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Monday, April 1, 2013

Observing Sweden - Week 3 - B




This house is in itself a mystery - high-tech with fire-wire internet.

There’s a UPS somewhere that turns lights on and off outside, and an underfloor heating system far beyond my comprehension.

Light switches are arranged in clusters, hard to figure out what turns things on and off, the ceiling’s full of little spotlight LEDs, each with a dimmer.
Six switches in this cluster, after three weeks I'm still unsure which one does what. A guessing game each night.

The refrigerator light does not come on when door’s first open, waits to see if one is really looking for something, maybe thirty-five or forty seconds, then illuminates . . . environmental friendly.


Other things I took for granted in the States are missing. This refrig does not make ice - first ice cube trays I've seen in years. There is no garbage grinder in the sink. Both things are missing for environmental reasons I suspect. Cat litter must be taken to the city dump a couple miles from where we live.


The dump itself is and environmental masterpiece, and free. There is no charge for getting rid of stuff. There are separate containers for paper, plastic, metal . . . old TVs. Still more bins wait for motor oil, old tires, cloth things and wood.




The wood is ground up and made into pellets for fireplaces. Plastic is recycled and somehow they make money from stuff they get out of the old televisions. Other Scandinavian countries send their trash to Sweden and pay for the service.


A watchtower that reminds me of a U.S. prison keeps an eye on things. Two guys in uniforms below make sure the rules are followed. Impressive.




Even Burger King’s environmentally correct. 


Three choices for disposal: Compost, Combustible and Drinks.

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