Energia-uutiset

Text by Markku Niskanen
Osmo Soininvaara, the Greens:
Emissions trading is
the best way of control
“The European climate policy would succeed better by just
applying a carbon dioxide objective. A sufficiently high price of
an emission allowance would also be the best way to control the
energy investments.”
“If each member state of the EU
was to cut its emissions in the
manner it sees fit, the results
would be better. There is no need to
use renewable energy as the compulsory
leverage of climate policy.”
This takes Osmo Soininvaara’s
thoughts elsewhere.
“To agricultural policy,” he replies
even before the question is uttered.
He raises two examples which give
cause for criticism:
“In the USA, they give maize, which
would suffice 200 million people, to cars.
This is their way of replacing 8 per cent
of the fossil fuels used in transport with
a renewable fuel, and at the same time
bringing up the grain prices. They should
use smaller cars! Even though palm oil,
which can be processed into diesel fuel,
is obtained in areas where rain forests no
longer need to be cut down and where
rain forests can no longer regenerate themselves,
the local residents must clear new
fields for food production.”
According to Osmo Soininvaara,
deteriorated food supply globally and a
rise in the price of food may soon reduce
the use of field energy.
However, he believes that the global
climate objectives can be reached.
“The use of energy can be intensified
considerably in the northern conditions,
too. Since buildings and transport account
for more than half of the energy used in
Finland, good results can also be achieved
through urban planning.”
Buildings consume much energy in
the cold Finland, although district heating
is a common method of heating also
in the smaller towns. Almost half of the
Finnish buildings are connected to district
heating networks.
On foot and by bike
Osmo Soininvaara comes to the cafeteria
located in the heart of Helsinki by foot.
He lives as he speaks and writes. This
observer and politician, who rode across
Europe by bicycle a few years ago, does
not own a car. He prefers public transport
and especially rail transport.
“This bad weather annoys me, since
I can’t do my daily bike exercise today,”
Marja Airio/Lehtikuva
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