing this easily.
I think we get best value of the supervision of environmental legislation by keeping it on the Municipal level, although several cities have to improve their work in this field. If the state should take over the responsibility, as suggested, we will get a decrease in supervision and a loss of competence in the environmental field in the municipalities.

2007-08-25T02:09:00.000-07:00

A proposal that only environment friendly cars will be allowed from 2015 in Sweden?
The Swedish radio announces today that the Centre Party in Sweden next week will discuss a new Environment programme at their yearly national assembly. In the programme it is suggested that from 2015 it should only be allowed to sell environmentally friendly cars in Sweden. In the first seven months this year the amount of environmentally cars sold in Sweden were about 16 %, much more than previous year, but still a long way from 100 %.
If it would be allowed, only to sell environmentally friendly cars, the CO2 emissions would decrease by 36 %in Sweden. There is a definition, by the Swedish Road Administration, what criteria an environmentally friendly car should present. Mainly, cars driven by ethanol or biogas, or that they are very fuel efficient either they are gasoline- or diesel fuelled.
But, first it will be discussed at the assembly of the party, then maybe discussed in the government coalition and then transformed into legislation. We’ll see what’s happen.

2007-08-15T11:46:00.000-07:00

More about volunatry commitments
In the Swedish newspaper “Dagens Nyheter” it could be read the other day that eco-labelled electricity is not a success among the Swedish households. According to an investigation done by the university in Luleå, 48 % of the consumers don’t think that their choice will make any difference. The newspaper phoned some of the larger energy companies and found out that the interest for eco-labelled electricity is very low among the households. For Eon, only a few hundred out of 800 000 customers, buys eco-labelled electricity. According the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation the eco-labelled electricity in Sweden is 5 % of the market, but most of that are purchased bye companies. The energy companies haven’t been very successful in convincing the household of the benefits buying eco-labelled electricity.

There are two exceptions, the company, Fortum, gives all households signing a fixed price, eco-labelled electricity automatically. That is the reason why Fortum is the only big company selling some eco-labelled electricity to the households. Like the municipal company in Falkenberg, which are only selling eco-labelled electricity. These two companies have so to say made the voluntary part more imperative.

2007-08-09T13:47:00.001-07:00

Are voluntary environment charges the right way to go?
I read in the Swedish newspaper SvD, the other day about how many air travellers that made compensation for their CO2 emission at their charter flight. The travel agency “Fritidsresor” has a goal that 5 % of all travellers shall make compensation for their charter flight. Fritidsresor cooperate with two environment organisations “Atmosfair and Climate Care, where the customers can compensate for CO2 emissions. But, only two out of 50 000 travellers made compensation! In spite of this fact, there are no plans to withdrawn the cooperation with Atmosfair and Climate Care. According to the spokesman for Fritidsresor, Lottie Knutsson, 10 % of Fritidsresors customers are interested in the possibility to compensate for their journeys. You may wonder when the interest of this form of letter of indulgence will be transformed in action.

2007-08-05T11:18:00.000-07:00

Swedish mountains
I have been on a mountain tour in the Swedish mountains this week. We were lucky with the weather. It only rained for one night and the days were beautiful. This year we looked mostly at plants but of course there were also some birds to watch. We saw lots of Arctic skuas and one short-eared owl which indicate a good year for rodents in the mountains. There was such a nice floral splendour which almost took the breath out of you. We also enjoyed the experience of an open fire and some trout to grill in the sunset. When you enjoy such a nice glimpse of Nature you wonder what will happen when the climate changes will take part in the landscape. The mountain birch will climb into higher altitudes and we will loose a bit of the soul of the mountain world and the vast expanse of the mountain. There will be a change in both the flora and fauna and you will meat another kind of mountain world.