ARC Grant 2009 winner Tuomas Koskenniemi

ARC Grant 2009 winner Tuomas Koskenniemi from the University of Helsinki was one of the featured guests at a reception hosted by the American Resource Center on Friday, May 21.  The reception also marked the conclusion of the 13th annual Maple Leaf and Eagle Conference on North American Studies. This 4-day rigorous convention of distinguished experts and students in American Studies was hosted at the University of Helsinki.

The American Resource Center grant was established in 2006 to celebrate the library’s 60th anniversary. Tuomas Koskenniemi became the 7th Finnish student to receive the grant.  The competition is for students of Finnish nationality who are enrolled at a Finnish university and who are working on a master’s thesis on a topic related to the United States. Mr. Koskenniemi won the grant  with his master’s thesis titled “We Are All Georgians, Aren’t We? The Neoconservative Reaction to the Russia-Georgia War.”

Congratulations once again, Mr. Koskenniemi.

From left: Chancellor of the University of Helsinki Ilkka Niiniluoto, President Tarja Halonen, Chargé d’Affaires Michael A. Butler and Ambassador Derek Shearer

We were especially honored to have President Tarja Halonen speak at the opening session of the seminar.  We were proud to have U.S. Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Michael Butler read to the symposium audience a special message of congratulations by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.  Former American Ambassador Derek Shearer (1994-1997) came to share his personal narrative of his years in Helsinki and of the contacts he made with Finns over a decade ago and since that time, which remain active and warm.

Many experts shared their research on various aspects of the bilateral relations with enthusiastic audiences.  Presenters discussed the history, the present day and the future of the Finnish-American relationship.  Virtually all speakers underlined the fact that the excellent official relations rest on the bedrock of warm, close people-to-people relations between Finns and Americans.

Paratiisin pojat

One presentation, however, was in a very special class of its own.  Two top Finnish musicians – “Paratiisin pojat “  J. Karjalainen and Veli-Matti Järvenpää  – played songs of Finnish immigrants who  migrated to the U.S. in the early 20th century.  The two artists were talented and charismatic and gracefully did an encore following a standing ovation.

Their performance underlined – once again – the importance of culture – something that makes all our lives more fun and more interesting.  Culture helps build bridges and it helps us understand “the others.”  A special thanks to Paratiisin pojat.

Another cultural treat were two performances provided by students from the Helsinki Pop and Jazz Conservatory – at the beginning and to conclude the two-day seminar.   At the final concert, they were joined by Saxophonist Greg Badalato, who is also Vice President of the Berklee College of Music.  In jazz vernacular – they were “hot.”

I am pleased to note that as we continue to celebrate the 90th anniversary of diplomatic relations between our two countries, my section at the U.S. Embassy (the office of press and cultural affairs) will be hosting in Finland representatives of the multifaceted cultural scene of the United States. This June, the great grandson of Sitting Bull will tour in Finland to tell about his native culture.  Mr. Ernie LaPointe is a Sun Dancer who lives in the traditional lifestyle of the Lakota people.  I hope you will have an opportunity to hear him speak.  Later in the year, we will welcome a hip hop group from the Berklee College of Music – to share their special cultural expression with Finnish audiences.

In a three-day event, SciFest packed the Joensuu Areena with sophisticated displays that engaged visitors with the cutting-edge science that is changing our world for the better. I looked through new telescopes examining distant galaxies; watched as a remote sensors informed the “doctor” (me) about the health of my “patient” (a nearby plant that needed water); and learned of new products made from trees such as xylitol used to sweeten gum (free samples!) and medicine reducing the risk of cancer (no free samples!). 

Apollo 17 mission, 11 December 1972. This photograph was taken by scientist-astronaut Harrison H. Schmitt, lunar module pilot. (Photo Credit: Wikimedia)

Most impressive though was the way the presenters connected with the children – SciFest’s target audience who came from as far away as Taiwan and Kenya. As students built their own paper rockets and competed with homemade robots in the RoboCup competition, science suddenly became cool – and that is exactly what science needs to be to create the next Alfred Einstein or Rolf Nevanlinna.

