The majority of members on Iceland’s working group on the protection of sea birds have controversially decided that complete protection of five species is the only way to strengthen their numbers. Read the full story

In a recent report issued by global climate change watchdogs, Sweden was ranked as doing the most to tackle greenhouse emissions. The Climate Change Performance Index is a ranking put together by the NGOs Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe and Germanwatch. Saudi Arabia was placed at the bottom of the list. Read the full story

During the bright summer season in Norway, hikers, hunters and nature lovers flock to the mountains (fjellene) to enjoy the scenery and exercise. But local government officials are concerned that there are too many visitors these days and they are irreparably damaging the fragile alpine environment.

Local officials in Oppland and Hedmark are trying to shut down two of the most popular trails in Dovre National Park. They are also attempting to Read the full story

Sweden has unveiled a new high-speed train that will reduce energy use by 30 per cent over its existing trains. The Grona Taget (Green Train), which can hit speeds of 295km/h, is currently undergoing trials in Sweden.

The energy efficient trains produced by engineering firm Bombardier aim to become the industry leader for the next generation of high-speed trains. The Green Train meets all existing traffic and technical requirements in Sweden, meaning that it can use tracks that are already in place. Per Kyhle, the senior technical strategist at Swedish rail authority in Banverket, explains “we want to operate as fast and efficiently as possible using the present infrastructure, which often means sharing single tracks with cargo and regional trains. The tests (using the Green Train) have proven these aims are realistic.”

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