An extraordinary sight in Copenhagen: dolphins in the harbour basin

Two dolphins were seen swimming in Copenhagen harbour on Monday, according to Danish broadcaster DR. The animals were also seen jumping on the surface of the water.

According to experts interviewed by DR, dolphins have never been seen inside Danish ports before.

Dolphins living near Denmark eat fish such as herring, saithe and small cod.

Rantasalmi tried to block gold prospecting, Administrative Court rejects appeal

The municipality will decide on Friday whether to appeal against the decision of the Administrative Court of Eastern Finland.

The Administrative Court of Eastern Finland has rejected an appeal by the municipality of Rantasalmi against a gold prospecting licence granted in the municipality’s territory.

In April, the Finnish Safety and Chemicals Agency (Tukes) granted Southern Ostrobotnio Minerals a licence to prospect for gold in an area of approximately 123 hectares west of Lake Kolkonjoki.

The municipality, the Kolkontaipalee Village Association, the Kolkonjärvi-Tuusjärvi sub-community and some private individuals appealed the search permit to the Administrative Court.

The complaint highlights, among other things, the company’s previous actions in Kainuu, when, for example, the explosions exceeded the scale of usual ore exploration, according to Ely Center.

…

Rantasalmi tried to block gold prospecting, Administrative Court rejects appealRead More »

Parliament approved the amendment to the Hunting Act

Parliament has approved an amendment to the Hunting Act, the so-called Wolf Act.

The law changes the protection of the wolf so that it is not protected all year round. In other words, wolves could be hunted at times specifically provided for in the regulation.

The Parliament approved the law by 135-35 votes.

The aim was for the law to enter into force on 1 January 2026, with the initial goal of allowing the hunting of 65 wolves by then.

In the future, the wolf relaxation and hunting period will be regulated by a decree of the Government. Annual regional hunting quotas are regulated by a decree of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.

…

Parliament approved the amendment to the Hunting ActRead More »

According to the study, the Tahkoluoto offshore wind farm in Pori will not harm birds

A nesting bird survey commissioned by Suomen Hyötytuule indicates that the eleven power plants in the offshore wind farm have had no impact on the size of the bird population or the production of young.

According to a recent nesting bird survey, the Tahkoluoto offshore wind farm in Pori does not seem to have an impact on birds.

The offshore wind farm of eleven power plants, completed in 2017 off Tahkoluoto in Pori, is located near the islands of Kaija, Kumpel, Hylki and Silakkariuta, which are valuable for their breeding birds.

Nesting bird monitoring has been carried out almost continuously for eight years in Finland’s only sea breeze park so far.

In the study, the Pori Preivikinlahti archipelago has been used as a reference area, which has made it possible to evaluate the effects of wind power on nesting birds.

…

According to the study, the Tahkoluoto offshore wind farm in Pori will not harm birdsRead More »

Emissions from municipalities fell last year

Municipalities’ greenhouse gas emissions fell last year compared to the previous year, says the Finnish Environment Institute Syke.

Based on projections for 2024, Finland’s greenhouse gas emissions will fall by around 5% from the previous year.

Emissions from electricity and district heating decreased the most. In electricity generation, the share of wind power continued to increase, and in district heating, the use of coal and peat was reduced.

Road transport was the only sector to show an increase in emissions. Its emissions increased by around 4%. According to Syke, the increase in emissions was mainly due to a decrease in the bio-fraction of transport fuels.

Finland’s greenhouse gas emissions have decreased by 40 percent since 2005 and by 43 percent compared to 1990.

…

Emissions from municipalities fell last yearRead More »

New research shows promising results for ‘power moss’ – can help clean water from mines and forestry

Moss and microbes work in symbiosis and collect metals from the water.

A recent study from the University of Oulu promises that mosses and microbes can symbiotically collect metals from water.

The study was triggered by the discovery of a large amount of aquatic moss growing in the water near the floodwall of the Pyhäsalmi mine. Few plants can survive in mine conditions like these “power mosses”.

The effectiveness of mosses will also be tested in forest residues browned by iron, the researchers at the University of Oulu say in a press release.

In northern regions, the accumulation of metals in water bodies is accelerated by climate change, and metals are dissolved from the soil as a result of forest drainage.

…

New research shows promising results for ‘power moss’ – can help clean water from mines and forestryRead More »