Green Options » Denmark http://greenoptions.com/tag/denmark Posts tagged 'Denmark' Sat, 03 Oct 2009 02:43:47 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 en Who’s Counting? Obama’s Olympic Failure Has Meaning for Copenhagen and Climate Change http://redgreenandblue.org/2009/10/02/whos-counting-obamas-olympic-failure-has-meaning-for-copenhagen-and-climate-change/ http://redgreenandblue.org/2009/10/02/whos-counting-obamas-olympic-failure-has-meaning-for-copenhagen-and-climate-change/#comments Sat, 03 Oct 2009 02:43:47 +0000 Joe Walsh http://redgreenandblue.org/2009/10/02/whos-counting-obamas-olympic-failure-has-meaning-for-copenhagen-and-climate-change/ After a campaign that resulted not only in victory, but in the transcendence of Barack Obama to something beyond a political figure and the elevation of David Axelrod to membership in the Rove/Carville College of Cardinals in American political life, the White House has not had much time to bask in victory’s glow. The economy remains in the tank, Afghanistan is drawing more frequent comparisons to Vietnam, and the health care and climate change fights have been taxing.

Yesterday, Obama hopped a plane to Denmark for a whirlwind Scandinavian tour where it was thought that his presence and pitch might push Chicago’s bid for the 2016 Olympics across the goal line. Instead, ChiTown did not make it out of the first round of balloting. Safe to say that if the White House knew that, Obama would not have made the trip. The failure marked the first - and probably last - time that a sitting US President schilled in front of an IOC selection committee.

The miscalculation is a familiar one. Just after Labor Day, POTUS addressed a joint session of Congress to drive home his point on the urgency of health care reform happening this year. Now barely into October, the only Senate health care bill thought to have a chance on the floor emerged from committee with no bipartisan support. And, as October begins it is clear that if any health care reform bill is signed in 2009, it will not include the now notorious “public option.”

In both cases, the White House made the decision to put their guy out there, but - evidently - no one counted the votes beforehand. The situation is eerily similar to the early administration flubs in the appointments process (i.e., the Daschle false start and the Judd Gregg quagmire). Any good party whip knows that you do not bring a bill to the floor until you know how the roll is going to be called.

As a result of Denmark, Obama winds up wearing a piece of a defeat that was inevitable and it was not even his fight. The Chicago Olympics story is clearly being played up for everything - and more - than its worth by the Right, but it is worth considering why - given that the Chicago bid was circling the drain - Obama let himself get dragged down with it?

When the call came asking for his support, White House staffers should have told the Chicago team to spend 48 hours having coffee with everyone who held a vote, and bring back their tally. If it looked close, then Obama has a tough call to make. But, if they cannot bring back a straw poll or if they bring back numbers that show the Windy City being blown away, then the White House has an easy answer: “love to help, but…”

As the world closes in on December’s big UN climate change conference — back in Copenhagen — it begs the question: is the White House strategy informed by good ground-level information on where other parties sit? Clearly, that strategy includes putting pressure on reluctant Senators with the prospect (read: threat) of EPA regulation of emissions in the absence of comprehensive legislation, even something as watered-down as Waxman-Markey. The upside to handing things off to Lisa Jackson is that it may force the hands of some of the upper Midwest Dems Obama needs to get to 60. And, even if it is not enough of a prod to move a bill through the Senate, it allows Obama to fly his flag in Copenhagen.

But, what if they are not close to 60? What if the lever is not the right one to swing the votes they need. Based on their recent due diligence, it is difficult to say whether the White House even knows where their votes are, who can be swung, and how. That said, should they roll the dice with an EPA plan? How will the inevitable backlash inside the US look on the global stage?

Strong political interests are already lining up against the idea of an executive power move on carbon, and with a lot of Dems looking more vulnerable for the mid-terms in 2010, you have to wonder if the move does not just paint Obama back into a corner and have allies running in the other direction on climate change.

On the campaign trail - in spite of Reverend Wright - Obama earned the gloss “No Drama Obama.” A little less than a year into his tenure as President, the shine is wearing off.

