Once again, it is time for the quadrennial ceremony that is meant to legitimize the existence of Parliament politicians. It is election time – a time to hold them accountable for the disasters they have brought upon the Norwegian people and the world at large. Unfortunately, it seems that politicians are increasingly more concerned with power and positions as phenomena, rather than as a means to serve those they represent. This, in turn, contributes to the phenomenon that fewer and fewer people find it worthwhile to cast their vote. It is also not so easy to sift through all the election noise and figure out what one can realistically expect from the various parties. It is mostly about choosing the lesser of the available evils.

Sometimes we just want change. Something different from what has been. It doesn't always go so well. Just look at the USA. They clearly wanted something different. The rest of us hold our breath and hope the world survives. Although we probably don’t have much to be proud of ourselves either. A Bergen sand-sprinkler who is busy spreading sand where her stray dogs have been and peed, or done something worse.

I think this government has been a disaster. Not when it comes to the economy or living conditions. Such things are now mostly independent of the politicians. When things go well, it is usually in spite of – and not because of the politicians. And when things do not go well, those same politicians have very little to contribute. It is always the ordinary people who have to fork out and pay the bill anyway. No, the disaster is that they have made it so that one feels ashamed to have to say that one is Norwegian. They talk about values, but discard all ideals that exist, both Norwegian and international.

We do not have democracy in Norway. There is hardly any country in the world that can boast of having true democracy. The city-states in ancient Greece had it. True democracy can hardly be scaled up to work for an entire country. Instead, we have something called representative democracy.

We choose those who will be our representatives. Let us choose worthy representatives, representatives we can identify with. The very least is that they must have a minimum of common decency.

But most importantly: Make a choice!

Godt valg

© Hans-Petter Fjeld, some rights reserved.

The other day I saw on Facebook some kind of poll regarding the 17th of May parade. In it, people were encouraged to express whether they think it is acceptable for flags other than the Norwegian one to be carried. It has, after all, become very relevant with an increasing number of people of foreign origin, both those who migrate to Norway and those seeking protection from war and persecution.
Many said NO – there should only be Norwegian flags in the parade. I don't think they have really thought it through. Because May 17th is Norway's national day. The day we celebrate the Constitution and the principles enshrined in it. The Constitution is the sum of Norway's history. The enterprising farmers, the weather-beaten fishermen and hunters, the adventurous Vikings, and all the hardworking people who extracted ore from the mountains. Norwegians have always loved freedom, but have also seen the necessity of having laws and rules to follow. "At lögum skal land várt byggja en eigi at ulögum øyða," said the old Frostating law, meaning, 'With law shall the land be built, and not with lawlessness destroyed.' Already in the 11th century, laws were important. And there is one thing worth noting: The old Norwegians did not go to King Solomon to have him judge their disputes; they took their cases to the assemblies (tings) and had them resolved there.
Our Constitution is not perfect. But it is the best we have, and I believe it is among the best in the world, so it is well worth celebrating. And celebrate we shall – but we must not "be self-sufficient." Norway is not a distant planet floating in an impenetrable void. Norway is, for better or worse, in the world.
Marching in the May 17th parade is how we show our Norwegian identity. We do not have military parades displaying weapons. We march in processions, sing, shout hurrah, and wave flags. And there are many different flags in the May 17th parade. Each school, each kindergarten, each band, each stand, each guild has its own banner under which they march. Everyone shows their identity, united under the Norwegian flag. There is, after all, no fundamental difference between a banner and a flag. Both are symbols of belonging. Of course, the Norwegian flag holds a special position, especially on May 17th. Those who are in Norway for various reasons, whether as guests, for work, or seeking protection, and who wish to participate in the celebration, should we demand that they erase their identity? Sail under a false flag, so to speak.
A ship sailing in the waters of another country flies its own country's flag and the flag of the country it is visiting. Flying its own flag is a symbol that shows identity, indicating where it comes from. The flag of the country it is visiting symbolizes that it is on a peaceful and legal voyage and has no ill intentions. In the same way, we can also look at different flags on National Day.
A flag from another country will not diminish the Norwegian one. On the contrary, it shows that Norway is a good and safe country where it is good to live. We should be happy that others want to celebrate with us, and that they want to show who they are.

