Lessons from Scandinavia (the forested happy countries!)
One big issue these days in politics especially, is that some parties (including Reform UK) seem obsessed by what Trump is doing the other side of the pond. As if we want to emulate the USA?
This is a country where police shoot people dead on the streets, most people are on anti-depressants and the obsession with oil, money and social media is turning what used to be a lovely country into something dangeorus.
Instead, be more inspired by our Nordic friends in Scandinavia. On the Happiness Index (an alternative to GDP), most top countries (aside from Costa Rica which is the top!) are from Scandinavia.
These countries have pretty fair and trustworthy governments, they retain their forests, they have clean air, happy people and overall pretty good lifestyles. Far better to emulate!
Watch this lovely tour of Sweden by a German couple who travel the world. It’s a wonderful way to while away an hour, you’ll feel like you’ve been on holiday with them!
Norway (is this the greenest country on earth?)
Norway (along with Austria and New Zealand) is often cited as the greenest country on earth. It has huge protected forests and also has no nuclear power, and no intention of ever having it.
Sweden (covered in trees and more trees!)
Like most of Scandinavia, Sweden is covered in protected forests (in England, Cameron’s government tried to sell off our remaining forests to private companies, until a petition by 38 Degrees stopped it).
With double Norway’s population, it’s still a peaceful place where people swim in one of the 95,000 crystal clear lakes.
The third city of Malmö stores rainwater in underground aquifers that provides geothermal heat in winter, and cool air in summer. And yet despite using three times more energy than us, it produces less emissions.
Councils uses electric cargo bikes for deliveries and the Stockholm underground runs on green energy (as have all public buses for years).
Finland (the cleanest air in the world)
The air is so clean here because of all the trees that give out oxygen. On some clear days, you can even see the mountains of Sweden and Norway. Finns even have a word for getting fresh air: happihyppely (‘oxygen hopping’).
Finland has often been called one of the countries ‘that gets everything right’. One writer said he would be happy if ‘Finns ran the world!’
The language is notoriously difficult:
Lentokonesuihkuturbiinimoottoriapumekaanikkoaliupseerioppilas
is the longest word in Finnish with 61 letters and means ‘airplane jet turbine engine auxiliary mechanic non-commissioned officer student’.
Finns are happy (despite the cold and dark)
Like The Netherlands, children have better education rates, despite shorter school days and little homework. Nearly everyone takes off during summer to log cabins with no TV, and all homes have in-built saunas (even communal ones for flats). Although not for pregnancy or some medical conditions, saunas offer less risk of stroke and dementia.
Finns don’t do small talk, nor screaming nor awkward silences. It’s said that a shy Finn will look at their shoes when talking to you. But an extrovert Finn will look at your shoes!
Finns look after their pine forests
75% of Finland is covered in pine forests. Uneducated voices talk of grey squirrels causing issues for red squirrels, but it’s mostly due to logging pine forests (red squirrels thrive in Northumberland/Scotland where pine trees are abundant). Helsinki has both red squirrels and grey squirrels. Read more on how to help both red & grey squirrels.
Other good things about Finland
- Finns are honest. In a lost wallet experiment, 192 wallets were dropped in 16 cities. In Helsinki, most were returned to owners. Yet the ones dropped at The Vatican were never seen again.
- There is no celebrity culture. One of Finland’s richest men strolls the local tram station and no-one bats an eyelid.
- Finns are in tune with nature. There are thousands of islands and hiking trails. If asked for directions, most people use the points of a compass!
- Finland has almost zero homelessness, working with councils to build affordable green homes to those who need them.
- Road repairs are state-funded and speeding fines based on income – one millionaire was recently fined over £100,000). Finns use snow ploughs (not toxic rock salt) to clear roads.
Denmark (inside the world’s happiest country)
Denmark (along with Finland) is the world’s happiest country, despite it being freezing cold and dark most of the year. It’s flat (so popular for walking and cycling) and many people indulge in ‘hygge’ where rather than binge-watch TV, winter is all outdoor walks or firetime snuggles!
There is lots to like about Denmark:
- People are looked after financially from cradle to crave. So people people take care of themselves, they don’t live in cold damp bedsits, dreaming of winning the lottery.
- Copenhagen was madeover into the world’s most walkable city by Jan Gehl, who added car-free streets, bicycle rentals and heated street lamps.
- Like England, Denmark has lots of beach huts. The doors face sideways (not the sea) and are ‘little castles’ with flowery curtains and chipped crockery. People go here, when the sun finally comes out!