Flickr photo by RobBeer.

]]> http://redgreenandblue.org/2009/10/02/whos-counting-obamas-olympic-failure-has-meaning-for-copenhagen-and-climate-change/feed/ The EU and MTV Team Up: Copenhagen Prelude http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/29/the-eu-and-mtv-team-up-copenhagen-prelude/ http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/29/the-eu-and-mtv-team-up-copenhagen-prelude/#comments Wed, 29 Jul 2009 12:16:59 +0000 Zachary Shahan http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/29/the-eu-and-mtv-team-up-copenhagen-prelude/
The European Union (EU) and MTV are working together to get young people involved in the climate debate. The major entities started their “Play to Stop – Europe for Climate” campaign this month. Working with international music artists and other international celebrities, this is a major campaign to mobilize the youth around the topic of climate change, and especially for the Copenhagen Climate Conference in December.

The campaign targets 11 EU countries — Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Romania, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. The campaign will involve celebrities from the various participating countries.

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]]> http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/29/the-eu-and-mtv-team-up-copenhagen-prelude/feed/ ‘Obama, Please Beat Us!’ on Renewable Energy, says Denmark http://ecoworldly.com/2009/04/25/obama-please-beat-us-on-renewable-energy-says-denmark/ http://ecoworldly.com/2009/04/25/obama-please-beat-us-on-renewable-energy-says-denmark/#comments Sat, 25 Apr 2009 13:30:56 +0000 Gavin Hudson http://ecoworldly.com/2009/04/25/obama-please-beat-us-on-renewable-energy-says-denmark/ This week, Obama’s alternative energy promises prompted Danish Minister of Climate and Energy Connie Hedegaard to say she’d be happy if the US took Denmark’s first place title on renewable energy.

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]]> http://ecoworldly.com/2009/04/25/obama-please-beat-us-on-renewable-energy-says-denmark/feed/ Green Roof 1.0: The Seaweed Houses of Læsø, Denmark http://ecoworldly.com/2009/04/14/green-roof-10-the-seaweed-houses-of-l%c3%a6s%c3%b8-denmark/ http://ecoworldly.com/2009/04/14/green-roof-10-the-seaweed-houses-of-l%c3%a6s%c3%b8-denmark/#comments Tue, 14 Apr 2009 12:32:25 +0000 Timothy B. Hurst http://ecoworldly.com/2009/04/14/green-roof-10-the-seaweed-houses-of-l%c3%a6s%c3%b8-denmark/ seaweed house in denmark

Though green roofs are reemerging in the most advanced building designs around the world, for centuries, people constructed buildings out of materials immediately available to them in their surrounding environment. It is only a relatively recent luxury, for example, that people have easy access to roofing materials like asphalt shingles made hundreds, perhaps, thousands of miles away.

On the island of Læsø, Denmark there still stand a handful of buildings that are excellent examples of what communities would do with what was immediately available to them — if only they had any of it left.

In the Middle Ages the island of Læsø became famous for its salt industry. Hundreds of salt kilns were built, throughout the island, requiring constant fuel for the important final stage of commercial salt concentration. But on the island of Læsø—a community with a finite availability of natural resources—constantly feeding the hundreds of salt kilns eventually led to the island’s deforestation.

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]]> http://ecoworldly.com/2009/04/14/green-roof-10-the-seaweed-houses-of-l%c3%a6s%c3%b8-denmark/feed/ New Countries Emerge as Renewable Energy Leaders http://ecoworldly.com/2009/04/13/new-european-leaders-in-renewable-energy-emerge/ http://ecoworldly.com/2009/04/13/new-european-leaders-in-renewable-energy-emerge/#comments Mon, 13 Apr 2009 16:45:49 +0000 Sarah Lozanova http://ecoworldly.com/2009/04/13/new-european-leaders-in-renewable-energy-emerge/ Although some of the heavy hitters are still major players, 2008 has shown growth in renewable energy markets that had been weak previously. New players however are entering the renewable energy field, according to Clean Energy Trends 2009 report.

