Air quality has deteriorated in some parts of Finland and Sweden in recent days.In Finland, the levels of microparticles are the highest measured in the last ten years.
Next year, the EU will introduce a limit of 50 micrograms of microparticles per cubic meter, which means that the public must be warned if this limit is exceeded. On Monday, a daily average of almost 40 micrograms of microparticles per cubic meter was measured in Finland.
In Sweden, there have been locally high levels in several parts of the country for most of February. Levels have been particularly high on Gotland, and on Wednesday as many as 997.4 microparticles per cubic meter were measured in Visby, according to preliminary figures from the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency. According to the Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute’s (SMHI) air web, however, the levels have fallen during the night, but also showed unhealthy levels on Thursday morning. Gävle also showed high levels in the morning.
Measured pollution in Visby during the morning. Photo: facsimile/SMHIAccording to the Finnish state broadcaster Yle, the deterioration in air quality is due to the introduction of large amounts of microparticles into the air mass from Central and Eastern Europe. It is also reported that it may worsen in the coming days.
Pollution measured during the morning. Photo: facsimile/SMHI
Poor air quality affects people with conditions such as asthma and cardiovascular disease, as well as older people and children, but can also affect healthy people. For example, eyes, nose and throat can be irritated by microparticles in the air. According to Yle, you should stay indoors if you experience symptoms.
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Last year, people in Finland ate more meat and chicken than the year before. At the same time, oat consumption set a new record in the Finnish diet, according to a new study.
Last year, Finns ate 78.2 kilograms of meat per person, including game and offal. Most of the meat, 76.2 kilograms, was beef, pork, lamb and chicken.
The consumption of beef in particular has decreased for several years in a row, but last year it increased, according to a survey by the Finnish Natural Resources Institute. The amount of chicken on the plate also increased in Finnish homes. At the same time, less pork and mutton was eaten. The consumption of fish remained seemingly unchanged, with each Finn eating an average of 13.7 kilograms last year.
Cereal consumption increased last year, reaching 87.3 kg per person. The main increase was in the amount of oats consumed, which reached record levels last year. Wheat and barley consumption also increased, while rye decreased.
– Here we see something of a trend. This is because the food industry has created a lot of new oat products. Part of this trend is also that Finns are drinking more oat milk, says statistics expert Erja Mikkola, to Finnish state broadcaster Yle.
Regular milk drinking decreased by about two percent, but people ate about the same amount of butter and cheese as in the previous year. Furthermore, each Finn ate an average of 48 kilograms of fruit and 64 kilograms of vegetables last year.
Svenska kraftnät (the Swedish national grid operator) warns of a critical electricity shortage in southern Sweden this winter equivalent to the output of seven nuclear reactors. A new report shows that electricity area SE4, southern Götaland including Skåne, is particularly vulnerable.
The forecast points to a power shortage of 7,700 MWh/h during a normal winter in SE3 and SE4. The reason is insufficient plannable production in relation to consumption.
Malin Johansson, energy and climate manager at the industry organization IKEM, is calling for quick solutions:
– This confirms that we need to quickly build new capacity in the form of gas turbines and batteries that can even out the peaks and cope with the power demand in southern Sweden, especially during cold, windless winter days.
Imports do not offer a reliable solution either, as the electricity systems of neighboring countries are often just as strained:
“Analyses of import opportunities from neighboring countries show that most, like Sweden, are dependent on imports in strained situations. This indicates that import opportunities from our neighboring countries at these times may be limited if shortages occur simultaneously”, writes Svenska kraftnät.
– It’s no news that if there’s no wind in Denmark, there’s no wind in Skåne either. Every country must take responsibility for its own electricity system. We can’t rely on neighboring countries, says Malin Johansson.
“Must be able to produce around the clock”
Svenska kraftnät highlights consumer flexibility and storage as solutions, but Johansson is skeptical:
– Why should we create a market where industry is forced to be flexible? It’s not as if we have a high added value from selling electricity to other countries. Industry must be able to produce around the clock to promote growth and prosperity in Sweden.
The transmission capacity between SE3 and SE4 is insufficient during peak hours, which drives up electricity prices in SE4. The ERAA 2024 report confirms that margins are shrinking in southern Sweden, where demand is increasing while transmission from the north is limited. The situation requires urgent measures to secure the electricity supply.
The report points out that Europe’s electricity system is at risk of becoming increasingly vulnerable to power shortages. Despite extensive investments in wind and solar power, there is no realistic plan to replace fossil fuel-based electricity production that is being phased out for economic reasons. As a result, new capacity may not be built in time, which threatens security of supply.
For the first time, wild chimpanzees have been documented eating and sharing fruit containing alcohol. The research team speculates that this behavior could be described as an early evolutionary stage of “feasting”.
Researchers from the University of Exeter in England set up ten separate cameras with motion sensors in a national park in Guinea-Bissau in West Africa. There, they captured chimpanzees sharing the fermented fruit Treculia africana. The fruit contained an alcohol content of up to 0.61 percent. The behavior raises questions about whether and why chimpanzees consciously seek out alcohol.
