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Golfer Matilda Castren made headlines this week when she became the first Finnish player to win an LPGA (Ladies Professional Golf Association) championship.
Castren, 26, defeated Taiwan Min Lee to win the final round of the LPGA Mediheal Championship, which took place on Sunday at Lake Merced Golf Club in Daly City, California (USA).
Before her win, Castren’s best LPGA result was an eighth at the 2020 Drive On Championship in Georgia, USA.
Finland’s rare Saimaa ringed seals were also featured on the news this week as the focus shifted to their uncertain future. Climate change, tourism and the fishing boom are the main threats to the endangered species – one of the few freshwater seals in the world.
Activists like retired photographer Juha Taskinen have been working tirelessly for decades to draw attention to the plight of animals.
While the Saimaa ringed seal population has grown from only about 100 to about 430 since the 1970s, the survival of the species remains threatened by warmer winters and commercial fishing nets.
The international media were also enthusiastic about the news that an ambitious brewery in Finland has started using goose droppings to make beer.
Lahti-based microbrewery Ant Brew will be launching a new line of beers, aptly titled Wasted Potential Imperial Stout, that will feature recycled goose droppings as one of its ingredients.
According to a statement, the feces that are collected from local parks and cause clutter are “used to smoke malt” in a “food-safe manner”. The unique and environmentally friendly brew is one of three beers intended to draw attention to waste recycling.
In addition, newspapers reported that Adidas plans to invest 3 million euros in Finnish sustainable materials company Spinnova. The German multinational corporation, the largest sportswear manufacturer in Europe, wants to make its products more sustainable.
Spinnova has developed a patented technology that makes textile fibers from wood or agricultural waste. The funding from Adidas would bring the total investment in the company’s planned IPO to 58 million euros.
Finland and Spain have now agreed to work together to combat depopulation and islanding. Depopulation – a significant decrease in the population of an area – could create economic problems and other challenges.
Both countries hope to make the issues a priority for the EU, especially as the organization develops new guidelines. The State Secretary of the European Union, Juan González-Barba, visited Finland in the company of representatives from Spain’s Aragon, Castile-La Mancha, Castile-León and the Balearic Islands.
Matilda Castren is the first Finn to win the LPGA championship
Matilda Castren made history this week by becoming the first Finnish female winner in LPGA history. The 26-year-old hit Taiwanese Min Lee with a final birdie putt, despite starting two strokes behind her, which put her in first place at the LPGA Mediheal Championship on Sunday.
This was the fifteenth start at the LPGA for Castren, who jokingly noted that many people in her home country must have lost sleep when she tee off at 1am Finnish time.
The golfer also confessed that she had doubts about winning the title, saying she hoped her win will inspire young girls to aim high and achieve their dreams.
The original story was published by Golfweek on June 13th, 2021 and can be found Here.
Finland’s Saimaa ringed seals face an uncertain future
The Saimaa seals, a rare subspecies of the ringed seal (Pusa hispida), have become a popular icon in Finland; However, they are threatened with extinction due to factors such as climate change, post-pandemic tourism, and net fishing.
Juha Taskinen, who was awarded the title “Norppa†in Finland, has drawn attention to the precarious situation of endangered animals through his work. While Taskinen and others helped restore some of the seal population, their future remains uncertain.
The animals gradually got used to tourists who often visit Lake Saimaa by boats and jet skis. Taskinen thinks this is a good sign as they have returned to areas where they were once hunted.
The original story was published by Atlas Obscura on June 16, 2021 and can be found Here.
Finnish brewery uses goose bumps to create unique beer
Finnish microbrewery Ant Brew is introducing a new stout beer made from goose droppings. The experimental brew was inspired by the hometown of beer company Lahti, which will be the Green Capital of Europe in 2021.
According to a statement released by Ant Brew, the droppings are “used food-safe to smoke malt into a unique stout” and are collected in local parks, accomplishing the dual purpose of cleaning up the city’s surroundings.
The new beer, which bears the name Wasted Potential Imperial Stout, is said to be the brewery’s way of initiating a discussion on “recycling of waste, urban agriculture and local and wild foods among beer loversâ€.
Original story was published by TimeOut on June 15, 2021 and can be found Here.
Adidas invests in Finnish company for sustainable materials
The German sporting goods manufacturer Adidas has agreed to buy shares worth 3 million euros when the Finnish company Spinnova went public. Spinnova uses a patented technology to convert wood or agricultural waste into textile fibers.
The sustainable materials company is currently building its first commercial factory in Finland with the Brazilian wood raw material supplier Suzano. In addition, a plant for the production of fibers from leather waste is put into operation.
Adidas is looking for ways to incorporate more sustainable materials into its products and is also working with Finnish start-up Infinited Fiber to research technologies that convert used clothing into a cotton-like material.
The original story was published by Reuters on June 10th, 2021 and can be found Here.
Finland and Spain are cooperating in combating depopulation and islanding
EU State Secretary Juan Gonzalez-Barba visited Finland together with delegations from the autonomous Spanish regions of Aragon, Castile-La Mancha, Castile-León and the Balearic Islands to enable cooperation on issues of common interest – in particular the challenges of depopulation and the island situation – with the aim of making it a priority of EU policy.
For the first time, the EU State Secretary traveled to an EU country with regional representatives for bilateral talks. The economies of the inhabited islands have been particularly hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The delegation met in the city of Oulu and on the Ã…land Islands, currently the only European island region with political autonomy in the Baltic Sea.
The original story was published by MarketScreener on June 16, 2021 and can be found Here.
Tahira Sequeira
Helsinki times
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