Finland's Short, Precious Summers Are Plagued by Goose Poop
Amid a late July, record-breaking heat wave, a very different flock has also been stalking the surf around Finland's capital: barnacle geese — white-faced, black-backed and ever-present. At night, they roost by the water's edge. Come daytime, as people spread out their towels, they waddle away, leaving small mountains of excrement in their tracks.
'There can be a shocking amount of poop,' acknowledged Jukka Lundgren, the manager of Helsinki's public beaches, who has spent 15 of his 18 years on the job trying to keep the sand from looking like a goose litter box.
Now, after Sisyphean summers facing down the fowl's feces, he thinks that he just may have found a solution: a wheeled cage with a strong resemblance to an old-fashioned hand lawn mower that is meant to sift the dirtied sand and whisk up only the offending feces.
The contraption may be Helsinki's most innovative poop-fighting effort yet. It is being tested this summer on about half the city's 25 public beaches. It was designed in-house by beach staff members, who drew inspiration from a public competition last year meant to crowdsource poop-scooping ideas.
Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Artist drowns sculpture in plastic waste in front of the UN during plastic pollution treaty talks
Switzerland Plastic Pollution Treaty GENEVA (AP) — As nations began a second week of negotiations Monday for a global accord to end plastic pollution, an artist heaped piles of plastic waste onto a large sculpture in front of the United Nations office. Delegates to the treaty talks pass by the sculpture daily in a reminder of their responsibility to solve the plastic pollution crisis. The talks are scheduled to conclude Thursday. Benjamin Von Wong, a Canadian artist and activist, designed the nearly 6 meter (18 foot) sculpture called the 'Thinker's Burden' and built it with a team. It's his take on the famous sculpture by Auguste Rodin, 'The Thinker' in Paris. There is a male figure in deep thought, like Rodin depicted. But instead of sitting atop a rock, Von Wong's figure sits atop Mother Earth while cradling a baby and clutching plastic bottles. A strand of DNA intertwines them to highlight the health impacts of plastic pollution. With the help of volunteers, Von Wong is adding plastic waste to the installation over the course of the negotiations to reflect the growing cost of inaction. He climbed a ladder Monday to reach the top of the sculpture and weave plastic bottles through the DNA. He put a plastic toy car in front. 'By the end of this week, we should have a sculpture almost completely drowned in plastics, however, the hope is, a strong and ambitious plastics treaty means that we can solve this problem once and for all,' he said. The Minderoo Foundation, an Australian philanthropic organization, was the largest donor for the project. Local nonprofits and community groups collected the plastic trash. Standing by the sculpture, Maria Ivanova, an expert in international environmental governance, said it 'wakes you up.' Ivanova is the co-director of the Plastics Center at Northeastern University in Boston. 'People don't change their minds because of facts. They do because of feelings,' she said. 'And this is where I think art is absolutely critical to shift the needle on policy.' Delegates and tourists stopped to ask Von Wong about his work and pose for photos in front of it. Michael Bonser, head of the Canadian delegation, called the artwork 'extraordinarily profound.' 'It gives us a sense, every day, of what we need to be doing inside the room, what we need to walk out with. And that's a deal that allows us to reverse the trend,' he said. 'That's going to be challenging, but I think it's possible.' About 3,700 people are taking part in the talks, representing 184 countries and more than 600 organizations. They are crafting the first global, legally binding treaty on plastics pollution. Many agree the pace of the negotiations needs to speed up. They arrived in Geneva with hundreds of disagreements to be resolved. The number of unresolved issues grew last week, instead of shrinking. European Commissioner Jessika Roswall said she's concerned about the lack of progress, and 'it's time to get results.' Roswall is commissioner for environment, water resilience and a competitive circular economy. United Nations Environment Programme Executive Director Inger Andersen told reporters it's still possible to agree on a treaty this week that ends plastic pollution. 'This is within grasp,' Andersen said. 'The window remains open to leave Geneva with this treaty.' ___ The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Arthur's Seat Edinburgh: Huge gorse fire breaks out as people 'run down hill'
A major gorse fire has taken hold of Arthur's Seat in Edinburgh, with flames seen for miles. Orange flames can be seen from the top of the iconic landmark in the capital, with one eye witness reporting seeing people 'running down the hill' as the blaze 'spreads rapidly'. Video footage from miles away shows smoke billowing into the air shortly before 4pm. A witness told Edinburgh Live: "There is a major wildfire on Arthur's Seat which spreading rapidly. READ MORE: The forgotten Edinburgh scheme where 'proud' locals say they feel 'abandoned' READ MORE: Edinburgh Oasis fans stuck in nightmare crowds as they try to leave stadium "People are running down the face of the hill to get away from it and smoke is spreading really fast." We'll bring you more information and updates on this breaking news story as we get it. In the meantime, follow us on Facebook, Instagram and X for the latest news, what's on, trending stories and sport. Join Edinburgh Live's Whatsapp Community here and get the latest news sent straight to your messages.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Applications to become firefighter in Scotland to open soon
Applications will soon open for full-time firefighter roles across Scotland. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) will begin accepting applications on August 14 and is encouraging anyone interested to start preparing now. Jon Henderson, assistant chief officer and director of prevention at SFRS, said: "We want people to understand what the role truly involves, from emergency response to prevention work in our communities. (Image: Supplied) "This is more than a job, it's a commitment to helping others, working as a team, and protecting the communities of Scotland every single day. "We strongly encourage anyone interested to take time to ensure their application reflects their motivation, understanding of the role and suitability and apply as soon as it opens." Read more: Rangers 'agree terms' with defender - but so do rival bidder Due to a limited number of positions, SFRS will cap the number of applications and will close the advert once that limit is reached. Full details on how to apply and where to access support is available at The recruitment campaign will feature real-life stories from serving firefighters to give potential applicants insight into the day-to-day realities of the job. (Image: Supplied) To help candidates prepare, SFRS recommends visiting its careers website, attending engagement sessions, and following its social media channels for updates and personal stories from serving firefighters. The selection process will include physical assessments, interviews, and a medical evaluation. There will also be an online session which will provide an overview of the role and the recruitment process. The session, which will be delivered on Teams, will take place on August 11, from 7pm to 8pm. Register here. SFRS aims to build a diverse workforce and is particularly encouraging applications from women, people from ethnic minority backgrounds, and members of the LGBTQ+ community, who are currently underrepresented in the service. While recruitment is open across Scotland, not all areas currently have vacancies, and candidates are advised to consider where they are willing to work before applying. Further recruitment campaigns are expected in the next six to 12 months. Applicants are advised to check the SFRS website and social media for updates and detailed information on the application process and available support.
