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Lillehammer, Norway Heather DeVito, Justin Dubois, Bethann Swartz Lillehammer, Norway: A Study of Weather, Climate and Society As the mid-19 th century Norwegian poets exclaimed, ‘ when the spring sun shines on hill and dale, then I do not know a more beautiful country.’ It may be cold in the winter, but the weather has never placed permanent obstacles to development of the country. Norway: A Pioneer in Climate Change Climate change is a major global issue and is a pressing issue in Norway as well. The country has ratified the Kyoto Protocol and signed on to other treaties regarding the state of the earth. Similar to its history, current climate changes may have adverse effects on the culture and economy of Norway. Two significant climate change issues in Norway are carbon dioxide (CO 2) emissions and the warming of the Arctic Ocean; both have important impacts on both Norway and the world. Climate change is not a new phenomenon for Norwegians. Some historians believe that slightly over two thousand years ago the climate in Norway drastically changed from tropical conditions to frigid conditions, slightly more extreme than there is today (Larsen 15). This climate change had many effects on Norwegians, such as settling down and also changing the way they found their food. Since the climate became too cold for the agriculture they were used to, Norwegians shifted their focus to hunting and fishing. This change in climate had a drastic effect on early Norwegian culture. Two thousand years later Norwegians are still facing climate change. However, this type of climate change is much different and more man-made than the previous. In the year 2004 the world is facing a climate change problem and international policies are required to help remedy this problem. Norway has been one of the most complacent countries in the world in regards to its environmental policies and its efforts to reduce CO 2 emissions. In January of 1991, Norway introduced a CO 2 tax to try to reduce CO 2 emissions. There are several taxes in place such as: twenty dollars per barrel of oil, thirteen cents per liter of gasoline, and sixty-four dollars per ton of coal1 (Sydnes 283). Among the countries that have implemented CO 2 taxes, Norway ’s are the highest and while the taxes are not the solution to the global problem regarding greenhouse gases and climate change, it is a beginning. Needless to say, oil companies in Norway are not huge fans of the taxes. The taxes are important because even though Norway accounts for a mere.2 percent of the global CO 2 emissions, nearly one quarter of those emissions is due to oil production (Sydnes 273). These taxes have already shown some success. According to a Worldwatch Paper published in 2002, Norway ’s taxes have reduced carbon emissions from power plants by twenty-one percent (Dunn 46). In 1991, an Interministerial Working Group published a report that discussed some conclusions about climate changes and Norway and many of the conclusions were similar to what the IPCC concluded. These included the issue of a warmer sea, which they suggested would not necessarily equate better fishing conditions, and may actually lead to a decline in the populations of some important fish species in Norway’s North Sea (O’ Riordan 277). Another conclusion dealt with CO 2 emissions and suggested that industrialized countries should stabilize their emissions at 1989 levels by the year 2000, which is something that Norway had already agreed to do, but had not made significant progress in doing. The melting of glaciers and sea ice in the Arctic Ocean will have many adverse and few beneficial effects for Norway in the future. Norway, along with the other seven countries who are part of the Arctic Council, is a member of the Arctic Climate Impact Assessment (ACIA), which has investigated the ongoing decrease in sea ice in the Arctic Ocean and the effects that has on the Arctic countries. The effects are numerous including less pasture land, forests extending further north than they currently do, loss of biodiversity, and greater access to oil, gas and other mineral sources. As the climate becomes warmer in northern Norway, scientists believe that the government will develop transportation infrastructure in order to make the northern land more habitable (ACIA 109). As northern Norway warms animals that used to live there will try to migrate further north in attempt to find the cooler climate that they are used to, but they will not find it because they cannot move further north because of the ocean (ACIA 114). Some animals that will be affected include reindeer, certain birds, and fox. Aquatic animals will also be affected by the decline in sea ice and the warming water temperatures. Certain fish will not be able to tolerate the increased temperature and their population will decrease, which could be detrimental on the Norwegian fishing industry. A third significant impact the decrease in sea ice in the Arctic will have on Norway is increasing marine access to oil, gas and other mineral sources (ACIA 114). As a student of how weather and climate affect society and climate change, it would seem that an increase in access to oil and mineral sources could have a detrimental effect on any progress in reducing carbon emissions. If Norway is able to increase its oil production, then