When a country refuses to drill for oil worth billions of dollars just because they feel that it is a serious threat to the environment, our faith in the good sense of mankind is restored. The hue and cry over the recent refusal of the Norway government to dig up oil is making news everywhere. While some people are raising eyebrows at the big decision made by the labor party of the country, environmentalists all across the globe are rejoicing this decision. Despite being a huge source of fossil fuel, Norway is tilting towards renewable energy sources like solar energy. There are tons of other reasons why Norway is definitely one of the greenest countries in the world. Here are a few things other countries can learn from them.
Cutting Vehicle Emissions Through Electric or Hybrid Cars
Several countries plan to cut emissions by a big percentage in the next few years but Norway is actually working towards it already. The government supports it completely, and they are encouraging the use of electric vehicles. They are planning to cut down emissions by 40% by 203o which is not too far off. Electric vehicles are so much in demand that a study in 2016 found that 4 out of 10 new cars sold are either electric or hybrid. That shows that the country is already on its way to a greener future.
Walking And Cycling
When you want to reduce the number of cars on the road, you need to have a proper infrastructure to encourage pedestrians and cyclists, and that is exactly what the government of Norway has been doing. They have been spending more on their railways and giving tax relief for green shipping. In case you are wondering about green shipping, it is simply following methods of transporting goods that don’t leave a huge carbon footprint in the environment.
Fighting Against Food Waste
Food waste is a huge issue in developed countries. Norway is doing everything to fight food waste and make every morsel count. There are several organizations working towards this and one app has nailed it. Too Good To Go app is a brilliant idea where it matches people with places who have leftover food that they are ready to sell off for much less than their actual price. Hotels, restaurants, bakeries, and cafes participate in this and are already contributing to less waste.
Plogging
If you can’t find this term in the dictionary, that’s because it is a fairly new concept that has its roots in Stockholm. And now, Norway has embraced it wholeheartedly. Plogging is quite simple — local people would pick up trash from places like the forest or bare land while exercising. Imagine picking up trash while you go on a run through a lovely trail! The idea here is to help the environment as you help yourself achieve your fitness goals. This is great especially for areas where trash is not cleaned frequently.
Using The Pant System
One of the main problems we face is the recycling of plastic bottles. Often, we trash the bottles at the wrong places, and they end up with other garbage. If they are burnt or incinerated by chance, it can be quite disastrous due to the emission of its toxic fumes. Even if they are not burnt, plastic can be around for thousands of years if not recycled properly. Hence, the Pant system can be extremely critical for the environment. In this system, people who buy plastic or aluminum are charged with a deposit, but they can get the money back when they return the empty plastic bottles or containers that they bought. There are recycling stations too where you get a receipt which can be redeemed at supermarkets. The entirety of Europe has benefitted from this system and Norway is no exception.
Establishing The Seed Vault
Not only is Norway trying to solve existing problems with the environment, but they are also thinking ahead of time and have a plan B in case there is a disaster. They have built a seed vault on the Svalbard archipelago. Here, thousands of seeds are kept safe for future usage. In case there is a geopolitical disaster or a natural catastrophe, these seeds will come handy when the world will want to grow crops again. They are pretty serious about this and spent about $13 million on rebuilding the seed vault in 2018.
If only the world can learn from Norway and do the things this country is doing, then we’ll probably be able to slow down the effects of climate change and reduce our carbon footprint. The future generation deserves a clean world; we should do something about it, and Norway has provided solutions! What do you think of these?
