The environment
The environment has always been an important issue in the Nordic countries and will no doubt continue to be so in the future.

The greenhouse effect is giving an increased cause for concern and is a subject of constant research.

One of the main problems currently facing Scandinavia comes from the east. The northern territories of Russia's Kola Peninsula, which neighbour the northern territories of Norway, Sweden and Finland, are a nickel-producing region. These mines and processing plants are the sole source of livelihood for a large part of the population.

The Russian waste, carried by the wind, is a serious threat to these areas. Russia produces an estimated 280,000 t of sulphur every year, which is five times more than the annual quantity of sulphur waste in Norwegian industry. Damage is already visible in Norway. The dumping of nuclear waste, solid waste, radioactive waste and reactor parts in the Barents Sea is common practice on the Russian side. Both parties acknowledge the seriousness of this situation; however, while no restrictions are observed in Russia, the Nordic regions are unable to take measures to save their environment. Co-operation is currently under way between the authorities involved, aimed at introducing purification methods and at the same time modernizing plants. This work has already started, but the magnitude of the problem involves a lot of time and huge sums of money.

There are strict regulations on the dumping of waste, whether sewage or industrial. The Nordic countries are proud to have earned a reputation as a clean region; nevertheless problems do arise in this part of the world as everywhere else.

The Baltic Sea, which once was clean and fertile, is also considerably polluted. Stocks of fish are extinct and bathing in some areas is dangerous. This time the Russians are not the only party to blame. All the countries with coastlines on the Baltic have accepted their share of the blame. Tight control during the last few years has produced some improvement, but a clean Baltic Sea is still a long way off. Despite these problems, the Nordic countries have managed to keep their territory remarkably clean, by maintaining very strict regulations.

As a result of a long history of environmental conservation, people in the Nordic countries tend not to consider these issues as anything new but rather as a part of daily life. Especially in the more remote parts where fishing and tourism are important, environmental conservation is a matter of survival in a market of increasing competition.