France

The vast majority of the electricity generated in France comes from its 59 nuclear reactors. It has not been considered a global leader in renewable energy, but France has taken some bold steps recently to support growth in this industry.

The government plans to have 23% of its electricity generated from renewable energy sources including hydroelectric by 2020. A feed-in tariff of 30 Euro cents for commercial buildings has been introduced to encourage solar energy growth.

France now exceeds Denmark in wind energy capacity after adding 950 MW in 2008. The country currently has 3,400 MW of wind power and plans to increase this to 25,000 MW by 2020.

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]]> http://ecoworldly.com/2009/04/13/new-european-leaders-in-renewable-energy-emerge/feed/ How Do You Build the World’s Biggest Wind Farm? http://cleantechnica.com/2009/03/23/how-do-you-build-the-worlds-biggest-wind-farm/ http://cleantechnica.com/2009/03/23/how-do-you-build-the-worlds-biggest-wind-farm/#comments Mon, 23 Mar 2009 23:23:14 +0000 Ariel Schwartz http://cleantechnica.com/2009/03/23/how-do-you-build-the-worlds-biggest-wind-farm/

We recently learned that Denmark plans on building the world’s largest wind farm. With a net installed capacity of 209 MW, Horns Rev 2 (companion to Horns Rev 1) will provide power to 200,000 homes. The North Sea offshore wind farm is scheduled for completion later this year.

For info on the construction process of Horns Rev 2, check out the MSNBC video below.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2009/03/23/how-do-you-build-the-worlds-biggest-wind-farm/feed/ Thousands of Youth Organize in DC to End “Clean Coal” Lie http://ecolocalizer.com/2009/03/08/thousands-of-youth-organize-in-dc-to-end-clean-coal-lie/ http://ecolocalizer.com/2009/03/08/thousands-of-youth-organize-in-dc-to-end-clean-coal-lie/#comments Sun, 08 Mar 2009 01:15:58 +0000 Rhonda Winter http://ecolocalizer.com/2009/03/08/thousands-of-youth-organize-in-dc-to-end-clean-coal-lie/ This post contains additional media. Click here to view the full post.

Both “clean coal” and carbon trading are lies. They are huge scams perpetrated by massive energy companies that are choking our planet. Over twelve thousand students converged on Washington D.C. to demand an end to polluting coal plants, and that the United States start to lead the world in creating truly sustainable clean energy and green jobs. Students filled the halls of Congress, lobbying their elected officials to fight global warming and demanding an end to polluting coal.

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]]> http://ecolocalizer.com/2009/03/08/thousands-of-youth-organize-in-dc-to-end-clean-coal-lie/feed/ UK Celebrates Success Of Eco-Schools http://ecochildsplay.com/2009/02/09/uk-celebrates-success-of-eco-schools/ http://ecochildsplay.com/2009/02/09/uk-celebrates-success-of-eco-schools/#comments Mon, 09 Feb 2009 17:09:41 +0000 Sonya http://ecochildsplay.com/2009/02/09/uk-celebrates-success-of-eco-schools/ Over half of schools in England have achieved Eco-School status, UK Environment Secretary Hilary Benn announced today.

“Schools have an important part to play in helping young people to build a greener future for us all and it’s young people that will lead the way in creating a healthy environment for future generations,” says Secretary Benn.

Run by Keep Britain Tidy, the Eco-Schools program encourages children and teachers to make their school more environmentally-friendly and sustainable.  They follow a simple seven step process covering themes including waste, healthy living and biodiversity.

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]]> http://ecochildsplay.com/2009/02/09/uk-celebrates-success-of-eco-schools/feed/ Sustainable Communities: N55 Grows Our Human Potential http://sustainablog.org/2008/11/30/sustainable-communities-n55-grows-our-human-potential/ http://sustainablog.org/2008/11/30/sustainable-communities-n55-grows-our-human-potential/#comments Sun, 30 Nov 2008 18:48:13 +0000 Caroline Savery http://sustainablog.org/2008/11/30/sustainable-communities-n55-grows-our-human-potential/ Occam’s Razor: the scientific principle that the most simple, elegant solution to a given problem is the one most likely to be true.

