NationStates Jolt Archive

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/1310AP_Sweden_Renewable_Fuels.html

Tuesday, February 7, 2006 · Last updated 10:38 a.m. PT

Sweden aims to end oil dependency by 2020

By MATTIAS KAREN
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER

STOCKHOLM, Sweden -- U.S. President George W. Bush may have surprised international observers by pledging in his State of the Union address to break his country's addiction to foreign oil - but Sweden was already one step ahead of him.

The environmentally progressive Scandinavian nation has announced one of its most ambitious goals yet: to completely end its dependency on petroleum - and do it in the next 15 years.

"Our dependency on oil should be broken by 2020," said Mona Sahlin, the minister of Sustainable Development.


What do your native Swedes think of this? Do you think it will be realized?

Personally I wish them every success - if one country can achieve it, I suspect other nations may attempt similar schemes.

Of course, some of the Americans on this board will resort to using labels like "tree-hugging hippies" - prove me wrong guys.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/1310AP_Sweden_Renewable_Fuels.html

Tuesday, February 7, 2006 · Last updated 10:38 a.m. PT

Sweden aims to end oil dependency by 2020

By MATTIAS KAREN
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER

STOCKHOLM, Sweden -- U.S. President George W. Bush may have surprised international observers by pledging in his State of the Union address to break his country's addiction to foreign oil - but Sweden was already one step ahead of him.

The environmentally progressive Scandinavian nation has announced one of its most ambitious goals yet: to completely end its dependency on petroleum - and do it in the next 15 years.

"Our dependency on oil should be broken by 2020," said Mona Sahlin, the minister of Sustainable Development.


What do your native Swedes think of this? Do you think it will be realized?

Personally I wish them every success - if one country can achieve it, I suspect other nations may attempt similar schemes.

Of course, some of the Americans on this board will resort to using labels like "tree-hugging hippies" - prove me wrong guys.

As a swede I have a hard time to belive that we will do it, and then I am a friend of alternative fuels. :) Of course, if we do have this goal we will at least try to get in that direction so we mayby will loose some of dependency which is victory in itself.

Wow, that's cool. I really hope they succeed.

That's a good attempt! I hope they make it.

We certainly are not. Especially since the DOE tossed many alternative fuel researchers the day after shrubby made his "great" announcement.....

Sweden can do it, its just a matter of will power.

- Mariehamn the Wannabe Swede

This is very good, Go Sweden! och Svenska Akademin!
Du vill saa du kan, du kan saa du viiiiil

helsing fran Norje
(greet from Norway)

Sweden can do it, its just a matter of will power.
Hell yea, and if they do succeed.. Well, that would be awesome.

*makes plans to move to Sweden*

*makes plans to move to Sweden*
Hey shit.... Great idea.

Very ambitious. But keep in mind Mona Sahlin has been fired, what, two times already? I'm all for cutting the oil dependency, but something tells it won't be done in 2020. (For example: The Hallandsås tunnel project was started in 1993. It's an 8,5 kilometres stretch and it's still not done after 13 years. Plus it damaged the environment around it by leaking rhoca-gil)

I like the Minister's title- "Minister of 'Sustainable Development'". I hope they can do it, but the report does leave out a problematic lack of exactly what they'll be doing.

Sweden can do it, its just a matter of will power.

- Mariehamn the Wannabe Swede

You're in Aland, no?

You're in Åland, no?
Jovisst.

I hope those tree-hugging hippies succeed.

It'll be difficult, because oil is used for a lot more than just fuel. They have to change the entire chemical industry, in as far as they have one. And even then, any goods they import will be dependant on the oil dependency of the country they depend on for the goods..
I don't suppose they mean to go that far though.

Brave words from a country with no major fuel refineries.

If some country is going to do this, it's Iceland or Finland. Iceland has geothermal energy, which could be used to create a hydrogen economy. Finland has oil refineries and the actual knowhow and resources to inject more than nominal amounts of biodiesel into the market. Neste Oil is building a biodiesel refinery, due to begin production in 2007, with production 170 000 tons/year.

Sweden's current biodiesel production is 4000 tons/year.

Petrochemicals are used for more than fuel and energy production.

They are used to grow almost all of the food eaten in the West, in the form of fertilizers and pesticides. It is one thing for Sweden to stop using the fertilizers and pesticides - it is quite another to try and stop importing food from other countries, and try and screen them based on whether or not petrochemicals were involved in their production.

Then there's plastic. It's ubiquitous in modern Western society.

Not only do you have to stop using plastic in any Swedish manufacturing, you'll have to stop importing plastic or its precursors - because that's importing foreign oil.

Not as simple as it seems - I thought that Bush had an oversimplification, and I believe the Swedish plan, though a nice try, is still an oversimplification.

I don't think we'll be able to, but I hate that pain in the ass Mona Salin, so I might be a bit biased...

I don't think we'll be able to, but I hate that pain in the ass Mona Salin, so I might be a bit biased...

What's wrong with Mona Salin, out of curiosity?

I hope it succeeds, and leads the way for the rest of Europe. It could help consolidate the EU's drive to become a leading economic power (it's well on its way) by doing so.