fossil-free - Blog - Global Risk Community2024-03-29T09:21:26Zhttps://globalriskcommunity.com/profiles/blogs/feed/tag/fossil-freeSweden Aims To Become The World’s First Fossil Fuel-Free Nationhttps://globalriskcommunity.com/profiles/blogs/sweden-aims-to-become-the-world-s-first-fossil-fuel-free-nation2015-10-13T23:19:41.000Z2015-10-13T23:19:41.000ZEnrique Raul Suarezhttps://globalriskcommunity.com/members/EnriqueRaulSuarez<div><p></p><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}8028236455,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}8028236455,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="400" class="align-center" alt="8028236455?profile=original" /></a></p><p></p><p></p><p class="center" style="text-align:center;"><span class="font-size-3"><strong>Sweden Aims To Become The World’s First Fossil Fuel-Free Nation</strong></span></p><p class="center" style="text-align:center;"></p><p class="center" style="text-align:center;"><strong>Source:</strong></p><p class="center" style="text-align:center;"></p><p class="center" style="text-align:center;"><strong> <a href="http://www.globalresearch.ca/author/amanda-froelich" target="_blank">Amanda Froelich</a></strong></p><p class="center" style="text-align:center;"></p><p class="center" style="text-align:center;"><strong><a href="http://www.trueactivist.com/sweden-seeks-to-become-the-worlds-first-fossil-free-nation/" target="_blank">True Activist</a></strong></p><p class="center" style="text-align:center;"><strong>11 October 2015<br /></strong></p><p></p><p><em>Powered by Sweden plans to become one of the first nations in the world to thrive on 100% renewable energy.</em></p><p><em>There are quite a few things to love about Sweden. Not only is the eco-conscious nation <a href="http://www.trueactivist.com/sweden-is-considering-implementing-a-meat-tax/" target="_blank">considering implementing a ‘meat tax’</a> to reduce its carbon footprint, the country has literally<a href="http://www.trueactivist.com/sweden-runs-out-of-garbage/" target="_blank"> <strong>run out of trash </strong>to incinerate for energy</a> and, therefore, must import garbage from its neighbors.</em></p><p>And now, as <a href="http://www.theecologist.org/News/news_analysis/2985541/they_really_mean_it_swedens_green_transition_gathers_pace.html" target="_blank"><em>The Ecologist </em>reports</a>, Sweden seeks to become one of the <strong>first </strong>nations in the world to thrive completely on<a href="http://www.trueactivist.com/the-first-offshore-wind-farm-in-the-us-is-finally-being-constructed/" target="_blank"> renewable energy.</a></p><p>Sweden <a href="http://www.sciencealert.com/sweden-sets-its-sights-on-becoming-the-world-s-first-fossil-fuel-free-nation" target="_blank">announced <strong>last month</strong></a> that the nation will be spending an extra $546 million (£360 million) on renewable energy and climate change action, beginning with their 2016 budget. The nation’s <em>ultimate </em>aim is to become one of the world’s first nations to end its <a href="http://www.trueactivist.com/aspen-colorado-becomes-3rd-us-state-to-run-on-100-renewable-energy/" target="_blank">dependence on fossil fuels</a>. Solar energy, in particular, has seen a budget increase by 800%.</p><p>The admirable goal does not yet have its own timetable, but the Swedish government announced that its capital of Stockholm aims to be powered only by<a href="http://www.trueactivist.com/germany-just-got-78-percent-of-its-electricity-from-renewable-sources/" target="_blank">sustainable energy</a> sources by 2050.</p><blockquote><p><em>“Sweden will become one of the first fossil-free welfare states in the world,”</em>Prime Minister Stefan Löfven <a href="http://www.theecologist.org/News/news_analysis/2985541/they_really_mean_it_swedens_green_transition_gathers_pace.html" target="_blank">told the press</a>. <em>“When European regulations do not go far enough Sweden will lead the way.”</em></p></blockquote><p><a href="http://www.sciencealert.com/sweden-sets-its-sights-on-becoming-the-world-s-first-fossil-fuel-free-nation" target="_blank"><em>Science Alert </em>notes </a>that while the goal may seem incredibly ambitious, the Scandinavian country already obtains two-thirds of its electricity from non-fossil fuel energy sources – predominantly hydroelectric and nuclear. It will now be focusing on increasing its solar and <a href="http://www.trueactivist.com/25-bizarre-nature-photos-showing-how-strange-earth-really-is/" target="_blank">wind energy potential</a>, as well as making its transport industry more sustainable. The majority of the budget increase will be financed by heavier taxes on petrol and diesel fuel.</p><p>Sweden is also closing its nuclear power plants, although this is mainly due to their <a href="http://www.trueactivist.com/victory-shell-abandons-arctic-drilling/" target="_blank">aging infrastructure</a>. No replacements are presently planned, with the government intending to use only renewable energy sources. <a href="http://www.iflscience.com/environment/sweden-combats-climate-change-aiming-be-fossil-fuel-free-nation" target="_blank"><em>IFLScience </em>points out</a> that nuclear power plants are often lumped together with fossil fuel power plants as being just as harmful to the environment, but, surprisingly, actually have a negligible carbon footprint more in line with renewables. Nonetheless, Sweden’s government is preparing to phase them out.</p><p>The government also announced it will be spending more money on:</p><ul><li>smart grids</li><li>renewable energy storage technology</li><li>an <a href="http://www.trueactivist.com/by-the-year-2018-all-dutch-trains-will-run-on-wind-energy/" target="_blank">electric bus fleet</a></li><li>subsidies for green cars</li><li>climate adaptation strategies</li><li>renovating residential buildings to make them more energy efficient.</li></ul><p>The announcement couldn’t come soon enough, with the <a href="http://unfccc.int/meetings/paris_nov_2015/meeting/8926.php" target="_blank">2015 United Nationals Climate Change Conference</a> being held in Paris in November. Key adviser to the Prime Minister, Johan Rockström, <a href="http://www.government.se/press-releases/2015/09/the-budget-bill-for-2016--investing-in-swedens-future/" target="_blank">said in a press briefing</a>:</p><blockquote><p><em>“2015 is our opportunity, a chance to, in dialogue with all the countries of the world, change course towards a new development path where we can succeed in generating welfare for all, not at the planet’s cost but in cooperation with it.” </em></p></blockquote><p>When the event takes place in November, Sweden and <a href="http://www.trueactivist.com/earth-could-go-100-renewable-by-2050-says-new-reports/" target="_blank">Denmark</a> aim to influence the less keen attendees of the conference to begin to adapt their own countries’ energy grids.</p><p>Fortunately, Sweden is just one of many governments around the world opting to shift toward renewables. A few months ago, Hawaii <a href="http://www.trueactivist.com/hawaii-seeks-state-run-100-renewable-energy1/" target="_blank">announced its plans to become the first US state totally powered by renewable energy</a> and <a href="http://www.trueactivist.com/costa-rica-has-been-running-on-100-renewable-energy-for-the-past-75-days/" target="_blank">Costa Rica was powered with 100 percent renewable energy for 75 days this year. </a>Denmark, one spectacularly windy day in July, <a href="http://www.trueactivist.com/denmark-just-produced-140-of-its-electricity-needs-via-wind-power/" target="_blank">generated 140% of the nation’s electricity demand through wind power</a> alone.</p><p>Indeed, <a href="http://www.trueactivist.com/the-first-offshore-wind-farm-in-the-us-is-finally-being-constructed/" target="_blank">the future looks green</a>, and it’s activists like <strong>you</strong> who are making the difference by urging your governments to change.</p><p></p><p></p></div>