Of course, it is now up to each individual which flag they want to carry, but as I said, I would find it natural to carry both flags for those who wish to do so.

Will the world last until Easter? Maybe, maybe not – stranger things have happened before. And besides, it’s not that long until Easter anyway. Besides, time is an oval thing, I’ve heard. The axes aren’t equal. Maybe that’s why the seasons jump around a bit. Just when summer is about to begin, there’s the worst snowstorm in a long time. Also, it’s usually considered commendable to be early. But the thing is, today I actually received the first Christmas present of the year! Yes, indeed. A Christmas present. And she was quite cheerful, the one who brought it and declared it to be an early Christmas gift.

It so happens that I easily develop a very close and personal relationship with my footwear. And good friends who have stuck with you through thick and thin, wet and dry, are not easily parted with. At least, one must try to gradually get used to the loss. A couple of times it has happened that I have been at the dumpster and rescued old, faithful friends – amid strong criticism and threats in harsh words, of house bans and worse.

But sometimes it's just over. When sudden sinkholes and persistent cracks appear in the millimeter-thin layer that is supposed to protect the soles of the feet from everything that could possibly trouble an unprotected foot, it's time to resign and let the garbage truck take what belongs to the garbage truck. Because I am a strong advocate of the universal use of moccasins – both fish entrails and party they must endure. And they do, but not forever.

Now, it's not as if I am currently wearing worn-out shoes. No, they still have good durability left. The problem is slippers. I have a pair of indoor slippers. The kind you can shuffle around the living room floor in. And they are probably not exactly new. Do you remember the old Kandahar ski bindings? The ones that had a little clip over the toe, and then a spring that tightened around the heel and held the boot in place in the bindings. If you ignore the spring, imagine the clip replaced by some thin woolen material, and then imagine something loose from the ski dangling around, partly under and partly behind the foot, that’s roughly how the old slippers look. But actually, there's nothing wrong with them. They’re not that old either, and they’re warm and comfortable. But then there are people who have set their eyes on them and decided that it’s advisable to replace perfectly functional foot warmers. Well, I’ll probably get over it eventually. Maybe. But then you also need to have a strategy ready for when the nights get long and the cold sets in. For Christmas presents in March – that is completely unacceptable, rude, and utterly reprehensible. Namely.

Now it's just a matter of finding a discreet – very discreet – place for the old slippers to hidewhen I take them off. They are just too good to go through every slipper's final journey to the eternal carpet floors. And then there's the fitting and adaption. It's particularly important to get the heel cup properly adapted for quick on and off.

