Monday Morning News & Notes
Marine heat waves ease. Denmark first to introduce an agricultural carbon tax.
**It is summerferie (summer vacation) in Denmark. So posts will be a little sporadic over the next six weeks or so until the new school year begins in August. Thanks for understanding and enjoy your summer**
🍃Environment & Energy⚡️
🇩🇰 ☔️
Torrential rains swept across parts of Sjælland on Sunday, drenching tens of thousands of people at the huge Roskilde music festival. The downpour also resulted in some flooding in Hillerød, closing several roads. Several drivers thought they would give them a go regardless and had to be rescued by emergency responders when they were stranded in their flooded out vehicles. Police say they should have everything ship shape for this morning’s commute.
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The Danish island of Bornholm got not one, not two, but three cloudbursts on Sunday, which dropped about half a month’s worth of rain, according to the Danish Meteorological Institute. In Østerlars, 15 millimetres of rain came down in just ten minutes.
🇸🇪 ☔️
The weather system also pounded southern Sweden with torrential rain. The Swedish Meteorological Institute (SMHI) issued heavy rain warnings for Skåne on Sunday. Highways were flooded, cars were stranded in flood waters, and water poured into several homes and buildings. The weather let up by late afternoon, but some roads will likely still be closed this morning.
Earlier in the weekend another storm toppled trees while torrential rains caused flooding in some areas. In one case, a lightning strike outside Linköping knocked out nearby train service, causing some travel chaos. The downpour and stormy weather kept emergency services hopping until things eventually calmed down.
🇨🇭 ☔️
Heavy rains continue to drench Switzerland causing massive floods and landslides in the country’s south over the weekend. The extreme weather has claimed at least two lives. The flood waters have ripped out some small bridges, cut off some communities, and resulted in some evacuations.
🌍
On Friday, global sea surface temperatures finally dipped back below all-time record high heat levels. That is the first time in 469 days that ocean temperatures are not at record highs.
The unprecedentedly high ocean temperatures have driven a global coral bleaching event and are likely impacting global marine ecosystems and, subsequently, our world in ways we have yet to fully understand.
🇩🇰
Climate change is making everything warmer, and as the temperatures rise in Denmark, so too will the wildfire risk. That is according to the Danish Meteorological Institute, which has added ‘fire hazard’ to its climate atlas, a key tool using available data to model future climate change impacts.
Climate Researchers, and DMI Climate Atlas Head, Mark Payne:
“A higher temperature and a new precipitation pattern give rise to investigating how climate change will increase the risk of fire in the Denmark of the future. That is why we have now incorporated new data, which shows that we will more frequently experience summer days with a high fire risk in the future. Towards the end of the century, Denmark will experience, with medium-high emissions of greenhouse gases, that the average fire danger in the summer increases by 8%. However, that average covers a greater increase in the frequency of days when the fire danger is particularly high. We should expect 10% more days with 'very high fire danger' and 28% more days with 'extreme fire danger'.”
With all the current information, the climate atlas shows that future summers in Denmark will have a higher wildfire risk, exacerbated by strong winds. Both the average risk and especially the number of days with high fire danger are increasing.
“Weather that increases the risk of fire says something about the risk that a wildfire may occur and be spread. It is not a projection of the number of wildfires. We cannot take human activity, fire bans, and local conditions into account. However, research from DMI and the University of Copenhagen shows a correlation between DMI's Fire Danger Index and the number of wildfires.”
There is also a “weak tendency” towards more days without rain and longer periods of potential drought. Total rainfall is unchanged, but DMI notes that the projection has “greater uncertainty.” The uncertainty is largely due to future amounts of global greenhouse gas emissions. If they increase, then the climate atlas projections will continue to paint an increasingly bleak future.
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A majority of the Danish parliament has reached a deal on an agricultural carbon tax. If approved in a parliamentary vote, Denmark will be the first country in the world to levy an agricultural climate tax. In 2030, the agricultural sector will have to pay 120 Danish kroner (about $23 Cdn) per tonne of greenhouse gas emissions. That will rise to 300 kroner (about $59 Cdn) in 2035.
