Freedom to Roam Is 'Every Man's Right" in Sweden

Freedom to Roam Is 'Every Man's Right" in Sweden
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Freedom to Roam Is 'Every Man's Right" in Sweden

Freedom to Roam Is 'Every Man's Right" in Sweden

Some countries have easier measures when it comes to camping permissions and roaming in private lands. However, in Sweden, the right to roam is protected by the law. Known as "Allemansrätten", the right to roam in Sweden allows all citizens to wander freely in nature, even in private properties. This means people can head to a vast forest for camping around fire, searching for food, swimming, or taking a boat ride in one of many lakes and rivers, the German News Agency reported.

While many other European countries such as Scotland, Austria, and Switzerland ensure their citizens the freedom and right to roam in public, the Scandinavian laws are the most welcoming regulations for wanderers. Yet, there are actually some rules! In Sweden, people are allowed to set fires in forests as long as they use the wood found on the ground, and act responsibly. However, they are not allowed to break or cut tree branches, or write on their trunks unless they are private property and their owners don't mind it.

In natural reserves and national parks featuring preserved species of animals or plants, stricter rules may be applied when it comes to horse riding or setting fires, for instance. In these places, picking mushrooms, berries, and walnuts is forbidden.

In Sweden, fishing is allowed for everyone and without an official license. Carl Undéhn from the tourism platform "Visit Sweden" said "People can fish in almost all major lakes including Vättern, Vänern, Mälaren, Storsjön, and Hjälmaren."

As per small internal lakes, fishing lovers would need a license known as "Fiskekort." Vacationers can buy a one-day license from gas stations, hotels, or via special websites for around 50 to 100 Swedish krona (5 to 10 dollars). Weekly and annual tickets are also available.

People who might need some guidance can attend survival courses that would teach them about food sources and campfires in forests.



NASA's Parker Solar Probe Aims to Fly Closer to the Sun Like Never Before

The sun sets in Santiago, Chile, Friday, Dec. 20, 2024, as a forest fires burns on the outskirts of the capital. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)
The sun sets in Santiago, Chile, Friday, Dec. 20, 2024, as a forest fires burns on the outskirts of the capital. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)
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NASA's Parker Solar Probe Aims to Fly Closer to the Sun Like Never Before

The sun sets in Santiago, Chile, Friday, Dec. 20, 2024, as a forest fires burns on the outskirts of the capital. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)
The sun sets in Santiago, Chile, Friday, Dec. 20, 2024, as a forest fires burns on the outskirts of the capital. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)

A NASA spacecraft aims to fly closer to the sun than any object sent before.
The Parker Solar Probe was launched in 2018 to get a close-up look at the sun. Since then, it has flown straight through the sun's corona: the outer atmosphere visible during a total solar eclipse.

The next milestone: closest approach to the sun. Plans call for Parker on Tuesday to hurtle through the sizzling solar atmosphere and pass within a record-breaking 3.8 million miles (6 million kilometers) of the sun's surface, The Associated Press reported.
At that moment, if the sun and Earth were at opposite ends of a football field, Parker "would be on the 4-yard line,” said NASA's Joe Westlake.
Mission managers won't know how Parker fared until days after the flyby since the spacecraft will be out of communication range.

Parker planned to get more than seven times closer to the sun than previous spacecraft, hitting 430,000 mph (690,000 kph) at closest approach. It's the fastest spacecraft ever built and is outfitted with a heat shield that can withstand scorching temperatures up to 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit (1,371 degrees Celsius).

It'll continue circling the sun at this distance until at least September.

Scientists hope to better understand why the corona is hundreds of times hotter than the sun’s surface and what drives the solar wind, the supersonic stream of charged particles constantly blasting away from the sun.

The sun's warming rays make life possible on Earth. But severe solar storms can temporarily scramble radio communications and disrupt power.
The sun is currently at the maximum phase of its 11-year cycle, triggering colorful auroras in unexpected places.

“It both is our closest, friendliest neighbor,” Westlake said, “but also at times is a little angry.”