N55 takes the notion of assembling the world into a sustainable community with a fair mechanism for exchanging resources and simplifies it to its very barest elements.  You will find little elaboration on the N55 site.  You will find little philosophical jargon.

But what you will find is astonishing innovation, ingenious trial concepts that simplify and minimize our human needs into manageable, bite-sized alternatives (like HYGIENE SYSTEM and MICRODWELLING).  You will also find a series of solutions and protocols for interaction that can be cut and pasted onto just about any society of human beings.

Take ROOMS, for example.  The following is excerpted from their “Manual for ROOMS.”

“ROOMS gives access to rooms. Any person can use ROOMS. ROOMS can be established anywhere supplying different functions like rooms for sleeping, making food, reading, meeting, producing things etc.

“ROOMS is a system that can be used for sharing rooms with other persons. ROOMS consists of rooms in different places in the world. The rooms are included in ROOMS by persons who guarantee that anybody can use them according to the function they are initiated with and within given periods of time.

“Any person can expand ROOMS by providing one or more rooms. These rooms can be in existing buildings, they can be mobile rooms, or they can be built for ROOMS. Positions of ROOMS can be found in Manual for ROOMS. The manual is continuously updated. A current version can also be obtained by contacting N55.”

It’s the cleanest, simplest definition possible–as a result, it can be easily adapted and interpreted for the diverse situations and peoples found across the planet.

You or I could add a ROOM.  You or I could use ROOMS.  The same is true for LAND, SHOP, FACTORY, etc.  Talk about universal!

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]]> http://sustainablog.org/2008/11/30/sustainable-communities-n55-grows-our-human-potential/feed/ Australia to Launch One of World’s Biggest Electric Car Recharging Systems http://redgreenandblue.org/2008/10/23/australia-to-launch-one-of-worlds-biggest-electric-car-recharging-systems/ http://redgreenandblue.org/2008/10/23/australia-to-launch-one-of-worlds-biggest-electric-car-recharging-systems/#comments Thu, 23 Oct 2008 19:16:02 +0000 Andrew Williams http://redgreenandblue.org/2008/10/23/australia-to-launch-one-of-worlds-biggest-electric-car-recharging-systems/

The Australian government has given the green light to a plan to establish one of the world’s largest electric car recharging infrastructures, powered entirely by renewable energy.

The A$1 billion ($676 million) project could see the establishment of as many as two million recharging points, as well as more than 500 battery swap stations, where drivers can exchange depleted batteries without the need to wait for a recharge.

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]]> http://redgreenandblue.org/2008/10/23/australia-to-launch-one-of-worlds-biggest-electric-car-recharging-systems/feed/ Denmark “Invents” Solar Power Air Conditioner… Again http://ecoworldly.com/2008/10/22/denmark-invents-solar-power-air-conditioning-again/ http://ecoworldly.com/2008/10/22/denmark-invents-solar-power-air-conditioning-again/#comments Wed, 22 Oct 2008 10:00:50 +0000 Gavin Hudson http://ecoworldly.com/2008/10/22/denmark-invents-solar-power-air-conditioning-again/ Leslie Science Center Nature House

Danish company AC Sun recently made news with the “invention” a new solar-powered air conditioning system.The new systems are pollution-free, low-noise, and use only 10% of the energy of conventional systems. The only problem is they’ve already been invented, several times over.

Lars Stigel, director of Østjysk Innovation, an investor in AC Sun, spoke with enthusiasm about AC Sun’s design. “It is a groundbreaking technology in relation to renewable energy and energy savings,” he says.