With the stick also comes the carrot. The agreement includes support for the planting of 250,000 hectares of new forests on agricultural land. The funding lasts until 2045. It also includes incentives to remove 140,000 hectares of farmland described as “low lying soils” or land along waterways. This is to create a buffer zone to prevent fertilizers from running off into river and ocean waters.
The reaction to the tax is divisive. While some nature and environmental groups celebrate, critics note that the agricultural carbon tax is less than half what most businesses pay for CO2 emissions. This despite the fact that the agricultural sector accounts for approximately half of the country’s total greenhouse gas emissions.
Aarhus University Marine Environment Professor Stiig Markager, who has in the past criticized a lack of government efforts to address the environmental catastrophe playing out in Denmark’s inland waters, is now changing his tune.
“On behalf of the marine environment, I actually think it is a historic agreement. It is a great day for all of nature because the parties have agreed that we cannot continue to cultivate our land as intensively as we have done so far. We are giving land back to nature for the first time in 200 years.”
The Danish government expects the agricultural climate tax to result in a reduction of 1.8 million tonnes of CO2 emissions by 2030. That is equal to the lowest of the three proposed agricultural carbon tax models that the expert committee tabled for the government earlier this year.
The Danish government’s climate goals seek to have Denmark's CO2 emissions reduced by 70% by 2030, en route to reaching carbon neutrality by 2050.
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A collaboration between Danish universities and the Statens Serum Institute is looking to tackle the issue of agricultural fertilizers leeching into waterways from a rather unique angle. The institute is teaming up with the universities of Aarhus, Aalborg, and Copenhagen to examine how green bio-based products can replace chemical-based pesticides, insecticides, and fertilizers. The collaboration has secured 60 million Danish kroner (almost $12 million Cdn) to fund their work.
SSI Senior Researcher Søren Persson says the first step is to assess what risks there are for both people and the environment.
"As part of sustainable development, great progress has been made in the past decade in microbiological solutions to protect crops, improve crop quality, and combat pests and pollution. But we need to be able to assess how safe they are before we start using them.”
The Statens Serum Institute will contribute to the development of an AI-driven model that will help distinguish between bacteria that cause disease and those that are harmless.
Section Leader Eva Møller Nielsen:
"There is a lack of tools that can detect potential risks for people and the environment when using such biological solutions. The project aims to bring new knowledge within this area by combining expertise within environmental and plant biology, microbiology, metagenome sequence analyses, bioinformatics, AI, regulatory legislation, bacterial virulence, and resistance.”
The project is called EMBARQ (Evaluating Microbiome Based Applications for Risk Quantification), and it will run over the next six years.
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As climate news bombards us with images of devastating wildfires, floods, and heatwaves, one might expect a corresponding decline in environmentally harmful activities such as air travel. Yet, paradoxically, in countries like Denmark, vacationers are setting new records for air travel this summer. On Friday, Copenhagen Airport said it was bracing for an anticipated 104,000 passengers in a single day as summer vacation begins.
This trend persists even as awareness of the climate crisis grows, leaving experts like John Thøgersen, a professor of economic psychology at Aarhus University, to ponder why we continue to indulge in one of the most climate-damaging forms of travel.
Professor Thøgersen suggests that a significant part of the answer lies in our overly positive self-perception.
“We tend to see ourselves as more environmentally conscious than we actually are. We can do environmentally harmful things and still perceive ourselves as both environmentally aware and environmentally concerned.”
He says this cognitive bias allows individuals to reconcile their environmental concerns with actions that contradict these values, such as taking frequent flights for holidays. While acknowledging that climate change is man-made and agreeing on the need for personal action, many view their own flights as insignificant in the grand scheme, dismissing each as merely a "drop in the ocean." This discrepancy between belief and behaviour is further complicated by the high value placed on travel and leisure, which remains undiminished despite the known environmental impact of air travel. Consequently, this self-justifying mindset, coupled with the collective nature of the climate crisis, creates a psychological barrier to more sustainable choices, even as we book our summer getaways.
