Saturday, May 31, 2025

Polaris of Enlightenment

Wind turbine blade broke in Finland

Published 8 February 2024
– By Editorial Staff
In December, a similar accident occurred in Korsholm, Finland.

A blade broke off a wind turbine in Satakunta, Finland, on Sunday. Parts of the broken 14-ton blade fell to the ground, but no one was reportedly injured in the accident.

The Ratiperä wind farm in Jämijärvi has a total of nine wind turbines for which the service company Nordex Finland is responsible. On Sunday morning, one of the blades of a wind turbine broke and fell to the ground. A single blade is about 62 meters long and weighs 14 tons.

According to Timo Silvan, the firefighter on duty at the Satakunta Rescue Department, the blade broke off in the middle, reports Finnish state broadcaster Yle.

He says the reason for the blade breaking will be investigated, but he believes the strong wind was the cause.

The rescue service has cordoned off the entire area around the wind farm because of the risk of more pieces of the broken blade falling.

– Pieces weighing thousands of kilograms could fall, says Silvan.

All the wind turbines in the park have been temporarily shut down. In December, a similar accident occurred at a wind farm in Korsholm, Finland.

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Fines increased for killing protected species in Finland

Biodiversity

Published yesterday 11:52
– By Editorial Staff
The fine for killing an Arctic fox in Finland is €17,656.

The Finnish Ministry of the Environment has significantly increased the fines for killing protected animals. For example, killing a freshwater pearl mussel is now three times more expensive than before.

Recently, it was decided to update the list of protected animals and the penalty for killing one of them. In Finland, the list was last updated in 2002, when a total of 286 animal species were included.

The new updated list now includes 320 animal species as well as 158 plant species that are protected and therefore illegal to kill or harm. Among others, the viper has been added.

The fines for killing a protected species have also been increased. For example, the fine for killing a Arctic fox has increased from €7,400 to €17,656. For the species black tern, it has increased from €185 to €9,865. The freshwater pearl mussel has increased from €589 to €1,496.

Some species on the list have received smaller fines, such as the white-tailed eagle, which has gone from €7,400 to just €407.

The value of a species is assessed on a number of criteria. These include the size of the population, how threatened the species is and how fast it is reproducing.

Worrying trend: More people driving under the influence of drugs

Published yesterday 7:23
– By Editorial Staff
Genre image - traffic accident. There is no information that drugs are related to this particular incident.

In Sweden, it is now more common for drivers to be under the influence of drugs than alcohol, while in Finland it is still more common to drive drunk than under the influence of drugs.

Between 2018 and 2022, 81 people died in Finland in traffic accidents where the driver who caused the accident was under the influence of at least one drug. This corresponds to 11 percent of all fatal traffic accidents during the period when drug testing was possible.

– Alcohol is still the most common intoxicant in fatal traffic accidents, but drugs are becoming increasingly common. This is particularly true of amphetamines, which are often linked to high speeds and risky decisions. Cannabis is also common among those who drive while intoxicated, says Kalle Parkkari, Director of Traffic Safety at the Finnish Accident Investigation Board, to Swedish Yle.

Statistics show that drivers under the influence of drugs are more likely to collide with other vehicles, while drivers under the influence of alcohol tend to drive off the road or crash in off-road terrain. However, Parkkari points out that the number of cases is so limited that it is difficult to draw firm conclusions.

– There is nevertheless a slight trend indicating an increase in drug-related driving under the influence. Traffic is part of society, and drug use in society appears to be on the rise. It is therefore inevitable that drugs will also begin to appear more frequently in traffic, Parkkari notes.

Sweden stands out in the statistics

In Sweden, the trend is more alarming. Between 2012 and 2022, 23 percent of drivers who died in traffic accidents were under the influence of drugs, compared to 11 percent who had alcohol in their system. Drug-related drunk driving has thus overtaken alcohol as the most common cause.

Lars-Olov Sjöström, traffic safety manager at the Swedish Motorists’ Sobriety Association, points to a change in attitude among young people as a possible explanation.

– For a hundred years, we have taught people not to drive with alcohol in their system, but the surveys we have conducted in collaboration with authorities in Norway show that the same young people who refrain from driving when under the influence of alcohol do not think as carefully when it comes to cannabis. We are lagging behind in providing information about cannabis and other drugs.

