Environmental issues in Finland discuss the environmental issue

Environmental issue

Environmental issues are negative aspects of human activity on the biophysical environment. Environmentalism, a social and environmental movement that started in the 1960s, addresses environmental issues through advocacy, education and activism.-Types:...

 in Finland

Finland

Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...

.

Climate change

Finland was among the top five greenhouse gas emitters in 2001: The consumption emissions per capita of greenhouse gases in 2001 of the top 5 countries were US 29 tonnes, Australia

Energy in Australia

Energy in Australia describes energy and electricity production, consumption and export in Australia. Energy policy of Australia describes the politics of Australia related to energy....

 21 tonnes, Canada 20 tonnes, Switzerland

Energy in Switzerland

The energy economy in Switzerland developed as the rest of Europe, but with some delay until 1850. There are three different periods. The agrarian society until the mid-nineteenth century, a small scale energy economy based on wood and biomass , which was in general renewable energy...

 18 tonnes and Finland

Energy in Finland

Finland lacks domestic sources of fossil energy and must import substantial amounts of petroleum, natural gas, and other energy resources, including uranium for nuclear power.-Overview:...

 18 tonnes.

Finland is a member of the EU

Climate change in the European Union

The mitigation of anthropogenic climate change in the European Union is being addressed through a number of measures.- Hydrofluorocarbons :...

 and thus the EU directives are binding in Finland. Finland has approved Kyoto protocol

Kyoto Protocol

The Kyoto Protocol is a protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change , aimed at fighting global warming...

. Finland has at state level approved that human indused greenhouse gases cause global warming. Despite this the most harmful use of peat

Peat

Peat is an accumulation of partially decayed vegetation matter or histosol. Peat forms in wetland bogs, moors, muskegs, pocosins, mires, and peat swamp forests. Peat is harvested as an important source of fuel in certain parts of the world...

 as energy has been financially promoted by Finnish government since 2005. Regarding the climate change expenses, the Polluter Pay -principle has been neglected in Finland at least until 2011.

CO2 emissions from peat

Peat

Peat is an accumulation of partially decayed vegetation matter or histosol. Peat forms in wetland bogs, moors, muskegs, pocosins, mires, and peat swamp forests. Peat is harvested as an important source of fuel in certain parts of the world...

 were 15 % and coal

Coal

Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...

 and peat 39 % of total fossil fuel emissions in Finland in 2006.

Environmental finance

The environmental finance of Finland is 0.6 % of budget when OECD average is 1.7 %. In September 2011 there was a proposal to cut environmental finance with 5 million € including 18 % cut in the nongovernmental environmental organizations support. The finance proposal included also cut in the biodiversity

Biodiversity

Biodiversity is the degree of variation of life forms within a given ecosystem, biome, or an entire planet. Biodiversity is a measure of the health of ecosystems. Biodiversity is in part a function of climate. In terrestrial habitats, tropical regions are typically rich whereas polar regions...

support. All the main nongovernmental national environmental organizations criticized finance proposals since Finland’s finance in the environmenatl issues is not sufficient, the fulfillment of the EU biodiversity targets is questionable, and the peat industry receive 50-fold more state support compared to the environmental organizations.

Phosphates

Finnish government have not denied the use of phosphates in the washing powder as was valid in Sweden and Germany at least already in 2009. State intention is to deny phosphates after the European Union directive sets the demand in 2012.

Traffic

The car tax was cut in 2007 to support investments in new cars. The state arguments promised it to reduce traffic emissions by 0.37 % a year. Environmental organizations considered the tax cut negative for the global warming. Politicians did nor explain, why some old cars would not remain also in the traffic and increase the overall emissions. In the use of the private car the upfront costs are a higher barrier than the annual or daily costs. Most cars are imported in Finland, which increases the foreign debt.