🇸🇪🇩🇰
It seems birds are loving the artificial island created when the Øresund bridge was built connecting Denmark and Sweden. In a press release, the bridge operators say that a record number of breeding birds have been reported on Peberholm.
Environmental Specialist Hans Ohrt:
“This year we have observed 40 breeding bird species, and we have never seen so many before.”
A nature preservation effort began on the island in 2021, which seems to have paid off as bird species, including storks, have begun to flock to it.
🇫🇮
Bird species in Finland are facing an alarming decline, warn the Finnish Museum of Natural History and BirdLife Finland. The agencies say that bird counts have revealed a worrying drop in the numbers of familiar birds like robins, with populations significantly lower than usual this summer. The decline, detailed in a new report, is partially attributed to late cold snaps last spring, which brought unexpected snowfall to southern Finland as late as April, severely affecting early migratory bird populations. The sudden return of winter led to high mortality rates among adult birds and disrupted nesting efforts, contributing to the overall decrease in bird numbers.
This year’s bird census, which included data on over 220 species, highlights a troubling long-term trend: many of Finland’s common bird species are in decline. While the harsh spring weather accounts for some of the problem, the data also reflects a broader, ongoing decline in bird numbers across the country. Early migratory species, including robins, song thrushes, and lapwings, have seen breeding populations plummet by about a quarter compared to last summer. The loss of these species is substantial, with an estimated disappearance of around 7.5 million breeding pairs of birds over the past few decades, a situation described as deeply concerning by conservation expert Tero Toivanen of BirdLife Finland.
Despite the grim overall picture, some species are thriving. BirdLife Finland’s census revealed record numbers of birds such as wood pigeons and blackcaps, particularly in southern Finland. Chief Superintendent Aleksi Lehikoinen of the Museum of Natural History notes that while human-induced habitat loss and climate change are major factors behind the decline, there is hope thanks to the recent EU Nature Restoration Law. This new regulation aims to rejuvenate forests, wetlands, and river habitats, potentially reversing some of the damage done to field, marsh, and forest birds. The Finnish government opposed the law.
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Finland is consuming its natural resources much faster than is sustainable, according to a new report from the World Wide Fund for Nature. The agency says Finland is exceeding sustainability limits in every single measurable category. In its report titled ‘Fair Finnish Footprint’, the WWF measures Finland’s consumption of biomass, nitrogen, phosphorus, and other materials while also assessing its ecological footprints. It found that Finland’s use of raw materials significantly exceeds global norms.
WWF Finland Advisor, and one of the report’s authors, Jussi Nikula:
“We are currently consuming natural resources in ways that undermine our chances of long-term well-being. For example, material consumption in Finland exceeds the global sustainability threshold by up to seven times.”
Nikula says that at the moment, Finland has no national targets to curb overconsumption despite signing the UN Convention on Biological Diversity to reduce raw material usage to sustainable levels by 2030.
🇸🇪
Algae blooms have already been reported in various parts of Sweden, posing a potential danger for young children and pets.
Swedish Marine and Water Management Agency Environment Expert Ema Glad says people just need to be careful not to swim near algae blooms.
“If you ingest the water and the water contains toxins, it can be dangerous. You may succumb to symptoms, gastrointestinal symptoms, and such, so it may be dangerous, but it depends. You need to be a bit more observant when it comes to kids and dogs.”
Anyone experiencing symptoms should contact a healthcare professional.
🇬🇷
The sweltering heat wave in Greece and very little in the way of rain have led to over 40 wildfires burning across the country, including one roaring to life over the weekend within kilometres of Athens. Hundreds of firefighters and firefighting aircraft managed to get the flames, burning just 20 kilometres from Athens, under control by Sunday. However, a new wildfire ignited just south of the Greek capital on Sunday afternoon. The flames, fueled by strong winds, were coming dangerously close to homes, requiring a number of people to evacuate. Firefighters are busy battling the fire, assisted by aircraft dropping water on the flames from above.
