King Harald visits the Amazon

Norway’s King Harald made a secret trip across the Atlantic last week to fulfill what he claimed was a long-held dream: Visiting a rainforest in the Amazon and living for a few days with the locals. The trip was arranged by the Norwegian government-backed fund that aims to offset the country’s own carbon emissions by [...]

Labour goes for the (black) gold

A weekend of hefty internal debate among delegates to the ruling Labour Party’s national meeting in Oslo ended with a majority going along with the party leadership’s plans to actively consider oil exploration and drilling off Lofoten, Vesterålen and Senja. The party’s youth organization AUF vowed to continue the fight against oil activity off the [...]

Spring chill blamed on warmer Arctic

As Norway woke up to yet another chilly, even frosty, morning on Monday, experts were linking this year’s unusually cold spring weather to melting ice in the Arctic. They blame another rise in Arctic temperatures last year, and ice that’s melting at a record pace in places like Svalbard. The sub-freezing weather that continued to [...]

Transport plans don’t meet goals

Norwegian politicians continue to spend huge amounts of public funds on bridges, roads and tunnels in outlying areas that benefit as few as a hundred residents or less, while hundreds of thousands of commuters in metropolitan areas are left to face heavy traffic or unreliable public transit systems every day. Now much of the justification [...]

Wolfskin to be distributed after shooting

The skin of a wolf shot by authorities in Trøndelag just before the weekend is up for grabs among state institutions that apply for it. A museum or other type of research institution is the most likely recipient, reported Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK). The wolf had roamed around southeastern Norway in recent years and over large [...]

Oil minister still looks to the north

Strong opposition to oil exploration and production off Lofoten has forced Oil Minister Ola Borten Moe to give up his effort to allow it, at least for now, but he’s still bullish on Norway’s northern areas. More young Norwegians, meanwhile, are also planning to work in the oil and gas sector. Moe, deputy leader of [...]

Oil minister admits Lofoten defeat

The seas off scenic Lofoten and Vesterålen in Northern Norway may be saved from oil exploration and drilling, at least for now. After a series of new warnings from researchers and strong opposition from within his own political party, Oil Minister Ola Borten Moe is admitting defeat. Moe has been a proponent of opening up [...]

Statoil fined over platform negligence

State oil company Statoil was hit with a relatively heavy fine of NOK 30 million (USD 5.5 million) on Wednesday, for breaking petroleum laws when it lost control of an oil well on the Gullfaks C platform in May 2010. Prosecutors hope the size of the fine will drive home the serious nature of the [...]

Energy high on Merkel’s agenda

German Chancellor Angela Merkel made another whirlwind visit to Oslo on Wednesday, with a delegation of energy executives in tow. It was her fifth meeting with Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg in just the past nine months, and energy and economic issues were on the agenda. Norway is Germany’s second-largest supplier of natural gas after [...]

Labour unleashes storm over Lofoten

Battle cries were raging on Thursday after the Labour Party finally made a long-expected but hotly contested decision to pursue the prospect of drilling for oil off Lofoten and Vesterålen in northern Norway. The areas are best known for their rich fishing grounds and spectacular scenery, so the decision by Labour’s program committee predictably unleashed [...]

‘Let’s drill off Lofoten this year”

Oil and Energy Minister Ola Borten Moe now wants to open up waters off scenic Lofoten for oil drilling later this year, stirring up a heated debate among government allies, opposition politicians and members of his own Center Party. Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg of the Labour Party rejected Moe’s comments and said the area would [...]

Wolf pair marking territory in Oslo

Wildlife researchers had some sensational news for Oslo residents this week: They’re almost certain that a pair of wolves have been marking territory this winter in Oslo’s eastern forest known as Østmarka. A litter of pups may result later this spring. It would be the the first time a pack of wolves has established itself [...]

Arctic drilling dispute heats up

As top government officials and business leaders huddled in southern Norway this week to discuss energy and environmental issues, oil and gas exploration plans continue to swirl around Norway’s northern areas. The government’s willingness to consider exploration in colder, deeper and more remote waters than ever before is fueling more debate over the risks of [...]

South Pole expedition ends in court

An expedition to the South Pole led by one of Norway’s most famous adventurers, Børge Ousland, continued in an Oslo court this week, after Russian members of the trek sued Ousland claiming delays, deficient equipment and bad food. Financier Igor Grisjkov and his assistant Victor Bobok are demanding compensation after taking part in the expedition [...]

Oslo river hit by more pollution

Environmental experts were worried on Thursday that yet another polluting spill into the river that divides the west and east sides of Oslo would harm birds and other wildlife. Emergency crews were trying to contain the worst damage after energy firm Hafslund spilled 19,000 liters of heating oil into the river on Wednesday. The oil spill [...]

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