Environmental protection
The way we live, eat, move and consume effects the climate.
Find out what your carbon footprint is like with Sitra’s Lifestyle test.
You will get tailored tips on how to reduce your carbon footprint.
Lifestyle test
Protecting the environment is everyone’s responsibility
No one can afford to think that they can throw their burger wrapper on the street because some municipal worker will clean it up at some point anyway, or that they can dump their toxic liquids on the side of the nearby forest because a small amount doesn’t supposedly matter from the perspective of the environment.
- Waste finds its way from land to water, makes our surroundings less enjoyable and harms animals and the environment.
- Microplastics, in particular, can accumulate environmental toxins.
Microplastics are tiny pieces of plastic that are created when, for example, plastic bags and plastic bottles that have ended up in nature break down into smaller pieces.
What does environmental damage mean?
- Environmental damage occurs when harmful or explosive substances are released, or are at risk of being released, into the soil, water, sewers or air.
- Examples of environmental damage include oil spills, factory fires, chemical accidents and the fall, derailment or collision of a tank, a lorry or a train transporting hazardous substances.
- Any environmental damage or risk of environmental damage should be reported to the emergency response centre by calling 112.
- The emergency response centre estimates the extent of the damage and contacts the appropriate authorities.
- The local rescue authority will initiate measures to prevent environmental damage.
Hazardous household waste must always be disposed of properly in order to prevent even minor harm and damages.
Climate change
The global climate is changing, and the change is greater than average in Finland’s latitudes.
- The signs of change are visible in, for example, the growing season getting longer, ice and snow dwindling, winter storms and flood risks increasing and droughts threatening to become more frequent.
- Extreme weather events are becoming more common.
- The change puts a strain on nature and accelerates the loss of nature.
- For people and businesses, climate change means adapting to changing circumstances and new situations.
Climate change is a serious thing that affects everyone in the world.
Targets have been set for mitigating climate change
- Finland aims to become carbon-neutral by 2035. This means that climate emissions and carbon sinks will then be in balance.
- Emissions are already decreasing, but too slowly. They are still two to three times larger than the carbon sinks.
Source: Environment.fi
What is a carbon sink?
Carbon sink is like a vacuum cleaner that sucks in and stores carbon dioxide that has entered the atmosphere as well as the carbon it contains.
Seas, forests and the soil are the most important carbon sinks.
It is sort of like a reverse process for greenhouse gas emissions.
Condition of waterbodies in Finland
- In Finland, groundwater is in the best condition, while small water bodies are in the poorest condition.
- The Baltic Sea and many of our inland waters are still suffering from eutrophication.
Eutrophication changes the species composition of water bodies and increases blue-green algae blooms.
Everyone can contribute to the well-being of water bodies, for example through their food choices.
How to prevent eutrophication
- The easiest way to reduce the load on inland waters and the Baltic Sea is to increase the proportion of domestic wild fish and vegetarian food in your diet. By eating and fishing domestic wild fish, you can even offset your nutrient emissions.
- Reduce food waste and make use of leftovers.
- Avoid the use of unnecessary nutrients in your garden. You can, for instance, use a compost for soil conditioning and green mulch as fertiliser.
- Manage your wastewater correctly. Make sure that the cottage’s sauna water is not discharged directly into the water system.
- Reduce the chemical load of water. In our everyday life, we use various chemicals, most of which do not pose a risk to the environment or health. The manufacture, marketing and use of chemicals is regulated by a number of laws that aim to protect both the environment and human health. However, we can also reduce the chemicalisation of the environment with our own choices.
- Favour eco-labelled household chemicals. An eco-label on cleaning products, washing powder and washing-up liquid guarantees that none of the most harmful chemicals have been used in the manufacture of the products.
- Avoid littering. Waste finds its way from land to water. Litter makes our surroundings less enjoyable and harms animals and the environment. Microplastics, in particular, can accumulate environmental toxins.
- Take pharmaceutical waste to the dedicated pharmaceutical waste containers in pharmacies. Do not mix pharmaceutical waste with household waste or flush it down the toilet. Some of the pharmaceutical waste is discharged through wastewater treatment plants and into seas and lakes, where it poses a threat to aquatic organisms.
- Avoid the use of pesticides. Pesticides are designed to combat and destroy organisms that are considered harmful. Pesticides are divided into plant protection products and biocides.
Source: Environment.fi
Biocidal products include insecticides and insect repellents, disinfectants, preservatives and wood preservatives. They can have harmful effects on living organisms and the environment.
There is a bathing ban at my favourite beach – what has happened?
Even good quality bathing water may become contaminated and not suitable for bathing for various reasons.
In the ’Water outages and contaminated water’ section we explain how bathing water outbreaks start and how they can be prevented.
Did you know that there are over 800,000 dogs in Finland?
This group of furry friends is estimated to produce nearly 44 million kilograms of poop per year.
It is important to pick up dog waste from the environment, because uncollected dog poop poses a health and environmental risk.
Dog poop should be sorted as general waste
In Finland, the collection of dog faeces is regulated by the Public Order Act.
- The owner of a dog or the person in whose possession the dog is must ensure that the dog’s faeces are not left on the ground in a maintained section of a built-up area. These areas include areas maintained by municipalities and areas managed by private individuals.
Too many of us know how great it is to clean squished dog poop off of the sole of our shoe or from the paws of our pet. A pile of poop on the street can be a real hotbed of disease.
- Dog faeces contain viruses, bacteria and parasites which can infect other pets and humans. Viruses, in particular, can survive in the environment for months, even in freezing temperatures.
- Faeces that are left in the environment can alter vegetation with their nutrients, cause eutrophication and harm waterways.
- A bag of dog poop is sorted as general waste!