🇰🇿🇸🇪
For the first time in almost 200 years, wild horses are again running free on the steppes of Kazakhstan. Przewalski's horse, named after the Russian geographer Nikolai Przewalski, once roamed freely across Central Asia. Humans, land development, and environmental changes led to the horses disappearing from the wild in the 1960s as they teetered on the edge of extinction. The species has been saved thanks to breeding programs in zoos around the world and has now been reintroduced back into its native environment.
Swedish University of Agriculture Molecular Animal Generics Lecturer Gabriella Lindgren spoke to SVT:
“It will be exciting to see how they will contribute to keeping the steppe open, and what it allows for other species to thrive. It does not have the same characteristics as our modern horse. It is very different in its behaviour, in reproduction and so on. They are cool as hell, and we can learn a lot from these wild horses.”
The horses arrived at the beginning of the month and are being acclimatized in a 60 hectare enclosure. Here, they will learn to find food and water, especially during the harsh winter months. Then next year, they will be released into the wild of the Steppes, a vast grassland and wetland covering 7,000 square kilometres.
The hope is that the reintroduction of the horses will have a positive impact on the ecosystem. Their droppings help disperse seeds, and grazing may help keep grass and vegetation at manageable levels, perhaps helping reduce grass fires.
The wild horses have already been reintroduced in parts of Mongolia and China.
People in the northern parts of Kazakhstan rode and used the horses as livestock at least 2000 years before there was documented evidence of domesticated horses in Europe.
🇸🇪
It is the longest strike in more than a hundred years in Sweden, and there is still no end in sight. Tesla and the Swedish employees union, IF Metall, continue to be at loggerheads as the one year mark of strike action looms closer. The Union says, if anything, the two sides are even farther apart now than when the strike began. The two sides haven’t said a word to each other since April 25. Tesla even brushed off attempts by a mediator to restart negotiations.
🇪🇺⚡️
The European Union is not sufficiently prepared to endure a future gas crisis, despite all the measures introduced in the aftermath of the 2022 energy crisis. That is according to an assessment issued last week by the European Court of Auditors. Europe managed to avoid an energy catastrophe despite Russia weaponizing its energy exports to try and bring the EU to its knees for its support of Ukraine. The EU largely turned its back on cheap Russian natural gas, put rocket boosters on its energy transition, and relied on topping up gas reserves to get through the winters.
The ECA acknowledged those efforts but also added that it was unclear if it was those measures or the fact that Europe has had two extremely mild winters since that were responsible for dodging a major energy shortfall.
Auditors added that some of the measures initiated by the EU actually create uncertainty in energy markets. It said the EU has not sufficiently dealt with the affordability of natural gas. They also underscored other gaps in Europe’s gas supply preparedness. Auditors also expressed concerns about six EU nations that have retained the option to cut off gas deliveries to their neighbours in a crisis.
“The Commission knew already in 2014 that a cut-off of Russian gas would have a huge impact on prices, but never modelled its effects on consumers or industry.”
While Europe’s reliance on Russian natural gas has plummeted to around 15% as of last year, Russian LNG and oil continue to flow into the EU.
🇩🇰⚡️
An energy park in Viborg has received the support of the Danish government. 18 wind turbines, solar cell farms, biogas plants, and even a power to x facility (a plant where electricity is converted to hydrogen and stored for future use) are planned for the 700-hectare, large Energipark Tjele proposal. Parts of the plan are already in the public consultation phase.
Viborg Mayor Ulrik Wilbek:
“We are already well underway with the planning for the project, which is also an important step towards achieving our own goal in Viborg Municipality to be climate neutral by 2050.”
🇭🇺🇧🇾
Europe’s dictator within problem continues to fester. Hungary’s pro-Russian Orbán government has signed a cooperation agreement with Belarus on nuclear power. The agreement will see Belarus support Hungary in the building of its PAKS2 nuclear power plant, a plant built using Russian technology. In fact, it is entirely reliant on cooperation between Russia and Belarus.