– For humans, we know that drinking alcohol leads to a release of dopamine and endorphins, and resulting feelings of happiness and relaxation, said Anna Bowland, one of the researchers behind the study, in a press release, continuing:
– We also know that sharing alcohol – including through traditions such as feasting – helps to form and strengthen social bonds. So – now we know that wild chimpanzees are eating and sharing ethanolic fruits – the question is: could they be getting similar benefits?
The amount observed is probably not enough to get the chimpanzees drunk, but the researchers estimate that the filmed episodes only provide a small glimpse into how much fermented fruit the animals eat in a day, as their diet consists of 60-85 percent fruit.
Researchers believe that more research is needed into why chimpanzees eat fermented fruit together, but speculate that the behavior may represent an early evolutionary stage of “feasting”.
– Chimps don’t share food all the time, so this behaviour with fermented fruit might be important, says Dr. Kimberley Hockings of the University of Exeter. “If so, it suggests the human tradition of feasting may have its origins deep in our evolutionary history”.
A new political party, Sverige Först (Sweden first), was launched yesterday with the stated vision of restoring Sweden’s prosperity, security, and independence.
The founder is the outspoken and popular member of parliament Elsa Widding, who has long been a vocal critic of climate alarmism, supranationalism, and experimental mass vaccination programs.
The party uses the slogan “Make Sweden rich again!” and compares Sweden to Switzerland, noting that Swedes have fallen far behind in recent years.
“In the 1970s, Swedes were one of the richest people in the world; we were then on the same level of prosperity as Switzerland. Today, an experienced Swedish high school teacher earns about 40,000 kronor per month, while a Swiss teacher earns the equivalent of 150,000 kronor”, they write. The party’s solution? Lower taxes and a freer market economy.
In the area of security, Sverige Först wants to see a return to non-alignment. They criticize NATO membership as provocative and risky and want to focus on invasion defense and diplomacy, especially to reduce tensions with Russia.
“Given the uncertainties surrounding NATO, Sweden’s goal should be to pursue an independent security policy aimed at becoming an alliance-free country again. Our ambition should be to stay out of armed conflicts and instead work for détente in our immediate neighborhood”, they argue further. The party is also strongly critical of the DCA agreement, which they see as a direct provocation against Russia, and emphasizes that Sweden should avoid becoming a target in a potential conflict scenario.
More independence
Sverige Först is also opposed to supranationalism and globalism and sees the EU and the World Economic Forum (WEF) as threats to Sweden’s sovereignty and independence.
“Swedish citizens should govern Sweden, not the globalists in Davos or the EU bureaucrats in Brussels”, they declare, arguing that Sweden may need to leave the EU if the union no longer serves the interests of Sweden and the Swedish people.
They also warn that global institutions such as the WHO and the IMF are actively depriving nations of their self-determination and pushing for digital control systems that threaten individual freedom.
“The further away political decisions are made, the more difficult it is for individuals to make their voices heard, and the less self-government and freedom the nation has left. For globalists, the individual is a source of tax revenue and soldier material, but otherwise mostly a nuisance”, they write.
No to climate alarmism and experimental vaccines
Climate policy is another contentious issue. Sverige Först dismisses the climate crisis as greatly exaggerated and wants to base decisions on science, not “alarmism”.
They refer to the IPCC and claim that disaster scenarios have been toned down, while prioritizing agriculture and self-sufficiency over wind power, which they want to phase out in favor of more stable nuclear power. The party emphasizes that nuclear power is the key to cheap and reliable energy, while wind power is seen as unreliable and harmful to nature.
On the vaccine issue, the party expresses skepticism toward mRNA vaccines and condemns the handling of COVID-19. It emphasizes that the individual’s right to choose must be respected according to the Nuremberg Code and criticizes the coercive and surveillance measures introduced during the pandemic.
“Self-evident rights such as gathering, demonstrating, visiting elderly relatives, and attending funerals were abolished. In some countries, it was more or less mandatory to be vaccinated with COVID vaccines, even though the preparations are still in the experimental stage”, it continues.
The party expresses strong concern that the vaccines have not been sufficiently tested and have caused a number of serious vaccine injuries, and calls for an independent review of the pandemic measures:
“Positive change always begins with an acknowledgment of the mistakes that have been made. This process must begin immediately, before more lives are lost in a careless and unnecessary manner”.
Want to highlight what others ignore
When it comes to migration, the party wants to limit it with income requirements – but does not advocate any comprehensive repatriation programs. However, it wants to “stop immigration in order to be able to take care of those who are here” and “create good conditions for the families and individuals who have come to Sweden over the past 25 years with the desire to integrate into Swedish society”.
According to Elsa Widding, the party’s focus is “on the important issues that none of the current parties in parliament dare to pursue with sufficient vigor”, and each policy area will be represented by three people until the 2026 election.
“All with documented experience and relevant expertise to be able to show the way forward”,it says.
