Strong Goals Make For Strong Possibilities

It's no secret that America has fallen behind in the movement to lower human impacts on the environment - particularly global warming. Well, we aren't going to be catching up anytime soon unless we implement bold plans such as Denmark is doing. Treehugger.com reports that the Danes have set some lofty goals for themselves over the next 8 years. By 2020, 35% of energy production will come from renewables, carbon emissions will be brought down to 34% below 1990 levels, more money will be allocated to clean energy development, and all buildings will be free of oil and gas heaters.

As part of the "green-thinking" Scandinavian region, the Danish government continues to keep the bar high.They recognize the threat, they believe the science and understand the facts, and they are making the necessary adjustments to how they power their daily lives. When I was in Copenhagen last year, I marveled at the amount of wind energy and green architecture among the new developments. While I know - and we should all recognize no government is - that they are not perfect in their goals, or implementation of goals, the Scandinavians are doing their overall best to become better stewards of the environment and lessen human impact. America and the rest of the world should take note of such bold steps and follow suit.

Moving Towards a Greener Suburbia

In the New York Times today is an article about what is and what has happened in Copenhagen, Denmark regarding the development of new areas close to the city. It is a well-done article, though I feel it could have focused on the greener elements of these urban planning projects. Denmark, and Copenhagen especially, is part of the leading trend in uniting green living and efficient design.

My partner and I actually stayed in the Orestad region of Copenhagen when we visited last summer. We were both amazed at the quality of the place. Yes, everything is new, and those "starchitects" know how to dazzle, especially in architecture friendly Scandinavia. However, the quality was more than that. There were abundant wind turbines around; green spaces other than undeveloped lots were graciously and plentifully weaved into general planning of the area. The metro line was convenient and easy to use, and took us quickly into the city center.

As the article points out, there is still some work to be done, but this newish development of Orestad could and should be used as a blueprint for other communities looking to expand, renovate, or appear. I do wish the article would have mentioned the redevelopment of the Malmö, Sweden waterfront in detail. We also visited that city and saw the amazing transformation that took place on its waterfront, with green designs and energy efficiency through and through. Scandinavia, definitely has a lot to be proud of while it continues to work toward a greater environmentally-friendly future. My hope is that our nation and others can look upon these grand projects and implement them in a way that increases local flavor and prosperity, while reducing human impacts on our beloved planet.