How Sweden is Doing it Right

As I was recently visiting Sweden, I couldn’t help but notice some of the differences between the United States and Sweden. There was a lot of things to compare, but I seemed to be focused on the environmental factors. I noticed little things, such as all their toilet paper/paper towels were all made of recycled material. Or how they all seemed to have energy efficient cars. The more I started to notice the little things, I become curious on how sustainable and eco-friendly they actually are, so I did some research. Some of the first articles I started to see were how they are considered “the most sustainable country in the world”, or “the cleanest country in the world”, which both are very strong statements to be said about a country. I wanted to find the real difference between my home country and Sweden, and what exactly are the Swedes doing right. Here are some of the things that I found that Sweden is doing right:

1. Sweden is making the effort to have all their cars be energy efficient and use less gas, as Volvo pledging to reduce fuel consumption by at least 75 percent.

2. Starting in the early 1990’s, Sweden shifted from oil to district heating, which accounts for the single most important factor in explaining the country’s reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, both in the housing and service sector. Centralizing the way buildings are heated and cooled through a main source means that the central plant can be advanced to use more sustainable and clean forms of fuel. Many district heating networks also make use of recycled heat from industries – energy that would otherwise go to waste.

3. In the city of Växjö, they set the goal in 1996 to become the first city in the world to become fossil fuel free by 2030. Since then, the city has backed up words with actions and is often referred to as ‘Europe’s greenest city’.

4. They promote urban farming for the countries residents, and also strive to protect the bees and butterflies, by providing beehives, biodiversity gardens, and pollination habitats in urban settings.

5. Many of the homes have switched to an all geothermal heating system, which is essentially just taking the natural energy of the Earth and using it as heat. At first it can be expensive to install, but the service pays off within 3-5 years compared to other heating services. Plus it will last a lifetime.

There are many other things that Sweden has done to strive to protect the Earth, like mainly using public transportation or creating charities that raise money for global warming. All those things that they have done in the past can easily be done by the United States. We have the money and resources. But unlike Sweden, most of the U.S population does not see global warming as a main issue, and that is the first huge first step for the States, to show people how it is a main priority. For more information about what Sweden is doing for the environment, you can visit www.sweden.se .