The power plant project was initially launched in 2014 but has suffered a number of political and financial hurdles since. The agreement states that Hungary could even bring in Belarusian workers to work on the site. Hungary, as you might have guessed, opposes European Union sanctions against Belarus.
🦠Outbreaks🦠
🌎
The World Health Organization has released a rare COVID update. New infections, among the 94 countries reporting at least some data to the WHO, were down by 11%. While coronavirus related fatalities dropped by 36% with over 1,900 more lives lost in the last 28 day reporting period. Of the six global health regions, just two showed an increase in new infections, the Western Pacific (+14%) and South East Asia (+43%). The South East Asia Region was also the only one to record an increase in coronavirus deaths, which rose by 36%.
At the individual country level, there were several hot spots, with infections increasing in Australia (+10%), New Zealand (+18%), the UK (+58%), and Thailand (+71%). Two countries saw deaths increase as well: New Zealand (+27%) and Thailand (+137%).
“Reported cases do not accurately represent infection rates due to the reduction in testing and reporting globally. According to estimates obtained from viral loads in wastewater surveillance, clinical detection of cases underestimated the real burden by two to 19 fold.”
Of the 47 countries reporting hospitalization data, there were over 15,000 new COVID admissions (-57%) around the world. While more than 400 people required intensive care (-38%).
The global health agency says two new variants, KP.2 and KP.3, continue to grow, accounting for 22.7% and 22.4% of what few positive test results that are still being sequenced. JN.1 remains the globally dominant variant, as it came back in 47.1% of sequenced positive test results. However, its prevalence appears to be waning. The WHO is currently tracking three variants of interest (its most serious classification) EG.5, BA.2.86, and JN.1, while also keeping tabs on four variants under monitoring: JN.1.7, JN.1.18, KP.2, and KP.3.
🇩🇰
There was an increase in salmonella outbreaks in Denmark last year. According to the Statens Serum Institute, there were 18 salmonella outbreaks last year, a fairly big increase from the 11 outbreaks the year before. There were 899 infected people in 2022, a number that rose to 1,207 in 2023. The largest single outbreak last year infected 31 people.
The increasing number of salmonella outbreaks is not unique to Denmark, as numbers also rose elsewhere in Europe.
DTU Food Institute Research Group Leader Marianne Sandberg:
"When several countries in Europe contribute to the same database, we have a better chance of clarifying more European foodborne outbreaks. And we can see that the salmonella can be linked to imported chicken meat.”
The Statens Serum Institute notes that in the past, most salmonella cases involved travel, but that appears to be changing.
SSI Epidemiologist Luise Muller:
"Salmonella Enteritidis is an infection we most often see after people have traveled. It was therefore surprising that the number of Salmonella Enteritidis outbreaks within the country's borders increased from one to three cases per year in 2017 to 2022, to eight in 2023.”
One of the largest international outbreaks last year came from friend chicken for kebabs, which involved over 200 patients across 13 countries.
🇫🇮
Finland is the first country in the world to begin inoculating people with a vaccine against the bird flu, as avian influenza sweeps the globe. The vaccine will be offered to those 18 and older who, due to their job, or other circumstances, are at risk of infection, according to the Finnish Institute for Health. This includes everyone from people working with farmed birds to those who have been in contact with someone suspected of being infected.
Finland has procured 20,000 doses of the vaccine. That is enough to vaccinate two people with the full two doses. While a handful of people around the world have been infected with the bird flu in this latest outbreak, none of them have been in Finland.
The current outbreak has caused several hundred million farmed birds to be culled, killed uncounted numbers of wild birds and other animals, and also jumping to new species, including dairy cattle in the United States.
🇺🇦Ukraine/ Russia War🇷🇺
🇷🇺/ 🇩🇰
Russia will resume the production of short and long range missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads. Russian President Vladimir Putin claims that the United States has also resumed production of such missiles and even placed some of them in Denmark, and thus Russia needs to respond in kind. He made the comments to Russia’s Security Council, according to the Associated Press.
