The Kola peninsula, NorwayŽs neighbour in North West Russia, has immense environmental problems: A descript nuclear power plant, industrial deserts caused by emissions from heavy industries, and the worlds densest concentration of nuclear objects due to military activities. The environmental problems of Russia cannot be solved by experts without the Russians themselves actively participating in improving their lot.
The environmental situation in North West Russia are generally well known in Northern and Western Europe, and Nature and Youth does not see it as our job to collect more information about these problems. The most important work to do in northwest Russia in the future, is to find solutions for these problems, that the people there can live with. To find such solutions, we need a strong and independent environmental movement to fight for them.
As an organization with 30 years of experience in environmental, and NGO-work, Nature and Youth better than anyone can help the Russians to build up such a movement.
History; Nature and Youth have been working with the environmental problems on the Kola Peninsula since 1989, when we participated in a peace conference in Murmansk. During the conference Nature and Youth wanted to focus on the enormous problems in the region, and arranged demonstrations against nuclear ice breakers and nuclear submarines. In the conference Nature and Youth met a lot of Russian environmentalists. This was the tiny start of a co-operation between environmentalists across the borders. The certainty of common problems in the region made a co- operation between environmentalists in Soviet Union and Norway possible. An idea was formed about starting up an ecological center in Murmansk, and together with the Russians Nature and Youth could contribute to the establishment of the ecological co-operation center Gaia in Murmansk.
In 1999 the youth branch of Gaia broke out and formed an organization of their own. The name of this organization is Priroda I Molodezh, which means Nature and Youth in Russian. There are local groups of this organization in several towns and villages all over the Kola Peninsula. We have also started cooperating with Aetas, which is a regional environmental youth organization in Arkhangelsk. What Nature and Youth do in Northwest Russia
1. The PCB-project PCB is a synthetic substance, which is chemically produced. It is a pollutant, which is not biologically broken down. It heaps up in the food chain, which means the big animals on top of the food chain have accumulated amounts of PCB in their fat tissues. E.g. scientists have discovered that the livers of ice bears in the Antarctic should be treated as special toxic waste because they contain immense amounts of PCB. PCB troubles the breed of ice bears because it makes them bisexual, and stops the sperm production. If consumed by humans, PCB would have the same effect on us.
PCB was internationally banned in 1980. Also Russia agreed to stop using PCB, but in 1997 the authorities admitted the pollutant was still in use.
In 1999 members of Nature and Youth went on a trip together with members of Priroda I Molodezh collecting samples of sediments from places where we suspected PCB contamination. The results of analysis of these samples, and oil samples we have made later, are now about to result in a report concerning sources of PCB contamination on the Kola Peninsula and in the Arkhangelsk region. Our aim is to make the responsible persons clean up the PCB-contamination and of course to stop further use of it.
2. Green trips On these trips we meet classes, groups, and people, and try to start discussions around environmental problems, what we can do about them, and if it makes a difference to work with such questions.
We get in contact with Russian youth, and collect information about what kind of questions they are interested in. It is the Russians who know the local problems, and together with them we try to find solutions, and how to deal with these problems. This gives us a good background for finding out what kind of projects will interest Russian youth, and what they expect from us. When we arrange green trips we hope to get out information, make people interested in dealing with environmental problems, and contribute to activity.
3. Bjollecours Bjollecours is a course to build up self-confidence, among the participants, which many organizations for youth in Norway are using. Nature and Youth have made a special version of this course, for use in environmental organizations. The course is focused on different questions that people, who are dealing with environmental problems, are facing in their work. People who participate in a Bjollecours generally get more interested in environmental questions. The Bjollecours is meant to contribute to spirit and self- confidence among the participants. Nature and Youth have now translated this course in to Russian language.
4. Seminars Nature and Youth arrange seminars together with Priroda I Molodezh to educate the local youth on environmental questions like nuclear energy and PCB.
Nature and Youth Nature and Youth is the only environmental organization for youth in Norway. Our 100 local groups work on environmental issues all over the country. Nature and Youth seeks to be at the leading edge of the issues, speaking out on what needs to be done. We place environmental problems on the agenda, put pressure on politicians and bureaucrats, and point out solutions which are friendly to the environment.
An increasing consumption of resources is the main cause of environmental problems. In Nature and Youth, young people can work on issues they are concerned about, in their local communities. We look upon the local issues in a wider context. The threat to life on earth is made up of all the small, local environmental problems put together.
We believe that everyone must lend a hand if we are to solve the environmental problems. Nature and Youth is an organization for people who want to work actively for protection of the environment.