there would be an increase in carbon emissions as well, which is something that the country has been trying to reduce for over a decade. The decrease in sea ice and the retreat of glaciers has occurred in Norway before. At the end of the Ice Age, over 10,000 years ago, “hunters and gatherers followed the glaciers as they retreated north, pursuing migratory reindeer herds,” which is similar to what scientists predict the reindeer will do again in the near future (Lonely Planet). There is a difference between the warming of the climate ten millennia ago and the warming of the climate today: today scientists have reason to believe that global warming is the result of excessive emissions of damaging gases into the ozone whereas there is not a lot of evidence suggesting the earlier warming was human-induced (O'Riordan 80). “Think globally, act locally,” is a widely-used phrased when discussing global environmentalism. Norway has been doing its best as a country to take local action in order to try to decrease ozone pollution and increase sustainable practices. Norway has shown its leadership with its initiatives to improve its CO 2 emissions and its work with ACIA to identify current Arctic climate change problems and try to develop solutions. Only time will tell how Norway ’s climate will change and what affect that will have on global climate change and international environmental policies. Weather and Culture An old Norwegian saying states that “there is no such things as bad weather, only bad clothing.” The saying may be old, but its value is without a doubt contemporary, encompassing the Norwegians’ embrace of nature and the effect of the weather on their culture. This Norwegian culture, from clothing to food, to leisure activity to art, has always been greatly influenced by the climatic conditions, and continues to be so today. It is a society deeply rooted in traditions and mutually linked to its environment, which allows for much outdoor activity, even though the country finds itself at the fringes of the north. Sports and leisure Norway ’s sport culture can be summarized best by looking at the country’s results at the Winter Olympics: only the former Soviet Union can boast to having won more Olympic medals, even though the population of Norway barely exceed 4.5 million inhabitants. Due to the northern geographic location of the country, and the snowy conditions in the altitudes surrounding Lillehammer, skiing has evolved from a vital method for displacement to becoming a mass sport. Initially, as a 4000 year old cave drawing at Rodøy in Nordland shows (38 Su Dale), skis appeared out of the historical necessity; people had to be able to move, for hunting and gathering purposes, during the winter months in a sparsely populated land. Since then, cross-country skiing has evolved and has become the most popular sport in a country in which “self-respect and pride is sporting achievements is high” (42 Su Dale). Clearly, part of its popularity rises from the accessibility of skiing as a leisurely activity; there are more than 190,000 miles (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) of marked trails in the country, and snowfall in Lillehammer guarantees the lingering presence of snow into the month of May, after the snow in the valley has melted. Norwegians are also responsible for the export of skiing to the rest of Europe, where many Norwegians were studying and explored the then untouched slopes of the continent, which eventually led to the first Winter Olympics in Chamonix, France. Thus, not only has the weather played a role in making skiing an integral part of the Norwegian culture, it has in addition brought the historical use of the skis to the forefront of a global leisure activity. Clothing and Art Norwegian sweaters epitomize the citizens’ relationship to their environment. Firstly, the wool that is used for the non-mass-produced traditional sweaters usually comes from sheep raised in the country, showing their tie to the land. Secondly, the array of thickness of the sweaters shows the adaptability of the people with regards to the weather; they are not used only to combat the cold in winter, but can be used in addition during warmer weather in the fall and spring. Lastly, the motifs are interpretations and representations of the environment, and have been greatly influenced throughout the centuries by the Lapps, also known as Sami, who are the northern nomadic, primarily reindeer herding and hunting, people. Thus, the clothing serves its practical use in keeping people warm, but in addition is an outlet for art. Art, as can be seen with the motifs in the sweaters, is not restricted to museums or galleries for the Norwegians. Arts and crafts, such as wood carving, handweaving and knitting, are traditions that have been passed down by older generations and are today popular pastimes. Due to the shortened hours of daylight and the harshness of the weather during the winter months, activity was often confined to their own homes, which led to using the time to create things with the resources at one’s disposal, such as wool or wood. Thus, it has become, due to the country’s weather and geographic location, important within the culture to be able to create with one’s own hands. This tradition of spending time in the hearth is in addition pointed to when explaining Norway ’s position as being