In response, Denmark’s Defense Ministry rejects Putin’s claim. In a statement released to Ritzau, the ministry said:
“NATO is a defensive alliance. Deterrence and defense are among NATO's core tasks, which are necessary in light of an aggressive Russia. Exercises are an important part of ongoing deterrence. There are no medium-range missiles deployed in Denmark.”
The missiles were banned under an international nuclear disarmament treaty signed in 1987, but were then put on hold by both the U.S. and Russia in 2019.
ICC/ 🇷🇺
Add two more Russians to the wanted list. The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for two high-ranking Russian military figures: former defense minister and current secretary of Russia's Security Council, Sergei Shoigu, and Valery Gerasimov, who is the current chief of the general staff. Both are accused of war crimes and violations of human rights. The ICC has previously issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin for war crimes. Russia is not a member of the ICC, nor does it recognize the legitimacy of the court.
However, the issuing of the arrest warrants may still have an impact, according to Flemming Splidsboel, senior researcher at the Danish Institute for International Studies.
“Especially for Ukraine and the rest of us, it helps to remind us that these crimes have been committed, or at least they are suspected. It is good for our sense of justice. It is an important signal to send that we must not forget what has happened.”
When the ICC issues an arrest warrant, member nations are mandated to arrest the wanted person should they set foot in their country.
🇪🇺/ 🇧🇾
The European Union has reached an agreement to broaden the sanctions already placed on Russia to include neighbouring Belarus. The main goal is to prevent Belarus from serving as an avenue to circumvent sanctions against Russia.
The main sanctions include an export ban on industrial commodities, including the shipments of manganese ores, goods that can be used for military purposes, and on Russian helium.
The EU has also prohibited member states from providing services to the government of Belarus and to any companies it owns or controls.
The sanctions extend to third countries to ensure they apply to subsidiaries that might be used to try and dodge sanctions. The EU has also put in place a “No to Belarus” mandate requiring European businesses to ensure contracts with partners in third countries include clauses prohibiting the re-exportation of goods and materials that can be used for military purposes from reaching Belarus.
🇩🇰🇺🇦
Denmark will extend the stay for Ukrainians who fled the war and have been staying in the country under special protections. The Ministry of Immigration and Integration says it plans to present a bill that would extend the special residence law for another year, until March 2026. This follows a similar announcement from the European Union extending temporary protections for Ukrainian refugees across Europe.
In Denmark, the special residence law allows Ukrainians to work, go to school, use daycare facilities, and access the healthcare system.
🇫🇮🇺🇦
Ukraine will receive its 24th military aid package from Finland. On Friday, the Finnish Ministry of Defense announced another donation worth €159 million. As is Finland’s custom, it did not disclose any details about what exactly is in the military donation or when it might arrive.
Defense Minister Antti Häkkänen:
"Finland is committed to supporting Ukraine in its fight against Russia's unjustified attack. This is not only about Ukraine, but ultimately about the right of all free people to exist. Finns have learned from our own history how important this issue is.”
Finland is also joining a joint European coalition for the procurement of ammunition for Ukraine. Coalition countries jointly acquire ammunition to send to Ukraine via the Czech Republic, which is leading the ammunition initiative.
Not done there, Finland has also joined the armour coalition alongside Poland, Germany, Italy, and others, which are working together to get armoured vehicles to Ukraine.
🇸🇪/ 🇺🇦 🇷🇺
The Swedish Armed Forces are watching the war in Ukraine closely to glean what lessons they can from the battlefield. All the observations and lessons learned have been compiled into an extensive report that has now been submitted to the Swedish government.
Chief of Joint Operations Lieutenant General Carl-Johan Edström says in a bloody war of attrition, both sides have had difficulty achieving success. However, he has noted the technological shift on the battlefield, with a transition away from traditional weapons systems to things like drone warfare.