World Water Day is on March 22. This year, the focus is on used water and what we can get out of it. Because we preferably like our water cold, clear, and clean. Once we have used the water, it no longer meets these requirements. Then we usually want to get rid of it as quickly as possible. But in fact, it is this used water that is the valuable water. We do not want to drink it or wash in it, that's true. It is not very appealing to look at, that's true. But it contains a lot of nutrients that we just flush away. So many nutrients, in fact, that it creates problems where it ends up. The ocean is unique when it comes to receiving nutrients. Because there is enormous production in the sea, and it needs lots of nutrients. We are used to the ocean absorbing everything it gets. But even here, it can be too much. Some of us may remember the algal blooms at the end of the 1980s. It was the dinoflagellate Chrysochromulina polylepis, which first bloomed along the west coast of Sweden and then followed the currents along the coast of Norway. It killed or damaged almost everything in its path, including fish, shellfish, and algae (seaweed and kelp). The bloom was due to overly nutrient-rich water, favorable temperatures, and other conditions being conducive to a massive bloom. There have also been several such blooms of different types of algae, but none with such extensive damage. In Northern Norway, we are more sparsely distributed, and there are fewer of us, so we are not as exposed. But even here, it is important to limit the discharge of nutrients.
Freshwater does not have as high production as seawater. Neither are mechanisms like tides, changing currents, and wave dynamics present, at least not to the same extent as in seawater. Therefore, freshwater is much more sensitive to nutrients than seawater. Especially phosphates lead to eutrophication in freshwater. In the area around Mjøsa, almost only phosphate-free detergents are used, which, together with other measures, have had dramatic effects on the water quality in the lake.
It is important to take care of water quality, both in rivers, lakes, and especially in the sea. If there are too many nutrients, eutrophication occurs, leading to overgrowth in the water, which becomes brown and murky, and dead plants and animals sink to the bottom. In the bottom sediments, bacteria break down the dead material. These bacteria consume the oxygen in the water. In the bottom sediments themselves, anaerobic decomposition processes take place. The result of these processes includes hydrogen sulfide, a toxic gas that smells like rotten eggs. The water becomes toxic and oxygen-deprived.
The same can happen in the sea as well. In fact, it is normal in threshold fjords where there is no exchange of bottom water beyond the threshold. Organic material sinks down and forms bottom sludge. This decomposes without oxygen and makes the water toxic. Occasionally, such water can be stirred up and come up from the depths, causing fish deaths. The discharge of nutrients from sewage and runoff from agriculture can pollute large sea areas and disrupt the natural growth cycles in the ocean. This can lead to algal blooms and oxygen depletion.
There are several ways to treat wastewater. The simplest is to let it flow into a tank so that the solid substances settle and form a layer at the bottom. The water then continues and infiltrates into the ground. This is how a septic tank works. That system works in sparsely populated areas. In more densely populated areas, a communal treatment plant is made. This means collecting the wastewater from several houses and treating it in a shared facility. Then it is also possible to further increase the level of sedimentation by adding a substance that causes the smallest particles to clump together so that they settle more easily. This can be combined with mechanical filtration. Sand filters are effective, but they take up a lot of space and require much work to clean. One method that produces almost completely clean water is to let the water trickle over bio-bodies, plastic units with a large surface area, while air is blown through the system. This creates a bacterial layer, a biofilm, on the surface of these units. This bacterial layer consumes the nutrients. Any pathogens are also consumed and deactivated. The bacterial layer on the bio-balls grows and must be removed periodically. Then, the bio-balls become ineffective until they develop a new bacterial layer. Therefore, this is usually done as a continuous process where a certain number of bio-balls are cleaned at any given time while the remaining ones continue to perform their function. The material removed from the bio-balls is a good fertilizer and soil improvement product. The same applies to sludge from sand filters and septic sludge, though following a maturation process in which bacteria and yeast break down nutrients and harmful bacteria.
Water is important! It is our most important nutrient. We cannot live without water. No animal can. Even camels and dromedaries, which can convert the fat stored in their humps into water, have to drink. And they drink a lot when they do. Some animals get all the water they need from the food they eat, but if they don’t get the water, they die. The sea is important. A large part of our food comes from the sea. As the world’s population demands more food, it is probably only the sea that has the capacity to provide this food. Moreover, a large part of the oxygen that life on Earth needs is produced in the sea.
Tank på havet. Tenk på vann.

We get clean, fresh water into our homes. First-class drinking water. The water we release is not quite as clean. We have used it to wash ourselves, to wash cups, clothes, walls, and floors. We have urinated in it and done other things in it. In short, the water we send away from us is not very clean. We usually don’t think much about it. We just pull the lever when washing, or pull the cord – well, nowadays toilets have a button, not a cord – okay, we press the button and whoosh – it’s gone. Before the time of water closets, there was the era of outhouses. Outhouses and dung heaps are fine as long as they’re not too close together. In towns where people lived close together, and all waste had to flow along the streets or in the gutters, it could be quite unpleasant to walk. By the way, the word 'dass' is of German origin. It is a euphemism for a euphemism, namely for 'das Raum' – the room, for an even worse designation for premises for bodily functions.

The ancient Romans were a clean people. They had a decent system. There were public toilets where one sat on a stone bench with holes in it, and the waste would fall into a channel and be carried away by a stream of water. There was also a number of sponges available, conveniently mounted on a stick, which one could use to clean oneself in the rear areas. Then you would just rinse it in the water stream and prepare it for the next “guest.” Practical and hygienic.

