Last night we went to a reception at a castle that is right by campus (literally 200m from the nearest dorm). Several school officials, tourist department officials, and the mayor's office put together a few presentations as an introduction to Vaxjo, explaining some of its history, culture, and why it is called the Greenest City in Europe.
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| Teleborg Castle |
The city was first founded in the 13th Century, but none of the buildings in downtown are that old because they've been repeatedly burnt down by the Danes. The castle itself is actually the youngest in Sweden; it was completed in 1900 as a wedding gift from some obscenely rich King to his wife, because rings are for peasants.
The title "Greenest City in Europe" isn't just some self-acclaimed tourist hook fashioned by the same people behind all of those world famous hotdogs; these people take the environment seriously. The local power plant, which provides practically all of the heating and hot water for the city, runs entirely on wood chips left over from the Sweden's logging industry. There are storm drains all over the place that naturally clean rain water to preserve equilibrium in the city's lakes, which are completely healthy as a result of a cleaning initiative in the 1970's. The city is highly pedestrian friendly with sidewalks and paths everywhere, making the bicycle the main method of transportation. Even now in the dead of winter with snow covering the streets, Bikes are how I and much of the population get everywhere. I haven't had to use the bus or get in a car once yet.
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| The local parking garage |
In 1996 the community set forth the goal of eliminating fossil fuel usage by 2030. Yes, I said eliminating, as in a 100% reduction in the usage of fossil fuels. I can't help but draw comparisons between our environmental policy back in America (and Clemson):
"We've redefined success and still failed!"
In Sweden, this isn't some environmentalists wet dream that keeps getting postponed and redefined decade after decade by politicians pandering to an audience. Since 1993, carbon emissions have been reduced by 41% in Vaxjo, and they are on track to have 55% reduced by 2015. Not only that, but in the same time period, the city's GDP has increased by 63%. They've said they're going to eliminate fossil fuels by 2030 and they are going to do it.
I haven't even had to mention the fact that everything is recycled here; that's a given. Paper, plastics, glass, aluminum; they all have their respective bins and it isn't a question or a choice of whether or not you will recycle. Meanwhile, Tillman Place Apartments (my former apartment complex in Clemson) is struggling to get enough signatures for recycling bins to be introduced to the parking lot so that maybe a third of its inhabitants can use them. In fact, I don't know of any apartment complexes in Clemson that automatically have recycling bins. There are some around the dorms on campus and that's about it. Unlike Vaxjo, Clemson is a self-acclaimed "green" community. The environmentally friendly identity the University has fabricated for itself is laughable at best from the perspective of a Swede, or anybody who takes environmental issues seriously.
I don't want to downplay the hard work and effort that the people behind campaigns like Solid Green give because they're the ones that actually care and are trying to make a difference. I know there is research going on in many different departments related to the environment and sustainable energy and I am actually surprised and proud that somebody in Tillman Place started the petition to get recycling bins. Supposedly, there's even a plan to ditch the coal power plant by 2030. But to say that the Clemson community as a whole is "Solid Green" is, pardon the pun, complete garbage. It took less than a year to build the new Academic Success Center behind the library, but it's going to take 19 years to take the coal power plant offline? If reducing carbon emissions were as important to President Barker as becoming a Top 10 Public University,
we'd have renewable energy in a decade sooner at least. The environment isn't a priority; acting like it is, is.
I hate pointing fingers, but that's exactly what I'm doing. Barker's simply not going to prioritize the environment when the majority of the student population and alumni are Republicans who either don't believe in Global Warming or are too arrogant and lazy to care. Hell, you don't even have to believe in Global Warming to know that it probably isn't good for the environment if our main method of waste disposal is to throw it into a big pile and fence it off (or, even worse, burn it).
This faction simply doesn't exist in Sweden. You'll be hard pressed to find somebody off the street who denies global warming, much less every presidential candidate for one the country's leading political parties. Environmental initiatives get unanimous support from Swedish politicians, and, as a result, they get done without hesitation. It's almost comical how one of the most shocking things I've encountered in Sweden is a government that is actually capable of agreeing and accomplishing a task. And it shows: the dirtiest thing you'll find in the streets is muddied snow.
Maybe when I get back to Clemson I'll be foolish enough to start the same petition for recycling bins in Crawford Falls, but I think it's more likely they'll be vandalized than actually used. The students there are too used to using the pool, the volleyball court, and the parking lot as the trash bin.
I haven't even had to mention the fact that everything is recycled here; that's a given. Paper, plastics, glass, aluminum; they all have their respective bins and it isn't a question or a choice of whether or not you will recycle. Meanwhile, Tillman Place Apartments (my former apartment complex in Clemson) is struggling to get enough signatures for recycling bins to be introduced to the parking lot so that maybe a third of its inhabitants can use them. In fact, I don't know of any apartment complexes in Clemson that automatically have recycling bins. There are some around the dorms on campus and that's about it. Unlike Vaxjo, Clemson is a self-acclaimed "green" community. The environmentally friendly identity the University has fabricated for itself is laughable at best from the perspective of a Swede, or anybody who takes environmental issues seriously.
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| Fueled almost entirely by coal! |
we'd have renewable energy in a decade sooner at least. The environment isn't a priority; acting like it is, is.
I hate pointing fingers, but that's exactly what I'm doing. Barker's simply not going to prioritize the environment when the majority of the student population and alumni are Republicans who either don't believe in Global Warming or are too arrogant and lazy to care. Hell, you don't even have to believe in Global Warming to know that it probably isn't good for the environment if our main method of waste disposal is to throw it into a big pile and fence it off (or, even worse, burn it).
This faction simply doesn't exist in Sweden. You'll be hard pressed to find somebody off the street who denies global warming, much less every presidential candidate for one the country's leading political parties. Environmental initiatives get unanimous support from Swedish politicians, and, as a result, they get done without hesitation. It's almost comical how one of the most shocking things I've encountered in Sweden is a government that is actually capable of agreeing and accomplishing a task. And it shows: the dirtiest thing you'll find in the streets is muddied snow.
Maybe when I get back to Clemson I'll be foolish enough to start the same petition for recycling bins in Crawford Falls, but I think it's more likely they'll be vandalized than actually used. The students there are too used to using the pool, the volleyball court, and the parking lot as the trash bin.
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| Crawford Falls' broken glass pit. I mean,Volleyball Court. |
Regardless, it'll be hard to be wasteful again.
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