“We can learn from each other”

He believes that a more liberal and permissive view of “recreational drugs” among young people makes the work more difficult, but still sees hope for change within five to ten years. Both Parkkari and Sjöström emphasize the importance of cross-border cooperation to manage the development.

– It would be enormously helpful if we could learn from other countries’ experiences in this area. While the situation in Finland is still under control, it is very important to ensure that it does not get worse, says Parkkari.

Sjöström agrees, adding:

– We are seeing the same pattern in Finland as we have seen in Sweden, so we can learn from each other and discuss methods for dealing with the problem.

Finns are the world’s most active TikTok users

Published 23 May 2025
– By Editorial Staff

Screen time on Tiktok is significantly higher in Finland than in the rest of the world, a new survey shows. In Sweden, Youtube is most popular.

In Finland, around 1.5 million people use Tiktok. It is the app that Finns use the most, with YouTube coming in second.

On average, Finns spend 54 hours and 37 minutes a month on Tiktok, according to a report by consulting firm Kepios. This is almost 20 hours more than the survey average of around 35 hours per month.

In Sweden, the most time is spent on YouTube, with Swedes spending an average of 28 hours and 46 minutes each month. Close behind in second place is Tiktok, which people spend almost as much time with: 28 hours and four minutes on average each month.

Finns are also the ones who open the Tiktok app the most times per month compared to the rest of the world. On average, they open the app 587.7 times a month, almost 20 times a day, while the global average is 358.7 times.

The report is based on data from Android phones in November last year and adult users only. The total number of users is therefore likely to be much higher, as many people under the age of 18 use Tiktok and also YouTube.

Faith in God increases among Finnish 15-year-olds

Published 16 May 2025
– By Editorial Staff
Between 2023 and 2024, the share of girls who believe in God increased by 13%.

Significantly more 15-year-olds in Finland say they have a personal belief in God than before. In just five years, the proportion of young people who believe has increased significantly – and the desire to belong to the church has also strengthened, according to a new comprehensive study involving over 100,000 participants.

The study, which was published in the Finnish journal Uskonto, katsomus ja kasvatus, analyzed changes in young people’s religious beliefs over time, with a particular focus on gender differences. The study was conducted by researchers at Diakonia University of Applied Sciences and the University of Eastern Finland. It is based on survey data collected from over 100,000 young people who participated in confirmation classes between 2019 and 2024. In Finland, young people usually attend confirmation classes in the year they turn 15, and according to the study, nearly three-quarters of all 15-year-olds participate in the classes. Among those belonging to the Evangelical Lutheran Church, participation is over 90 percent.

The surveys included questions about young people’s religious beliefs – such as belief in God, the resurrection of Jesus, prayer habits, and willingness to belong to the church – as well as how they themselves felt that their faith and relationship with the church had been affected by the instruction.

Belief in God is increasing

The results show that girls’ belief in God remained stable at around 35 to 37 percent between 2019 and 2023, but increased to as much as 50 percent in 2024, an increase of 13 percentage points in one year. At the same time, belief in the resurrection of Jesus increased from around 34 percent to 45 percent during the same period.

For boys, belief in God increased from 36 percent in 2019 to 62 percent in 2024. A similar increase was seen in boys’ belief in the resurrection of Jesus, which rose from 39 percent in 2019 to 60 percent in 2024.

Existential questions were relevant in 325 and still are in 2025, said Juha Pihkala, bishop emeritus of the Diocese of Tampere, commenting on the study to Finnish state broadcaster Yle.

Other surveys have also shown that more young Finnish adults are turning to the church.

More people want to belong to the church

The proportion of young people who want to belong to the church has also increased. Among boys, the figure rose from 52 percent in 2019 to 66 percent in 2024. For girls, the corresponding figure rose from 63 to 67 percent.

At the same time, the proportion of boys who said they were encouraged to pray during lessons rose from 43 to 59 percent. Among girls, the corresponding figure rose from 43 to 53 percent. The proportion of boys who felt that their faith had been strengthened through confirmation classes increased from 42 to 65 percent, while the proportion of girls rose from 42 to 55 percent.

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