the leading country in the world with respect to reading (173 Su-Dale). This makes for a very educated population, critical of their own society with the hope of raising their standard of living even higher ( Norway has consistently been in the top three countries in the UN Human Development Index in the last 30 years (Global Statistics – www.geohive.com)). Food Related to the high standard of living is of course the Norwegian cuisine. The staples of the diet have been present for centuries, and have become staples due to the conditions in the country. Fish, found on Norway ’s extensive coastline, account for a large part of the diet, as do potatoes, which are easier to grow than grains in harsh conditions, and greatly helped minimize the effects of the 1804-1814 famine. Comparing Norwegian bread to the rest of the world is also indicative of the Norwegians’ relationship to their environment and weather; since rye, oats and barley are not as sensitive to weather elements as wheat, which is only found in the lowland regions, they are used more extensively, resulting in heavier bread. Furthermore, smaller mills or traditional hand-milling are still very popular, making for coarser flour, thus again, heavier bread. Norway also has an abundant milk-culture. “The Norwegian housewife would not consider a meal complete without five or six different kinds of cheese of all degrees of pungency in taste and odor upon the table” (185 Clough).The milk traditionally came from cows and goats raised on the farm, that were able to survive the cold winters. The desire to keep the production of foods local, from milling one’s own grain to milking one’s own cow, comes from the “sense of self-sufficiency so characteristic of the Norwegian temperament”(126 Su-Dale). This self-sufficiency is a product history but still survives today. The traditions inherited by today’s generation have undoubtedly been shaped by the conditions of the past, and even though certain past conditions as the lack of light or the difficulty of displacement during harsh winters have been minimized, Norwegians are still people shaped, and thus, bound to their environment and its climate.
Weather and Economy Norway ’s economy is based on welfare capitalism – with free market activity and trading controlled by government regulations. Petroleum is a large part of their economy, so the government maintains a steady hold on the quantity and price, ensuring the greatest profitability. Natural resources contribute largely to their economy – aside from petroleum, they are rich in hydropower plants, fish, forests and minerals. The oil production is the largest part of their trading sector, which helps to maintain a high level of exports that contributes significantly to Norway ’s gross domestic product (GDP). In other terms, their national wealth is greatly attributed to their export industry sector. The three portions of Norway ’s GDP economy are agriculture, industry and services. They compose 1.9%, 30.8% and 67.3%, respectively. The industry sector and the products they produce is dominated by forests, fisheries, petroleum and gas. Norway is the third largest exporter of raw oil in the world, and their oil and gas exports make up over 35% of their total exports. The main industries are petroleum and gas, food processing, shipbuilding, pulp and paper products, metals, chemicals, timber, mining, textiles. Their greatest exports are raw petroleum, the products that go along with it, machines and equipment, metals, ships, chemicals and fish. The weather of Norway greatly affects industries such as fisheries and forestry. The extreme cold fronts and snow and ice storms that devastate Norway in the winter are extremely damaging to the fisheries. The water drops below a safe temperature for the fish, which put them in danger of dying. A huge drop in one’s fish stock can be devastating to a farmer’s welfare. Consistent poor weather can weaken Norway ’s fisheries, therefore weakening this section of the industrial economy. The snow and ice also weaken the forests, which produce enormous amounts of timber for uses across the country, spanning many different industries. Trees that are damaged from the cold weather are very susceptible to rotting and dying, diminishing the stock of trees available for use. When frost appears on the trees in the forest, it becomes difficult to efficiently cut down and use those trees. Norwegians have needed to learn to adapt to the cold winter weather that is commonly associated with their country. Since agriculture is such a small portion of the economy and GDP of Norway, the weather elements that usually have an effect of farming and agriculture, such as floods, droughts, hurricanes and tornadoes, are pretty meaningless. It is such a small sector of the economy that even if it was wiped out completely by the weather elements, it would not have a huge negative impact on the economy. This saves the country as a whole from having to worry about the frequent cold fronts freezing, and ruining the crops. The largest sector of Norway ’s economy is their service sector – the biggest service of which is tourism. Norway ’s long winter season plays a big role in drawing in tourists. The biggest draw that Lillehammer has is their ski slopes, which are considered to be some of the best in the world. Their downhill and cross-country trails draw millions