Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Sweden - Comparing Environmental Policies in 16 Countries - page 84

he Report forecast that unless the industrial world acted immediately the
entire world economy would collapse as early as the year 2020, leading to
mass starvation, poisonous pollution, and warfare. It was a sobering way
to start the conference.
Today global warming is one of the issues that concerns Sweden most.
Although the Arrhenius was the irst to discover the problem, for much
of the 20th century, it did not seem to be much of a danger. A number
of Swedes (including Arrhenius) thought a little more warmth might be
good. he country burns a lot of fossil fuel, and in a referendum in 1980
it voted to phase out its nuclear electric plants. At that time 12 nuclear
plants were in operation, supplying half of the Swedish electricity. In 1986
routine monitoring of them had detected the excessive radiation in the
atmosphere that was the irst sign of the Chernobyl accident in the Soviet
Union. Yet when the government moved to actually shut down two reac-
tors in 1997, public opposition was strong, especially from labor unions.
An opinion poll showed 66% of the public opposed closing the plant.
Sweden did not join the European Union until 1995. One reason for its
reluctance was that ties to Europe would violate its neutrality and might
suck it into war. Another was that its environmental standards were higher
than the rest of Europe. herefore, it negotiated a transition agreement
for its protection. Since then EU environmental standards have become
stricter, now matching those of Sweden. On the other side, Sweden has a
duty to implement the EU directives. Overall its record is excellent.
Margot Wallström typiies a political leader concerned about the envi-
ronment. As a young woman, just out of high school, she joined the staf of
the Social Democratic Party as the Youth League ombudsman. At the age
of 25 she was elected to parliament. In 1988 Wallström became minister
of consumer afairs, women, and youth, and later minister of culture
and minister of social afairs. In 1999 she went to Brussels to become
the EU commissioner for the environment. Ater heading the commis-
sion for 5 years, she was promoted to be a vice president of the European
Commission, that is, the executive branch (bureaucracy) of the EU.
CONCLUSION
Citizen participation has been a hallmark of these leaders of northern
Europe. At Wyhl in Germany, hundreds protested against a proposed