What does Greta suddenly have against wind power?

By Ingrid Raagaard

Sometimes wind power is associated with problems. Most who live near such facilities can subscribe to that. However, their voices are mostly ignored.

Until now!

Since Sunday, Norwegian climate activists have been demonstrating against five wind farms in Norway. Greta Thunberg has joined the protesters.

The activists blocked the entrances to the Norwegian Ministry of Energy. They were carried away by the police on Monday night so that employees could go to their offices on Monday morning.

The calm lasted only briefly, however, because the demonstrators returned. The blockade resumed shortly after 9 a.m. The Energy Ministry and five other ministries have therefore recommended that all employees work from home.

Europe’s largest onshore wind farm on the verge of collapse?

Background: Since 2016, plants with a total of 277 wind turbines have been built in five different areas in the Norwegian region of Fosen (north of Trondheim). The country’s four active energy companies wanted to further expand the wind farms, because Europe’s largest wind farm on the mainland was to be built on Fosen.

The Sami, the original inhabitants of Lapland, who live here with their herds of reindeer, protested from the start – and eventually went to court.

Supreme Court declared wind farm illegal

On October 11, 2021, Norway’s Supreme Court ruled. The 11 judges unanimously invalidated the permits granted for the construction of the 151 turbines. The wind farm project curtails the rights of the original indigenous people to practice their reindeer herding culture.

Nevertheless, in July 2022, the Norwegian government submitted a proposal to the Sameting, the Sami parliament, with the aim of combining reindeer herding and wind turbines. However, the Sami believe that nature in the Fosen region must be restored to its original character. Many facilities are to be demolished.

But 500 days after the court ruling, the wind turbines are still standing! Hence the protest with Greta Thunberg!

“A climate change that violates human rights is not a climate change worthy of the name,” the activist told TV2.

Oil and Energy Minister Terje Aasland (58) came into the ministry’s lobby on Monday morning and spoke to the demonstrators. One did not agree.

The protesters’ spokeswoman, singer Hætta Isaksen (25): “All empty words! No one takes a position on the fact that real living people have to live with this assault on a daily basis. This is a violation of human rights.”

Greta was not allowed into the government building

Greta Thunberg, who had come all the way from Sweden to support the Sami and Norwegian activists, first had to watch what was going on.

While the demonstrators were in the lobby of the government building, the police refused them entry. Only later was Thunberg and Hætta Isaksen able to give their opinion via megaphone in front of the building.

Thunberg: “The reason for our meeting here is to shame. The colonization of Lapland must stop.

Then the activists sang Norwegian songs like “Let the mountains live”. Most of the Sami wore their traditional red and blue robes – though often backwards. An activist: “It’s traditionally an expression of dissatisfaction.”

This is how the government wants to stall the seeds

Minister Terje Aasland was asked on public TV broadcaster NRK why the government is not complying with the Supreme Court’s ruling.

His answer: “The verdict says nothing about what should happen to the wind turbines. So we need to collect more information about reindeer herding in this area so that we can make new decisions.”