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Nicole first visited the U.S. in 2016. She was shocked to learn that there were still those who don’t believe climate change. She was shocked to hear Donald Trump deny that climate change occurred during the 2016 election. She believes that climate change has been caused by humans and is not an opinion. She believes that most Swedes would be shocked that Americans continue to debate climate change.

Nicole believes that she learned about climate change while in middle school. This is just like Greta Thunberg (a Swedish student who started school strikes for climate reform in front of the Swedish Parliament in middle school). Swedish students are open to the climate science they have been taught and are willing to take action, rather than ignore it. They accept it, even though it is difficult to believe.

Sweden does not offer free plastic bags. For every plastic bag they use, the average price in Sweden is 65 cents. They are made of stronger plastic and most people reuse them as garbage bags. Sweden introduced a tax in 2020 on single-use plastic bags. People stopped using single-use plastic bags after they passed the tax. Instead of paying the tax, they started to bring their own cloth grocery bags or carry their goods from the shop in their hands. It’s a small thing, but it has big results for Sweden.

Sweden’s energy is 42% from renewable sources, while it is less than 10% in the United States. The U.S. is a larger country with higher energy needs. However, Sweden still uses a greater percentage of its energy from renewables, especially hydroelectric power.

Sweden’s recycling policy is a little different than the U.S. There are eight types of recycling in Sweden. Each recycling bin can be divided into ten smaller ones. Metals, newspapers, general waste, and colored glass all go in separate bins. Each has its own bin. IKEA sells an undercounter system that works well. You can store batteries in the additional compartment, and light bulbs in the other.

There are also recycling machines in Sweden’s grocery stores. You pay a deposit of approximately 15 cents when you buy aluminum or plastic cans and water bottles. When empty containers are returned, the machine returns the deposit.

Nicole was also shocked to see Americans buying so much bottled water. Most people don’t buy bottled drinking water in Sweden. Sweden’s municipal water is completely drinkable, so residents don’t need to purchase bottles. She says the water here smells and tastes bad. According to her, water in Sweden smells great and tastes great. They do not chlorinate their water as much, if at all, and they don’t add fluoride like us.

Sweden’s public transport system is excellent. It is very reliable and can be used for all purposes. There are fast trains that run between cities and buses that travel shorter distances. Nicole went to highschool in Lund, approximately 20 minutes from her village. Like most of her classmates, she took the bus to school every day. Sweden is a country that relies on public transport. She also rode her bicycle from her home to her university, which is about 20 minutes away. She claims that the roads in Sweden are more bike-friendly and have better sidewalks.

She couldn’t walk safely and easily between the major shopping areas in Valley View Mall when she went to shop there. To her, it felt dangerous. To get from Target in Onalaska to Walmart in Onalaska, she had to use an Uber. Sweden’s sidewalks are wide enough that people can safely walk between stores.

Nicole is quick to point out that these are her perceptions, opinions, and that it could look different in other parts of Sweden. As an environmental studies teacher, it seems that Sweden is far ahead of the U.S. when it comes to environmental policies and practices. It would be wise to study how other countries deal with environmental issues, such as Sweden. We could learn a lot by them.