With the Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg as a draw, the Sámi’s demonstration against the wind turbines at Fosen is getting massive attention. At the same time, the core of the conflict is part of the reality in many Norwegian local communities. Blah, blah, blah… What? What Greta Thunberg likes to refer to as “blah, blah, blah”, are in reality difficult choices between climate, nature conservation and the neighbour’s job – whether the neighbor is a reindeer herder or an industrial worker. Activists against wind turbines at Fosen at the Ministry of Oil and Energy Photo: Emrah Senel / news The politicians are in an almost unsolvable dilemma where different considerations are pitted against each other. Such an example is now unfolding in the small mountain municipality of Røyrvik on the Swedish border, in the far north of Trøndelag. Almost as if taken out of a TV drama. A depopulated rural community against an internationally listed company. Promises of magic and millions worth against indigenous people and a threatened reindeer husbandry industry. The fear of hazardous waste is opposed to the need for minerals for the green shift. Lurking behind the scenes are top lawyers, local politicians and a powerful ex-politician and spin doctor. And both big politics and China are singing in the background. It is almost as if you would think the scriptwriters of TV series such as “We promise hell” and “Borgen” have visited. Probably only the local newspaper has been there. Gold or greystone? The population in Røyrvik is declining, and it is not easy to see what the 429 people who are still clawing their way through will live on in the future. Now the Swedish company Blue Lakes Minerals will start mining in the municipality. They promise jobs, growth and investments in the 750-million range if they are allowed to extract copper and zinc from the mountains. We want to create magic, says the company’s communications manager. It is none other than former minister and Labor leader Bjarne Håkon Hanssen, who is now a partner in PR agency Kruse Larsen. According to Hanssen, this is a historic opportunity for a municipality where the population is plummeting, in a region that is struggling to cope. A green bonus is that the minerals in the ground are a necessary ingredient in the green shift. Is reindeer herding + mining = true? The consequences of new mining Joma mines in Røyrvik have been investigated. Uncertainty is linked to reindeer husbandry and water quality. For 500 years, the area has been pasture for reindeer, which is the largest primary industry in the municipality. Now the reindeer owners fear that their area will be destroyed forever. At the same time, the politicians are excited by the opportunities that mining can provide. But it is not conflict-free. Some fear that the village will be divided. It caused attention that the company used lawyers to put pressure on the municipal council. Namdalsavisa, which covers the case closely, has written that the mining company believed the municipal director and members of the municipal council may be disqualified because they have “Sámi interests”. Same, same, but different Although the cases are different, there is a clear parallel to the controversial Fosen case. In 2013, Fosen wind received the go-ahead from the government to build a wind farm on the Fosen peninsula. The background was long-standing concern about energy shortages in the region. For a long time there was near cross-party agreement that wind power was the green gold of the future. The media enthusiastically clapped along. But the Sami, who had used the area for reindeer husbandry, complained about the matter to the legal system. In 2021, it will be determined that the development is in breach of human rights and the Sami’s right to cultural practice. 500 days ago The Fosen verdict: Demonstrations in the ministry But the verdict says nothing about the most important point of appeal: What will happen to the wind farm that has already been built. The demonstrators and the Sami Parliament are crystal clear that the wind turbines must be demolished. But the government’s stated goal has been a solution that safeguards both reindeer husbandry and wind turbines. Sámi Parliament President Silje Karine Muotka inspects the wind power plant at Storheia on the Fosen Peninsula. Photo: Samuel Frode Grønmo / news It seems like a dream from Disneyland. It has now been 500 days since the verdict was handed down. The pressure on the government is increasing, also from their own union representatives. But the pressure is also increasing against the country’s local politicians. Because even though our country may seem enormous, the battle for the areas will intensify. For these two cases illustrate some of the biggest dilemmas Norwegian politicians face: The need for new energy will only increase. At the same time that oil and gas will eventually be phased out, we are faced with a great need for electrification. At the same time, in recent winters we have seen how demanding the high electricity prices are for people and businesses. We are a cold, dark country where we as consumers are very dependent on electricity. The war in Ukraine and the electricity crisis in Europe have fully shown how dependent we have become on Russian oil and gas. Everyone agrees that we need more of everything. Now. But what should we develop? And not least where? Most of the wind power applications were shelved when opposition to wind power increased. Politicians have turned their thumbs down on nuclear power, which is a long-term solution anyway. Now everyone is talking about offshore wind, but there is no short-term solution either. North of Dovre in particular, there is a debate in many municipalities about getting new wind power projects going. The background is real concern about power shortages. Today you have to say no to companies and industrial establishments because the region lacks power. For many societies, it is experienced as a to be or not to be in order to have “light in the house”. In January alone, Statnett said no to over 40 applications for electricity connection in the north. One of them is the fish feed producer BioMar in Vesterålen. At the same time, the pressure is increasing to accelerate new wind power projects. Many are located in Northern Norway. Two of these are located in Lebesby and Gamvik in Eastern Finnmark. There have already been strong protests from reindeer husbandry. All experience indicates that it does not work to have it in Sami areas, says Beaska Niillas from the Norwegian Samirs Riksforbund (NSR). It is worth noting that reindeer herding is carried out on an estimated 40 percent of the land area in Norway. The mineral industry has so far been in the valley of shadows Mining has also not been particularly popular in Norway or in western countries. One associates it with pollution and old-fashioned workplaces. More people have now opened their eyes to the fact that minerals and rare earths are absolutely necessary for the green shift. They are important ingredients in the production of powerful magnets and electronics, which are used, among other things, in smartphones, electric cars, solar cells, wind turbines and hydrogen technology. Several reports show that there could be a critical shortage of a number of minerals and rare earths. High energy prices and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine have also led to sharp price jumps and concerns about deliveries in the metal market. One country that hasn’t slept through the hour is China. China has dominated the market for rare earths, and has bought up mines and areas, not least in Africa. And China is known to be neither afraid of sacrificing nature nor the interests of indigenous peoples. They not only have control over the natural resources, but also the best technology and a number of patents. It worries more and more people, including the EU president and NHO’s Stein Lier-Hansen. Because this is not only raw material in green technology, but also critical components in high technology such as fighter planes, missiles, weapons, PCs and medical equipment. They are essential, but difficult to get out of the ground and put into production. Dangerous dependence In the new year, everyone nodded when NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said at NHO’s annual conference how dangerous it was to become dependent on authoritarian regimes. We must not make the same mistake as with Russia. We must become less dependent on China, was his message to Norwegian politicians and business leaders. It is easy to agree when you are sitting in a conference hall in Oslo. It is far more difficult when, as a local politician, you have to make trade-offs between climate and nature, between business and Sami interests. Which concerns both the future of the municipality and the workplace of the neighbour. It can simply be a little hell.
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It can be hell – Speech