The American GLOBE school program also aims to raise the profile of science among school children. The GLOBE program uses the internet to bring together science students from across the globe to participate in joint experiments with experienced American scientists. GLOBE school students are mapping weather patterns and tracking the health of forests – making science both relevant and fun!  Many of the schools participating at SciFest were also GLOBE schools. 

On SciFest’s second day, a US Embassy speaker, former astronaut Harrison Schmitt, received a rock-star reception from SciFest participants. Students packed the stands to hear Professor Schmitt described his Apollo landing on the moon. It is events like SciFest that bring the cool-factor back to science, inspiring the next generation of scientists to tackle the world’s most pressing challenges.

Earth Day was founded in 1970 by US Senator Gaylord Nelson. His call for cleaner air and water in the US was heeded from coast to coast. Earth Day had a special appeal among American youth who called on the US government and fellow Americans to support a healthier, more sustainable world. 

Earth Day flag (Photo Credit: Wikimedia)

So thirty-nine years later has anything in America really changed?  Absolutely.     

Earth Day spurred the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency, the Clean Air Act and the Endangered Species Act.  In the US, leaded fuel and gas guzzling cars have been replaced by unleaded gas and stricter fuel efficiency standards.  Since the 1980s the EPA’s Superfund has cleaned up hazardous waste sites, protecting local rivers from chemical contamination. In 2007, sulfur dioxide emissions fell below its long term emission cap of 8.95 million tons — three years before the 2010 statutory deadline – thanks to a USG cap-and-trade program.   

Today over 140 countries around the world celebrate Earth Day. Great progress has been made, but there is plenty left to do. America is ready to do her part. Recent stimulus funds are funding projects to put plug-in vehicles on the road by 2015 and improve energy efficiency so that 10 percent of our electricity comes from renewable sources by 2012, and 25 percent by 2025.  The US Congress is currently drafting legislation to implement an economy-wide cap-and-trade program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 80 percent by 2050.

On April 22, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced a new program to implement Department-wide environmentally responsible policies.  She also renewed her support for the Green League of Embassies – an effort started by our colleagues at US Embassy Stockholm to encourage US embassies around the world to apply “green practices”. Here at US Embassy Helsinki we have already implemented a comprehensive recycling program that covers everything from old cell phones to bio waste.  The Embassy has also saved energy by installing motion sensor light switches, and using  high-efficiency compact light bulbs at all  US Embassy residences.

Climate warming is progressing rapidly, and every positive change we make no matter how small makes a difference. So, Happy Earth Day Mother Earth – and here’s to another forty years of good environmental stewardship for moms, dads and groundhogs everywhere.

I am Wendy Kahler, Environment, Science and Technology Officer at the American Embassy in Helsinki. I arrived in Finland in August 2008 and will be working here for three years to promote cooperation between the US and Finland on environment, climate and technology issues. This is my first time living in Europe, having spent the last six years or so in Africa. As you can imagine, the weather here is a bit different than I am used to. Thanks in part to the generous spirit of the Finns, though, I have survived my first Nordic winter unscathed.  

I will be contributing to this blog as a way to discuss the Embassy’s work on environment, science and technology (we say EST for short!) issues, and generate discussion on these topics with the wider community. I must admit that I never blogged before coming to Finland. In most of Africa, internet connection can be spotty and full-scale blogging is not so popular. However, Finland is one of the most-wired countries in the world, so it seems only fitting to put that technology to its best use.

I welcome your insights and feedback on all my entries. If you have a specific question, I encourage you to post it on the blog. At the moment, I anticipate posting one new entry a month, and responding to any remarks within a week.  

Finland’s EST advancements matter to America, and I hope my entries will shed some light on how Finland and the US are working together to positively impact the global environment.

Happy Blogging!