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Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Why is Finland so cool?

I really can’t believe another day has already ended. Today was another busy day filled with new experiences that led me to continue my praise of the Finns and their way of life. Our team awoke early this morning to get a jumpstart on the day. We had our first opportunity to ride on the train. Just to set the scene, I should tell you that Helsinki is a city of public transit. There is not any congestion in the streets because there are not a lot of cars in the city and there seems to always be a parking spot available if you are in need. The tram, known to Americans as the trolley, runs through throughout the city and is used by many. I was impressed to find that despite the large volume of passengers that use the trains, they were very clean. It’s far easier to have strong public transit systems in an urban area but even in the most remote areas of Finland like Isnas, there were numerous bus stops in the middle of the country.
            After reaching Vantaa, a part of the greater Helsinki area, we visited and Eco-school. Any school in Finland can become an Eco-school by paying a fee and meeting certain requirements. Eco-schools raise a green flag instead of a regular Finnish flag and are making efforts by managing their waste and enacting energy efficient practices. Even more interesting was learning about the Climate Strategy of the Helsinki Metropolitan Area, just to mention one goal: the city of Helsinki plans to reduce 39% of greenhouse gases by 2030. That is a huge number but if citizens can believe it is attainable, what reason have I to doubt them? After interacting with Finns for the past few days I believe they are fully capable of reaching that goal and who knows, maybe they will even exceed it. The Finnish mentality includes the idea that the environment is to be protected; they learn from a very young age that nature is a gift and should not be reckoned with.
            The Finnish continued to amaze me when I visited Heureka Science Center, our host for this trip, for the first time. The roles were switched in the afternoon as members of the Adirondack team presented to directors and staff members of Heureka. It’s impossible for me to pinpoint my favorite exhibit but I can say that I felt as though I was a child walking into the best episode of Bill Nye the Science Guy. I bicycled across a tightrope and taste tested chocolate, the interactives were never-ending. After exploring the museum and it’s exhibits, we attended an evening event where we met the US Ambassador to Finland, Bruce Oreck.
            One question has crossed my mind too many times during this trip. It’s a little silly but each day I learn more possible ways to answer it. Today was no exception, so the question remains: just why is Finland so cool? 

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