Eskers are long, narrow ridges made of gravel and sand deposited by a subglacial stream flowing beneath a glacier. Although eskers exist in other countries, they are abundant in Finland and are an essential topographical feature, with enormous eskers running across the entire country. In Finland, roads are sometimes built on top of eskers.
Northern Finland, especially the Lapland region, is close to the Arctic Circle, resulting in a tundra climate and terrain. Even in summer, trees barely grow, and mosses and lichens mostly thrive. This area is the traditional homeland of the Sami people, and reindeer herding is active. It is also a place where Finland's unique culture and nature meet.
Finland's lakes are mostly formed by glacial erosion and deposition, rather than typical crater lakes or fault lakes, resulting in complex structures. Therefore, lakes and eskers often appear together in Finland. Each lake has hundreds of small bays and islands, and irregular coastlines, displaying a complexity rarely seen in other countries. The most representative lakes include Lake Saimaa and Lake Pielinen, and Salpausselkä, which we saw earlier, passes around Lake Saimaa.
1. I understand that roads are sometimes built on the eskers in Finland, and I would like to receive a photo of the road scenery on Salpausselkä as it passes through Lake Saimaa.
2. I would like to receive a photo of the complex coastline unique to Lake Saimaa, one of Finland's representative lakes.
3. I understand that tourism is very developed in Lapland, with opportunities to observe the aurora borealis or visit Rovaniemi, which is decorated like Santa Claus Village. One of the reasons I chose Finland as a partner country for exchange is this beautiful scenery and the aurora borealis in Finland's winter environment. Therefore, I would like to receive photos of the scenery and the aurora in Finnish Lapland as if I were visiting there directly.
4. Due to the nature of Finland's climate, it will look very different from the residence of Korea, but I would like to get a picture of what the Finns look like on the outside or inside of their living space, as well as the everyday artifacts
South Korea has experienced a somewhat capricious spring in recent months. In March, contrary to typical spring weather, the country experienced two significant snowfalls until mid-March, accompanied by frequent rainfall, resulting in relatively humid conditions. However, the weather turned hot and dry in late March.
As April arrived, temperatures began to rise steadily. Warm air flowing in from the south resulted in a record-breaking average daytime high of 21.1 degrees Celsius for April. The Korea Meteorological Administration forecasts that temperatures will remain higher than average throughout the summer.
In summary, South Korea has recently experienced warm daytime temperatures, reaching the mid-20s, but cool mornings and evenings, with temperatures dropping below 10 degrees Celsius, resulting in significant daily temperature variations. Occasional spring showers have also been observed. Additionally, some days have seen high levels of fine dust, and dry conditions have led to dry weather advisories in certain areas. There is also a potential for yellow dust storms.
Looking at the recent weather in South Korea, it's clear that climate change is becoming more pronounced. Unprecedented weather phenomena are repeating, such as unexpected heavy snow in March and record-high temperatures in April. In particular, the average temperature in April was 2.8 degrees Celsius higher than the usual average, and the weather felt more like early summer than the typical cool spring. This abnormally high-temperature phenomenon seems to be a manifestation of climate change, like global warming, rather than a temporary occurrence. In addition to rising temperatures, South Korea is experiencing a rapid increase in wildfires due to dry spring weather and strong winds. Wildfires not only destroy forests but also cause air pollution and increase carbon emissions, leading to a vicious cycle that accelerates climate change. Furthermore, abnormal temperature changes affect the harvest time and quality of crops, potentially expanding into food security issues.
These phenomena are not unique to South Korea. Countries located in Northern Europe, such as Finland, are also experiencing the effects of climate change, including rising sea levels due to temperature increases in the polar region and the resulting decrease in Arctic sea ice, and changes in forest ecosystems. Finland has recently seen rapid increases in average winter temperatures, delayed snowfall, earlier snowmelt, and a decrease in ice thickness, leading to the reduction of glaciers and permafrost. These climate change issues are altering Finland's unique ecosystems, such as forests and wetlands, and reducing the habitats of northern animals, leading to a decline in biodiversity. Moreover, the reduction of glaciers and permafrost poses a risk of damaging infrastructure like roads and railways.
These environmental problems are serious international issues that require national and global efforts. Not only South Korea and Finland but also all countries in the world must cooperate as members of a global community to resolve these issues by establishing agreements and implementing concrete policies.
As one of the countries implementing the most proactive environmental policies worldwide, Finland has set a goal to achieve carbon neutrality by 2035 in response to climate change, which is 15 years earlier than the European Union (EU) target. To achieve carbon neutrality, Finland is phasing out the use of fossil fuels and has decided to completely stop using coal by 2029, while steadily increasing the proportion of renewable energy such as hydropower, wind power, and bioenergy. Currently, Finland covers more than half of its total electricity with renewable energy and utilizes nuclear power as a low greenhouse gas emission energy source.
Furthermore, Finland is recognized as a leading country in the 'circular economy.' The circular economy refers to an economic structure that uses resources as efficiently as possible, minimizes waste, and reuses waste as resources. Finland is strengthening policies to reduce plastic use, strictly operating recycling and separation systems nationwide, and introducing environmental labeling systems or encouraging the production of eco-friendly products for sustainable consumption by its citizens. In major cities like Helsinki, the country is reducing environmental pollution in the transportation sector by increasing eco-friendly buses powered by biofuel.
In addition, as a forest country with about 75% of its land covered by forests, Finland regards these forests as important carbon sinks and operates a circular system that allows only sustainable logging and replants trees as much as they are logged. Finland is also developing a bio-industry using wood and is striving to develop eco-friendly products such as biodegradable bioplastics and natural fibers.
Environmental education is also an important pillar of Finland's environmental policy. Finnish students receive education on climate change, ecosystem protection, and energy conservation from an early age, and many young people directly participate in local environmental protection activities. The government also actively encourages citizen participation by operating a 'Climate Citizens' Panel' to reflect citizens' opinions and incorporate them into actual policy decisions.
Hello, I'm Gyu-bee Kim, and I live on Yeongjong Island in South Korea. I am an Incheon Haneul High School student, interested in geography. I hope to learn about Finland. I chose Finland because of its beautiful landscape. I heard there is a place where the aurora can be observed, and I would like to know more about it. Also, I want to be a pharmacist, and I found out that Finland stands out in medicine. I admire the country’s contributions to these fields and hope to know more about them. I’m also interested in other countries, such as Hungary, each of which fascinates me with its unique culture and history.