The upper class in Europe, at least the top part of the upper class, had toilet chairs – chairs with a built-in chamber pot to catch the noble excrement. The most advanced chamber pots even had built-in butt wipers. It was actually considered a prestigious job to be a royal butt wiper. Among the common people, the conditions were probably more Spartan. But regardless of the type of toilet used, the waste ended up in the street. And it was hardly pleasant to step in, no matter how royal it might be. Some of the waste perhaps went into a river or a canal and was carried away, but that same river was also drinking water for others. Runoff could also seep into wells and other water sources. Eventually, it became quite intolerable. People started to build sewers and water pipes. In London, in the 1850s, 2,100 kilometers of water and sewer pipes were constructed. This led to a dramatic decrease in mortality. Cholera and other diseases almost disappeared.

The importance of a well-functioning sewage system is obvious. Many, especially in sparsely populated areas, have septic tanks. It is a small treatment plant in miniature. It is a tank with several chambers where solid materials are allowed to settle, and there is also a composting process of the waste. So the solids settle at the bottom, and the water is directed into an infiltration pipe, where it is purified by seeping into the soil. The tank must be emptied at regular intervals, and the settled solids are transported to a landfill. In denser settlements, there is usually a public sewer system. The sewage is transported away through pipelines. If the terrain slopes, it is quite simple. Then you just lay a pipe, and the water flows downward on its own. But often there are obstacles, uphill sections. Then you may need pumps to get the sewage where you want it. Here in Sørreisa, we have a total of 11 stations that pump sewage. Each station has a sump with two pumps. They alternate in operation, one at a time. If the level rises in the swamp, when a single pump can no longer keep it at bay, both start.

But where should we then put the waste? It is infectious and unappetizing, and it smells bad. Should we release it into the sea? A fjord into which wastewater is discharged is called a recipient—a receiver. One can then calculate how much discharge a recipient can tolerate before it starts to become polluted. This depends on several factors. Weather, waves, and currents are very important. We no longer release untreated sewage into the recipients. Nevertheless, some dry matter remains, depending on the degree of treatment. Calculations are made of the amount of dry matter, and a discharge permit is issued. Measurements and analyses are usually conducted to document that the calculations are correct and that the treatment works as it should.

Wastewater treatment can be done in several ways and to varying degrees, depending on how sensitive the receiving environment is. One method is to release the wastewater into a tank and allow the solids to settle to the bottom. Then, relatively clean water can be skimmed from the surface and released. Alternatively, chemicals can be added so that small particles suspended in the water stick together and become large enough to sink. The water that comes out will then be quite clear. But further treatment is possible. For example, water can be trickled over bio-bodies. These are plastic structures designed to have a large surface area that also has good access to air. The surface of these structures will eventually be covered by a biofilm, a layer of microorganisms that consume the pollutants in the water. Periodically, some of these structures are removed and cleaned of biofilm. They then re-enter the process and build a new layer…

This is how one can continue to purify water until it can be used as drinking water again. But we rarely do this in Norway. We usually have new water to use for that. However, the collected substances, including washed-off biofilm, sludge from septic tanks, sediment from municipal sludge separators, and sludge from treatment plants, are transported away and either deposited or further processed until they can be used as fertilizer or soil conditioner.

For both private and public sewage systems, it is important to ensure that drainage water does not enter the sewer. This creates challenges for capacity, both in the pipelines and any pumps, and it can cause sewage to flow back into houses during flood conditions.

In Sørreisa, many people have private sewage systems with septic tanks. Additionally, we have some public sewage systems with sludge separators. Then we have two treatment plants, one where the wastewater is allowed to settle in a tank, and then the sludge is flushed into a storage tank. The water is decanted, skimmed off, and released into the sea. In the other, chemicals are added to increase sedimentation, but here the decanted water is released into freshwater. Therefore, a higher level of treatment is required.

Maintenance of sewage systems is demanding. The system has been developed over a long period, and different materials have been used. Sometimes, ground settling causes the pipes to separate, leak, or get crushed and blocked. Where there are concrete pipes or other pipes with joints without seals, it is a favored spot for various plants to send in their roots to absorb high-quality nutrients. Paper and other debris then tend to get caught in these roots, and the pipes can become blocked. Such pipes must be replaced or cleaned. Sometimes we need to insert a camera into the pipe to find out what is wrong. Pump stations and pumps must be maintained and overhauled at regular intervals.