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]]> http://ecoworldly.com/2008/10/22/denmark-invents-solar-power-air-conditioning-again/feed/ World’s First Walking House Can Avoid Natural Disasters, Uses Solar and Wind Power http://cleantechnica.com/2008/10/21/worlds-first-walking-house-can-avoid-natural-disasters-uses-solar-and-wind-power/ http://cleantechnica.com/2008/10/21/worlds-first-walking-house-can-avoid-natural-disasters-uses-solar-and-wind-power/#comments Tue, 21 Oct 2008 20:40:17 +0000 Ariel Schwartz http://cleantechnica.com/2008/10/21/worlds-first-walking-house-can-avoid-natural-disasters-uses-solar-and-wind-power/ house

What if your house could simply walk away from natural disasters? This house can. Designed by an art collective in Denmark, the 10 foot high house is solar and wind-powered and can walk across a variety of terrain. It is equipped with a living room, bed, toilet, kitchen, and wood stove, and is controlled by an internal mainframe computer.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2008/10/21/worlds-first-walking-house-can-avoid-natural-disasters-uses-solar-and-wind-power/feed/ UK Becomes World’s Biggest Producer of Offshore Wind Power http://cleantechnica.com/2008/10/21/uk-becomes-worlds-biggest-producer-of-offshore-wind-power/ http://cleantechnica.com/2008/10/21/uk-becomes-worlds-biggest-producer-of-offshore-wind-power/#comments Tue, 21 Oct 2008 18:00:09 +0000 Andrew Williams http://cleantechnica.com/2008/10/21/uk-becomes-worlds-biggest-producer-of-offshore-wind-power/

The UK government announced today that Britain has overtaken Denmark to become the world’s biggest producer of offshore wind power.

The rise to the top of the global league table follows the construction of a new wind farm off the coast of Skegness, Lincolnshire, which increases the UK’s total electricity generation from offshore wind sources to 590 megawatts (MW), enough to power 300,000 homes.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2008/10/21/uk-becomes-worlds-biggest-producer-of-offshore-wind-power/feed/ The Woman Steering Denmark’s Alternative Energy Success http://ecoworldly.com/2008/10/19/the-woman-stearing-denmarks-alternative-energy-success/ http://ecoworldly.com/2008/10/19/the-woman-stearing-denmarks-alternative-energy-success/#comments Sun, 19 Oct 2008 14:40:40 +0000 Gavin Hudson http://ecoworldly.com/2008/10/19/the-woman-stearing-denmarks-alternative-energy-success/ This article is part of EcoWorldly’s week-long spotlight on Politicians You Can Believe In. To read more, subscribe to our RSS feed, or scroll through our recent posts.

Denmark windmills and Connie HedegaardConnie Hedegaard is a Danish blogger, journalist, and politician. She serves as Minister of Climate and Energy in Denmark, one of the countries leading the world in forward-thinking renewable energy policies.

Denmark benefits as alternative energy leader

Denmark is an exemplar of successful sustainable energy policy. Today, around 20% of Denmark’s energy is supplied by wind power. Not only is the country energy independent, its energy consumption hasn’t risen since the ’70s, despite 50% economic growth, according to Flemming Hansen, former Minister of Transport and Energy.

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]]> http://ecoworldly.com/2008/10/19/the-woman-stearing-denmarks-alternative-energy-success/feed/ Danish Students Publish Book on Concept of Social Innovation http://ecoscraps.com/2008/08/29/danish-students-publish-book-on-concept-of-social-innovation/ http://ecoscraps.com/2008/08/29/danish-students-publish-book-on-concept-of-social-innovation/#comments Fri, 29 Aug 2008 12:08:39 +0000 Adam Williams http://ecoscraps.com/2008/08/29/danish-students-publish-book-on-concept-of-social-innovation/

Students of the KaosPilots International Education in Aarhus, Denmark spent this past spring living and working in Shanghai, China. OurTheir mission: explore the term “Social Innovation”.