of tourists each season. The mountains in Lillehammer are considered some of the best in the world – they also have to best cross-country skiing trails in the world. They have maintained many tourist attractions from the 1994 Winter Games – the bobsled and luge track in Hunderfossen, the ski racing trails at Lillehammer / Hafjell, and the ski jumping hill at the Lysgårdsbakken Ski Jumping Arena, which is the largest in the world. Lillehammer capitalizes on the number of tourists that their ski resorts bring in by offering up many places to shop, eat and stay in extreme comfort. Many quaint shops and art galleries line the streets of Downtown Lillehammer, just minutes from the slopes. Lillehammer hosted the 1994 Winter Olympic Games, and became the first Olympic host to exhibit the “green” tradition. The 1994 Olympics were the first that built their venues and infrastructure around what was best for the environment. This tradition has continued through the 2004 Athens Olympics, and looks to carry on into the future Olympic Games in Beijing and beyond. There were four areas in which the “green” tradition was founded on – Waste Management, Pollution Control, Transportation Issues and Natural Resource Conservation. The organizers of the XVII Olympic Games constructed twenty separate projects that were focused on these four areas. First, the issue of waste management was addressed by building more recycling structures to encourage increased recycling and conservation. These structures were strategically placed throughout the streets of downtown Lillehammer and surrounding the event facilities. Both pollution control and transportation issues went together hand in hand. The committee placed multiple restrictions on private transportation, limiting the times that people were allowed to travel in their private vehicle. They also increased the amount of public transportation available to tourists and residents. The combination of these two policies drastically reduced the amount of vehicle emissions into the environment. The fourth and final issue, natural resource conservation, was dealt with in terms of efficient construction of the building and structures. Cleaner construction materials were used, which allowed contractors to build the luge and bobsled tracks in a better fit with the forests they were built through. A big example of the natural resource conservation is Hamar Hall, which hosted speed skating. It took the surplus heat from the ice-making system and ran it through different heat pumps, recycling the heat energy for different uses. This system produced energy savings of 2.5 million kilowatt hours, which saved Lillehammer $180,000. Another way in which the 1994 Winter Olympics were environmentally-friendly was the use of disposable products. Many of the 20,000 signs that were made for the Games were made from recycled cardboard, and were then either recycled themselves or kept and sold as souvenirs. Disposable tableware was also a hit, as it was able to be turned into compost or literally fed to the pigs. As you can see, the weather plays a big role in the economy, therefore wealth and vitality of a country as rich in natural resources as Norway is. Their biggest attractions continue to be the world renown skiing and remnants of the 1994 Olympics, both of which are greatly affected by the cold, snowy weather, and which both provide a large boost to the economic welfare of their country. Conclusion
Works Cited Dunn, Seth. Reading the Weathervane. Worldwatch Paper 160, 2002. Hassol, Susan Joy. Impacts of a Warming Arctic. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2004. Larsen, Karen. A History of Norway. New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1948. “ Norway.” Lonely Planet. <http://www.lonelyplanet.com/destinations/europe/norway/history.htm> O’Riordan, Tim and Andrew Jordan. “Social Institutions and Climate Change.” Politics of Climate Change. Ed. Tim O’Riordan and Jill Jäger. New York: Routledge, 1996. Sydnes, Anne Kristin. “Norwegian Climate Policy.” Politics of Climate Change. Ed. Tim O’Riordan and Jill Jäger. New York: Routledge, 1996. Clough, Ethlyn. Norwegian Life. 1909. Bay View Reading Club: Detroit. Jentoft, S. (ed.) Commons in a Cold Climate. 1998. Unesco and the Parthenon Publishing Group: Paris. Su- Dale, Elizabeth. Culture Shock! Norway. 1995. Graphic Arts Center Publishing Company: Portland, Oregon. Culture History < www.YEworld.net> Meteorologisk Institut - < http://met.no/index.shtml> Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Noway- < http://odin.dep.no/odin/engelsk/norway/history> Lillehammer Turist. < http://www.lillehammerturist.no/english> "Events Management Guidance Document". Government of Jamaica. December 2003. http://www.cabinet.gov.jm/psru/pdf/env_Stewardship/Events%20Guidance%20Document.pdf> "Winter Olympics Go Green".
Links - Webpages Sustainable Development for Norway and the European Union Norwegian Ministry of the Environment Environmental Milestones from the World Watch Institute Arctic Climate Impact Assessment State of the Environment in Norway 1 These taxes are from 1993. For some more current proposition for increasing the tax, visit: http://www.npd.no/English/Emner/Ytre+miljo/beregning_co2_avgift.htm |
Colby College | Science Technology & Society Department website design by Gerrit Lansing |
This shows the fall climate in Norway.
