It is easy to shop with other people's money

For transparency and my own agenda, I strongly dislike our previous government, the Social Democrats with the support of the Green Party and the tacit acceptance of the Left Party, who ruled Sweden for 8 years. At the last election, I voted for the current government.

The waste of Swedish tax money continues. Once again, it is the city of Malmo that continues to shop with other people's money. Malmo City is one of the localities that receives money from municipal economic equalization. In the midst of a health care crisis, the region of Skane chooses to spend $690,900 on "moving" the world's oldest tree to Malmo.

The tree actually belongs in Dalarna, but with the help of scientists, engineers and close to $700,000 worth of tax money, a cutting and a specially designed greenhouse have been produced in the hope of creating a "welcoming environment" for the hospital. The tree has previously cloned itself naturally, with parts of the tree's root system surviving over the years and new trunks emerging over time, making "Old Tjikko" the world's oldest living tree.

Five years ago, the researchers at Skogforsk were tasked with trying to artificially clone the tree, which eventually succeeded. Producing 36 grafts (tree clones) cost "only" $10,138, but keeping them alive is more expensive...

The fact that the world's oldest tree is found on Fulufjallet is probably because it thrives there. The adaptation to the Scanian climate therefore became an expensive challenge, the cutting will be placed inside a cylindrical climate chamber that is 30'6 (9.3 m) high and 16'4  (5 m) in diameter, equipped with air conditioning, light, supply air fan and remote cooling.

When asked why an engineer was tasked with cooling down a greenhouse that is out in the sun to ~50°F (10°C), 1 out of the 120 of Malmo city's communicators explains that visitors and employees in the hospital area can follow the tree's life cycle, while simultaneously making the life-sustaining technology visible.