The result of their research, study and exploration is a book: A Travel Guide to Social Innovation. It will be for sale as of Sept. 12, 2008, but they offer a PDF version via their Web site: http://socialinnovation.biz/.

via Ode Magazine

]]> http://ecoscraps.com/2008/08/29/danish-students-publish-book-on-concept-of-social-innovation/feed/ How America Lost the (Self-Appointed) Title of ‘Greatest Nation On Earth’ to Denmark http://ecoworldly.com/2008/08/14/how-america-lost-the-self-appointed-title-of-greatest-nation-on-earth-to-denmark/ http://ecoworldly.com/2008/08/14/how-america-lost-the-self-appointed-title-of-greatest-nation-on-earth-to-denmark/#comments Thu, 14 Aug 2008 22:13:24 +0000 Adam Williams http://ecoworldly.com/2008/08/14/how-america-lost-the-self-appointed-title-of-greatest-nation-on-earth-to-denmark/ The New York Times’ Thomas L. Friedman sent a postcard from Copanhagen recently.

In an Aug. 9 op-ed column titled “Flush with Energy,” Friedman drew a stark contrast between America’s energy policy and that of Denmark.

That the United States – the all-powerful, lone (for now) superpower –  can so easily be trumped by little Denmark is shameful.

It only adds salt to the wound that so many foolish, ignorant and willfully oblivious Americans still insist that they live in the “Greatest Nation on Earth” despite so many shortcomings, such as displayed by this stay-the-course mentality that leaves us in the energy policy dust of forward-thinking nation’s like Denmark.

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]]> http://ecoworldly.com/2008/08/14/how-america-lost-the-self-appointed-title-of-greatest-nation-on-earth-to-denmark/feed/ Danish Island Becomes Energy Self-Sufficient: the Lesson of Samsø http://cleantechnica.com/2008/07/16/danish-island-becomes-energy-self-sufficient-the-lesson-of-samso/ http://cleantechnica.com/2008/07/16/danish-island-becomes-energy-self-sufficient-the-lesson-of-samso/#comments Wed, 16 Jul 2008 12:36:21 +0000 Carol Gulyas http://cleantechnica.com/2008/07/16/danish-island-becomes-energy-self-sufficient-the-lesson-of-samso/ Samsø, a Danish island in the North Sea, has become entirely energy self-sufficient, by using wind energy, solar and other renewables. The community was puzzled when it was announced in 1997 that it had won a government prize awarded to a community who would create a renewable energy plan; an engineer had submitted the entry without telling anyone but Samsø’s mayor. Interest was high after the award, but then fell off. It was Soren Hermansen, a lifelong resident of the island, who took on the task of turning the plan into action. The story of how he did it is a blueprint for other communities around the world.

In the nineties, the island of 4,300 people imported all their energy, mostly in oil tankers, and paid little attention to where it came from. In a fascinating article in The New Yorker magazine, Elizabeth Kolbert reports that:

“Then, quite deliberately, the residents of the island set about changing this. They formed energy coöperatives and organized seminars on wind power. They removed their furnaces and replaced them with heat pumps. By 2001, fossil-fuel use on Samsø had been cut in half. By 2003, instead of importing electricity, the island was exporting it, and by 2005 it was producing from renewable sources more energy than it was using.”

Image Credit: Joachim Ladefoged, The New Yorker

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2008/07/16/danish-island-becomes-energy-self-sufficient-the-lesson-of-samso/feed/ SAS Cuts Emissions by Flying Slower http://ecoworldly.com/2008/05/21/sas-cuts-emissions-by-flying-slower/ http://ecoworldly.com/2008/05/21/sas-cuts-emissions-by-flying-slower/#comments Wed, 21 May 2008 14:05:43 +0000 Pem Charnley http://ecoworldly.com/2008/05/21/sas-cuts-emissions-by-flying-slower/ dog.jpg

SAS flies slower to save fuel and lower carbon emissions.

Well, when I read this headline, conflicting views sprang to mind.

Firstly of course, being an Englishman with no sense of irony, I immediately leapt to my feet and saluted my queen and her armed forces.

Then I faltered slightly, and thought, if a crack team of SAS marines were being air dropped into some war-torn despotic state, surely, speed is of the essence, to ensure that the paras can be in and out again with time for a cup of tea a mere hours later.

