Global warming is one of the most serious problems today, according to a poll by Taloustutkimus of a thousand Finns aged 15 to 79. Many were alarmed by what they perceive as rapid substantial change in the world’s climate, and asked for politicians and officials to take more action.

The poll, conducted by the privately owned Helsinki polling agency, has been reported on in many papers including Helsingin Sanomat as well as foreign news media such as CBS News and Britain’s The Daily Mirror, who linked concerns to showings of Al Gore’s documentary "An Inconvenient Truth."
 

The results of the poll published in Helsingin Sanomat show an increasing knowledge of global warming as well as of the factors affecting the climate, and that people are more willing to take action than five years ago. 

According to the article, Finland should be spreading information and abetting research for the creation of new technologies that don’t harm the environment, and that control the exhaustion of nature’s resources. 

Many Oulu residents have expressed similar emotions. Niklas Jaskari, a local hairdresser, said, “it’s time people realise we cannot go on like this and we should start to care more about the world we live in. I’m very aware of all the news and I try to change my way of living to not produce too much waste and take the bike more often instead of the car.”

Additionally Helsingin Sanomat have published an article about the effects of the climate change on water regulation policies, reporting predictions that winter floods will become more and more common while the number of spring floods will decrease. 

A SYKE (Finland’s Environmental Administration) report states that frequent heavy rainfalls in winter “may lead to increase flooding in population centers and small-size watercourses in southern and central parts of Finland”. Therefore, “half of the present 220 water level regulation permits require amending.” SYKE warn that floods are not the only damage that might occur. Deluges also lead to an increasing eutrophication, they say, and more nutrients will be washed away into the waterways and make farming land meager.

Kaarlo Vähälä, an Oulu university student, thought that it had been raining more than usual this year. “It is too warm this winter. It is raining a lot more compared to earlier winters, and it certainly didn’t snow as often. The skiing season was way too short. The end of last year was exceptionally warm.” 

Oulu newspaper Kaleva have offered different local authorities a platform to state their opinion on comparative weather changes over the last years. Meterologist Hilppa Myllys argued that, though this winter has been very mild, it is nothing exceptional. In intervals of ten to fifteen years the winters are usually milder than ordinary, he states – but adds that the last few winters may give a foretaste of future winters. “You can feel the climate change this winter; days when the average temperature stays under zero have distinctly diminished over the years.”

Although winters have gotten warmer on average, summers haven’t become significantly warmer.

Keijo Kapiainen, chief of the Oulu hunting association, predicted that reindeer, hares and partridges will benefit from the mild winter. Without thick snow covering the ground, food is available continuously. Abundant rains however do not necessarily save the perennial plants of the forest such as bilberries and lingonberries, stated Kari Taulavuori, docent at the Oulu university institute of biology. 

Three strict stress factors during the present year will exist for plants, with no indication which one of them will be the most disastrous. In hot summer, the effects of early and mild winter or hard and dry frosts may destroy berry crops. High temperatures end the dormancy of some plants precociously and sudden reocurring frost destroys vulnerable buds. The total effects or damage this weather might have caused is not predictable yet. 

Local road master Seppo Nauska, of the road district of Oulu, said this year's ice road to Hailuoto island was one of the most short-termed in history, lasting little more than three weeks. The road was closed from traffic last week.  

Claus Neubuhr from Germany, commented, “I’ve lived in Finland for five years now and this is the warmest winter I have experienced. I cannot say that the summer has gotten warmer noticebly though.”  

Sabina Korva from Slovakia was more comprehensive. “Last summer there were almost no berries or mushrooms in the finnish forests. It was exceptionally dry. This winter the temperatures hardly ever fell under zero degrees. Changes in climate are definitely noticeable within the Oulu region as well.”

Please keep the topic of messages relevant to the subject of the article.
Name:
Title:
Comment:
	MathGuard security question: 7 + 9 =