Watermelons to the Southwestern Finland

-I don’t believe climate change is a threat to the agricultural plants of the Southwestern Finland. Change will happen so slowly that the farmers can choose the plants which adapt to the local climate. Only the longer day will be disadvantage for many new plants, says gardener Arno Kasvi.

However, there will be a lot of changes in the future. Machines, fertilizers and pesticides have to be developed. There will be exotic plants like watermelon and grape. Arno Kasvi would like to see in the future how the new exotic plants get used to the southwest of Finland but human life is too short for that.

Dr. Arno Kasvi has worked with the garden plants for all his life. Nowadays he works at The Botanical Garden of the University of Turku. He is the supreme gardener but he likes to work in practice with the plants.

See also: University of Turku

3.8.2005 Elina Ahlgren

Climate change is already here

Ilppo Vuorinen, the leader of Finnish Archipelago research, says that climate change is a serious threat for the environment as we have come to know it. In public it is always given an image that climate change will come true only when the specialists can prove it unanimously.

Climate change is connected on many subjects, especially when exploring changes in the water. Climate change will have a big influence on Baltic Sea, and some of those changes are already visible.

- Unexpected weather phenomena’s will surprise us in the future, for example rains and winds will increase and there will be more storms and heat waves. The salt concentration of the seawater will decrease and the whole underwater ecosystem will be more like in the fresh water, Vuorinen believes.

Finnish Archipelago research is a facility of Turku University and practises research concerning The Baltic Sea and especially Finnish Archipelago.

4.8.2005 Laura Saartamo

Climate change is happening in the Baltic Sea Region

The Union of the Baltic Cities has not yet officially defined its position on climate change. However it has already for several years been committed to work which advances sustainable development.

– Naturally climate change is one of the issues we are trying to influence, tells Risto Veivo, the Head of the UBC Environment Secretariat.

The Union of the Baltic Cities was established in 1991 to advance and strengthen cooperation among the cities in the Baltic Sea Region. Today the Union has over 100 members in all ten countries surrounding the Baltic Sea. The Union of the Baltic Cities has ten different commissions which represent different fields.

The Environment Secretariat operates in Turku. It leads the UBC Agenda 21 Action Programme, which is a programme for sustainable urban development. This programme offers good chances to member cities, for example possibilities to take part in new projects.

The Union sees climate change as a real threat, considering the direct effects to the Baltic Sea Region as well as the indirect effects.

– We have carried out projects connected to cities environmental governing and traffic issues. These projects also help the cities to control better the effects directed to the climate change, says Veivo.

The Union sees that many of the countries surrounding the Baltic Sea are forerunners in environmental issues.

– However they should be even more active and drive an ambitious climate politic for the European Union, stresses Veivo.

This is the second year of the Union’s six years sustainable development program. During the remaining years the climate issues are coming out more than before. That is the way to go, also in the future.

See also: Union of the Baltic Cities

20.7.2005 Anu Tavenius

Trams to Turku?

Maybe in the future we will see rail traffic in Turku, assumes superior inspector Martti Sirkkaniemi from provincial governments traffic department.

Provincial governments possibilities to fight against global warming are limited, but something can be done, says Sirkkaniemi.

Today provincial governments traffic department admits permissions for bus traffic lines and buys unprofitable lines for itself. Through this work it can for instance guarantee a proper bus lines to scattered houses or demand more environmental friendly technique.

In Turku the amount of users of collective traffic continues to increase. Especially the introduction of regional tickets has made an addition to passenger amounts.

It has been presumed that the ever rising oil prices would decrease the use of personal driving, but according to Sirkkaniemi development of the collective traffic plays more important role. In Turku there has been a lot of plans for reforming of the collective traffic.

On the rails with regional tickets

Because rail traffic seems to be the most attractive way to travel there has been plans for introducing Turku Helsinki like rail systems. Besides growing user amounts this could lead to a more healthier air in the city. Depending of the used energy source it could also decrease the discharge of carbon dioxide.

According to Sirkkaniemi another possibility to increase the use level of the collective traffic could be the widening of the regional tickets area. Most of the pendelum traffic now takes place between Turku and Salo. If the regional ticket could be used between these two cities it could reduce the used personal traffic. Through this it could also remarkably reduce the discharge of green house gases. Unfortunately VR has started their own travel package renewal and is not ready to consider co-operation in the near future.

For ordinary citizens the most effective way of fighting against the global warming is to leave their cars at home and travel their work and leisure trips by walking, bicycling or using collective traffic. Sirkkaniemi himself uses his regional ticket and shank’s nearly everyday. - With clean conscience, he smiles.

See also: Ministry of Transport

10.8.2005 Sonja Lindholm