For the second time in as many weeks, members of Norway’s royal family have been confronted while abroad with what’s seen as the hypocrisy of Norwegian climate and environmental policy. Crown Prince Haakon was the latest to receive a plea for help, this time in a South Pacific island nation that’s threatened by the carbon […]
Activists ready to joust at windmills
April 2, 2019
Local environmental groups and outdoor enthusiasts are reeling after the state energy directorate NVE presented new and widespread plans for more windmill developments. Three of them are in Trøndelag, and opponents claim they would ruin more scenic landscapes. “We’re still sitting here in a state of shock,” Jonny Remmereit of the hiking and nature association […]
Royals confronted over salmon farms
April 1, 2019
King Harald and Queen Sonja experienced an unusual end to their six-day state visit to Chile over the weekend, when they were suddenly surrounded by angry demonstrators in the southern city of Punta Arenas. The royal couple took it in stride, with the monarch even claiming that it was a good example of Chile’s hard-won […]
Climate criticism hits Center Party
March 22, 2019
One deputy leader of the Center Party with a stake in the oil business wants Norway to pump up as much oil and gas as it can, while another is listening to calls for a more climate- and environment-friendly profile. As otherwise upbeat party members gathered for their annual national meeting this weekend, they’re split […]
Climate strikers defy adults’ scoldings
March 22, 2019
They were out early in front of the Parliament on Friday, and some had camped overnight. As thousands also gathered all over the country for Norway’s biggest school strikes for the climate so far, they faced both ridicule and scoldings from an elder generation of politicians and other adults who still support the country’s oil […]
Ice-mining project wins some support
March 14, 2019
A small company’s plans to slice ice out of an arm of a Norwegian glacier has won support from a planning commission in Meløy. It voted unanimously on Thursday to move forward with plans to start up exclusive ice cube production, but any actual production is still a long way off. The ice cube project […]
Oil Fund ‘sell-off’ sends mixed signals
March 10, 2019
NEWS ANALYSIS: Political intrigue fueled the Norwegian government’s decision just before the weekend to sell off stock in companies devoted to oil exploration and production. The decision grabbed lots of attention it may not have deserved, and sends mixed signals about how top Norwegian politicians evaluate the risks of being as involved in the oil […]
Oslo lowering its speed limits
March 5, 2019
Signs went up again this week on major highways leading into and around downtown Oslo, posting “environmental speed limits” of just 60 kilometers per hour (36mph). Some city officials also want to lower the standard speed limit on all city streets to just 30kph (18mph), for both safety and environmental reasons. The goal on major […]
School climate strikes spread
March 1, 2019
Elementary, high school and college students in Norway are joining their counterparts abroad in shirking school on Fridays, to rally for the climate and against politicians who they don’t think are doing enough to halt climate change. Thousands were out protesting again this week in front of local City Halls and government buildings, from Kristiansand […]
Norway to start charting insects
February 28, 2019
Mosquitos can be a nuisance and no one likes having to swat flies or be stung by wasps, but they’re all a critical part of the ecosystem. Norwegian officials want to hang on to them, and are starting with an attempt to chart the country’s insects for the first time ever. “We don’t know enough […]
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