Overall, there are many things to be mindful of and many processes at work. Think about this a little every time you flush the toilet. And remember: do not empty the mop bucket into the toilet. Clumps and mops are the worst things that can get into our pumps. This leads to having to lift the pump, disassemble and clean it, and then lower it again. Sometimes such things can damage the pump's seal and result in costly repairs. Wet wipes are also something we dislike. They are made of fibers that do not dissolve in water, can get caught, cause clogged pipes, and may damage the pumps by getting between the impeller and the seal.

Hvorfor har vi vær?
Ville vi hatt det bedre uten vær? Noen ganger kan man vel ønske seg inderlig at det skulle være litt mindre vær. Motoren som driver været er i hovedsak solen, men også tidevannskrefter fra jordens rotasjon og fra månen er med på å tilføre energi til været. Jo varmere jorden blir, jo kraftigere blir været. Selve kjernen, stempelet i motoren som driver været er vann som samler energi ved jordoverfalaten (eller havflaten). Det fordamper og stiger opp sammen med soloppvarmet luft. Etterhvert som det stiger opp, synker temperaturen og dampen kondenseres til regn. Under denne

Lavtrykk over Island (wikipedia)

prosessen avgir den varme til omgivelsene, luften og den oppadstigende luftstrømmen forsterkes. Når luften stiger opp slik blir det mindre luft ved overflaten. Det har oppstått et lavtrykk og luft begynner å strømme til fra alle kanter for å fylle opp «tomrommet». Det har oppstått et lavtrykk.
Luften prøver å strømme rett mot lavtrykket, men det får den ikke til. På grunn av jordrotasjonen vil den bøyes av til høyre nord for ekvator og til venstre sør for ekvator. Dette kalles Coriolis effekt. Vinden strømmer inn mot lavtrykket i en spiral, mot klokka nord for ekvator, med klokka på den sørlige halvkule.

På grunn av den oppadstigende luften og fuktigheten som kondensere i høyden følger det alltid skyer og nedbør med lavtrykk.

Det motsatte er tilfelle med høytrykk. Høytrykk dannes der overflatetemperaturen er lav. Kald luft siger ned og blir oppvarmet. Det fører til at luften blir tørrere og skyene forsvinner. Luften forsøker å strømme rett ut fra høytrykket, men også her gjør Coriolis effekt at den strømmer i spiralform, men den sirkulerer i motsatt retning av lavtrykkene. Høytrykkene forbinder vi med godt og klart vær.

Noen høytrykk er permanente, andre er tilbakevendende. For eksempel er det et permanent høytrykk over sydpolen. Det gjør at sydpolen er jordens tørreste område. Det kan også forårsake drepende kalde, sterke vinder fra polplatået. Andre tilbakevendende høytrykk er et kraftig høytrykk over Sibir. Dette dannes på vinteren og kan vare i månedsvis. Det fører til ekstremt lave temperaturer og påvirker været på hele nordkalotten. Et annet er et høytrykk over Azorene som påvirker været i Europa, Nordafrika og hele Nordatlanteren. Noen ganger kan det strekke seg helt over til Amerika og da kan det styre tropiske orkaner inn mot kysten.

Vær er mye mer enn lavtrykk og høytrykk. Det er passatvinder, monsunvinder, jetstrømmer,havstrømmer, bølger, hadleyceller og mye mer. Men alt i alt, det været gjør er å transportere energi fra der det er hett til steder der det er kaldere.

Hvis vi ikke hadde denne effekten ville temperaturen ved ekvator bli drepende høy, og tilsvarende ville temperaturene på nord- og sørkalotten bli ulevelig lave. På grunn av været blir solenergien fordelt over hele kloden og den biologiske produksjonen kan foregå overalt.

Selv om det kan synes slik av og til, så bor vi ikke her til tross for været, vi bor her på grunn av været.

Les mer om været på <a href="/en/»http://met.no»/">met.no</a> eller på <a href="/en/»http://yr.no»/">yr.no.</a> <a href="/en/»https://no.wikipedia.org»/">Wikipedia</a> har også mye stoff om vær