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]]> http://ecoworldly.com/2008/05/21/sas-cuts-emissions-by-flying-slower/feed/ Depletion of Cold North Could Spark New Cold War http://planetsave.com/blog/2008/03/10/depletion-of-cold-north-could-spark-new-cold-war/ http://planetsave.com/blog/2008/03/10/depletion-of-cold-north-could-spark-new-cold-war/#comments Mon, 10 Mar 2008 19:53:21 +0000 Joshua S Hill http://planetsave.com/blog/2008/03/10/depletion-of-cold-north-could-spark-new-cold-war/ montagne a honningsvåg 002We’ve written often recently off the challenges soon to be faced by the continuing melt of the Arctic. Without a doubt, there are resources up there that someone will attempt to get their grubby little hands on. And, with the price of oil continuing to skyrocket with each passing month, if oil is found in the north – not an unexpected possibility considering the nearby reservoirs – all hell is going to break loose.

Scott Borgerson of the Council on Foreign Relations, a former U.S. Coast Guard lieutenant commander, has just gone on record as saying that we could be facing a new cold war.

The analogy is both apt and humorously fitting, but is it in any way true? Instead of the historic face-off between the world’s two superpowers, we could be looking at something far different. Instead of just America and Russia, Arctic powers include Canada, Denmark and Norway, in addition to the original two.

Already tensions are rising, in a way that is eerily familiar. Russia is sending submarines and science ships north to investigate how far their continental shelf extends. They’ve planted a flag on the seabed underneath the North Pole, and for the first time since the Cold War, they’ve sent strategic bomber flights over the Arctic.

And yet a US official, who went on record under anonymity, believes that “There’s no ice cold war.”

Borgerson said in a telephone interview recently that “…planting a flag on the sea bottom and renewing strategic bomber flights is provocative,” and added that “I don’t think we’re [the United States] scrambling. We’re sleepwalking … I think the Russians are scrambling and I think the Norwegians and Canadians and Danes are keenly aware.”

Everyone’s scrambling for the best view. Russia isn’t the only one conducting scientific research. All of the Arctic powers are looking at just how far their continental shelves reach. Russia seems to have stepped on toes, and while they aren’t necessarily in direct conflict with the US as of yet, Norway and Denmark definitely have some issues with what Russia is claiming as hers.

Coastal nations, like the 5 involved, are generally happy with the 200 nautical miles that extend from their coastline as sovereign territory. But recent research coming out of the University of New Hampshire and the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration suggests that the US shelf might extend an extra 100 nautical miles further than previously thought.

The U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea is what gives the sovereign rights to coastal nations. And many believe that the US should sign the treaty soon. In addition, if a country can meet a set of conditions – scientific, etc – then their coastal boundaries can extend.

“Of course we need to be at the table as ocean law develops,” the U.S. official said. “It’s not like ocean law is going to stop developing if we’re not in there. It’s just going to develop without us.”

What saddens me the most is that you can get your bottom dollar that this does not bode well for the environment. Ask yourself what’s causing the melting of the Arctic, and then look at what they hope to extract. The answer to both questions, is fossil fuel.

Photo Courtesy of arcticroute.com via Flickr

]]> http://planetsave.com/blog/2008/03/10/depletion-of-cold-north-could-spark-new-cold-war/feed/ What Happens When A Wind Turbine Goes Wild? http://ecoscraps.com/2008/02/24/what-happens-when-a-wind-turbine-goes-wild/ http://ecoscraps.com/2008/02/24/what-happens-when-a-wind-turbine-goes-wild/#comments Sun, 24 Feb 2008 23:25:46 +0000 Max Lindberg http://ecoscraps.com/2008/02/24/what-happens-when-a-wind-turbine-goes-wild/ This story contains additional media. Click here to view the media.

This wind turbine in Denmark went out of control when it’s safety mechanism failed to operate. And the blades went round, and round, and round…until…..

]]> http://ecoscraps.com/2008/02/24/what-happens-when-a-wind-turbine-goes-wild/feed/