“An important lesson from the war in Ukraine is that the Armed Forces must be able to carry out operations under constant surveillance in all domains. This places new demands on both the total defense and the Armed Forces, including being able to act covertly and have the ability to surprise and mislead.”
The Swedish military has noted how tanks and armoured vehicles are being targeted and destroyed by small and difficult-to-detect drones. It says this shift has altered the battlefield into more of a cat-and-mouse game, seeing who is best at hiding and being the first to strike.
Drones aside, the Swedish Armed Forces have also noted the importance of defensive lines, aided by mines and artillery, with both Russians and Ukrainians finding it difficult to break through these dense fortifications.
🇷🇺/ 🇪🇺
Russia has announced tit for tat banning of western media agencies in response to Russian propaganda’media’ operations being blocked in Europe and elsewhere. The Russian Foreign Affairs Ministry announced it is now blocking “with immediate effect” 81 European media sites, including Swedish national broadcaster SVT, Radio Sweden, Germany’s Der Spiegel, and others. In 2022, Russia blocked a number of other western media sites, including the BBC.
Odds & Ends
🇩🇰
A study showing a huge increase in ordering takeout meals has caused concern in Denmark. The DTU Food Institute study found an 84% increase in people in Denmark ordering takeout meals compared to just eight years ago.
Food Minister Jacob Jensen told Ritzau that people need to rediscover their joy of cooking as he expressed concern about the cultural impacts of the increasing use of takeout.
“There is cultural history in our recipes, which I am afraid we are losing as we become a bigger takeaway nation.”
🇸🇪
A new study from the Swedish Public Health Agency has highlighted the dark side of too much screen time for children. Researchers found that excessive amounts of screen time led to poorer sleep, depression, and in some cases, gaming addiction. Children also reported being exposed to online bullying and threats. Another clear finding was an increase in dissatisfaction with one’s own body among children and young people aged ten to 18 years old. The study attributed this to “exposure to unhealthy beauty ideals on social media.
Despite the benefits of learning new skills and connecting with friends online, the report also emphasizes that young people often feel trapped by their digital habits, leading to a lack of sleep, poor personal relationships, and reduced physical activity.
Director General Karin Tegmark Wisell:
“Overall, we see a need for efforts to prevent the negative consequences of digital media use in children and young people. We assess that promoting a balance between digital media use, physical activity, sleep, and other health-promoting activities can have an effect at the population level.”
Swedish Media Authority Director General Jan-Olof Lind says it is important for parents and all stakeholders to work together to help young people better manage their screen time.
“It is an urgent report that also shows society's responsibility to strengthen children and young people as conscious media users and protect them from harmful media influence, but without restricting the children's right to information and to express themselves online.”
The study has been submitted to the Swedish government. Agencies in the country plan to develop recommendations to address these challenges, with the aim of presenting concrete strategies by this December to foster healthier digital habits among the youth.
🇫🇮
Has the drinking of alcohol peaked in Finland? The Finnish Institute for Health’s latest statistics show that alcohol consumption declined by 2.4% last year. That marks the 16th consecutive year that drinking numbers have declined in the country. According to the institute, on average, 8.7 litres of booze were consumed per resident over the age of 15 in 2023.
Chief Specialist Thomas Karlsson:
“The reduction in alcohol consumption is a positive development that has had a beneficial impact on the health and well-being [of people in Finland]. Increasing the availability of stronger alcoholic beverages gradually undermines the foundation of the national alcohol policy, and also the favourable trend in overall alcohol consumption.”
Beer remains the most popular alcoholic beverage in Finland, with a market share of 46%, spirits were at 21%, and wines 20%.
🇪🇸
The pushback against mass tourism continues. Over the weekend, thousands of people from all over Spain gathered in Malaga in a demonstration against mass tourism. In particular, people were angry that things like Airbnb services catering to tourists are helping to drive up housing prices, making them unaffordable for locals.
Spain has a population of about 48 million people, with an estimated 100 million people planning to visit the country this year alone.