Today in Norway: A roundup of the latest news on Thursday
Young people in Norway have high levels of environmental toxins, more high rises could be built in Oslo, and the future of railway line in northern Norway is not settled. This and other news from Norway on Thursday.
The future of rail line not settled despite inquiry
The Norwegian Railway Directorate advised against constructing a railway line linking Tromsø in northern Norway to the rest of the country.
It said the project would cost too much, cause too much damage to the environment and cause issues for reindeer herding and Sami farmers.
Cecilie Myrseth, a Labour MP for Troms in northern Norway, said the investigation wasn't the final word.
She believes that politicians need to look past the finances behind the proposed track.
"If you only weigh it like this, then there is not very much that is profitable in northern Norway. It is politically willed that people should live in northern Norway and that we should develop the region," she said.
Young people in Norway with high levels of environmental toxins
Norwegian children and young people have higher levels of several environmental toxins in their bodies than is considered safe, a report from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health revealed.
The survey found that 99.6 percent of the 669 children and young people who took part had high levels of the toxin Bisphenol A (BPA) in their system.
Just over a quarter had high levels of PFAS in their system. BPA is found in packaging for food and drink, cosmetics and medical equipment, while PFAS is a large group of fluorinated substances. They are water, stain and grease repellent and are used "everywhere", according to the NIPH.
"The figures from the survey show that there is a need to introduce measures at community level to reduce exposure to BPA and PFAS in the population," Line Såstuen Haug, head of the Environmental Biobank and senior researcher at NIPH, said.
More high rises could be built in Oslo
Oslo City Council has adopted a new high-rise strategy that allows for buildings of up to 125 metres in the capital.
Ten places in Oslo will allow 70-metre-high buildings, while the upper limit for buildings has been raised from 117 to 125 metres in the area around Oslo Central Station.
Several projects around the Railway Square (Jernbanetorget) have been pending for a long time, according to Teknisk Ukeblad.
"We have made it clear which quality requirements apply so that this becomes more predictable for developers, politicians and us who deal with cases," Hanne Sophie Solhaug from the Planning and Building Agency (PBE) said.
Weather to turn over the autumn holidays
Despite a slightly warmer start to autumn, things are expected to get colder in many places. Some parts of the country could also see the first snow of the year.
"The weekend is a great opportunity to get out and enjoy the last warm temperatures before the season turns," meteorologist Eldbjørg Moxnes told NTB.
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The future of rail line not settled despite inquiry
The Norwegian Railway Directorate advised against constructing a railway line linking Tromsø in northern Norway to the rest of the country.
It said the project would cost too much, cause too much damage to the environment and cause issues for reindeer herding and Sami farmers.
Cecilie Myrseth, a Labour MP for Troms in northern Norway, said the investigation wasn't the final word.
She believes that politicians need to look past the finances behind the proposed track.
"If you only weigh it like this, then there is not very much that is profitable in northern Norway. It is politically willed that people should live in northern Norway and that we should develop the region," she said.
Young people in Norway with high levels of environmental toxins
Norwegian children and young people have higher levels of several environmental toxins in their bodies than is considered safe, a report from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health revealed.
The survey found that 99.6 percent of the 669 children and young people who took part had high levels of the toxin Bisphenol A (BPA) in their system.
Just over a quarter had high levels of PFAS in their system. BPA is found in packaging for food and drink, cosmetics and medical equipment, while PFAS is a large group of fluorinated substances. They are water, stain and grease repellent and are used "everywhere", according to the NIPH.
"The figures from the survey show that there is a need to introduce measures at community level to reduce exposure to BPA and PFAS in the population," Line Såstuen Haug, head of the Environmental Biobank and senior researcher at NIPH, said.
More high rises could be built in Oslo
Oslo City Council has adopted a new high-rise strategy that allows for buildings of up to 125 metres in the capital.
Ten places in Oslo will allow 70-metre-high buildings, while the upper limit for buildings has been raised from 117 to 125 metres in the area around Oslo Central Station.
Several projects around the Railway Square (Jernbanetorget) have been pending for a long time, according to Teknisk Ukeblad.
"We have made it clear which quality requirements apply so that this becomes more predictable for developers, politicians and us who deal with cases," Hanne Sophie Solhaug from the Planning and Building Agency (PBE) said.
Weather to turn over the autumn holidays
Despite a slightly warmer start to autumn, things are expected to get colder in many places. Some parts of the country could also see the first snow of the year.
"The weekend is a great opportunity to get out and enjoy the last warm temperatures before the season turns," meteorologist Eldbjørg Moxnes told NTB.
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