Denmark
by Zachary Ferguson


Denmark and the Environment

If Denmark had a national color, it would be green. This Scandinavian nation is a prime example of a country that is making massive progress in the realm of sustainability. A few environmental concerns stand out in particular in Danish culture. Transportation sustainability, green energy production, and, most importantly and pressing, the rise of the sea level are all sectors in which Denmark is striving to improve the size of their footprint and quality of their nation. The importance of each issue is determined by simply analyzing its effect on the society. Transportation in Denmark, most notably the bicycle culture, is something that a lot of citizens contribute to. That being said, if Danes began struggling with sustainable transportation, the environmental impact would not be immediately felt. The next most important issue is energy production. Over one fifth of Denmark's energy is produced from renewable resources. This is enough to make it an impressive impact, but also not large enough to change Denmark's total dependence. Finally, the matter of most concern is the sea level rise. Because of Denmark's geographic location, it is subject to the slightest change in sea level. A minor rise could result in severe flooding throughout the nation and potential catastrophe. While steps are certainly being taken in other fields of sustainability, the rise of the sea level is the most serious issue Denmark faces.
With over 4,500 miles of shoreline and a highest point of 510 feet above sea level, Denmark is very much a coastal country. Naturally, this puts the country's infrastructure and existence at risk. Over the last century, National Geographic estimates that the Global Mean Sea Level has risen between 4 and 8 inches. (National Geographic) As multiple factors continue to play a role in climate change, this increase is expected to continue at even greater rates. The Danish government has done extensive research and strategizing into how they will adapt to climate change. In a report published in 2008, it is estimated that the local sea level for Denmark will rise between 17 and 40 inches by the year 2100. Thermal expansion, melting glaciers, and massive storm surges cause this drastic change. As a result, flooding and erosion will occur throughout Denmark's length coast and many islands. Management of Danish coastal property including the construction/reinforcement of dikes, harbors, ports, and channel dredging will be vital to protecting its future. An IT tool to be discussed later has also been developed to further assist Denmark in adapting to climate change.
Imagine hundreds of wind turbines in the middle of the sea. It seems like a strange sight, but it's part of a comprehensive energy plan in Denmark. After facing a serious energy crisis in the 1970s brought on by dependence on foreign energy and high emissions, the Danes turned to wind energy. Many years and a massive investment in wind turbines later, Denmark gets 20% of its energy from this renewable source. They hope to be at 50% by 2020 and 100% reliant on renewable energy by 2050. Offshore wind farming is a large part of this plan. The installation of thousands of turbines is planned for the North Sea and Baltic Sea in the coming years. Kriegers Flak, an area in the Baltic Sea (east of Denmark), is the future site of a major electricity grid that will provide renewable energy to Sweden, Germany, and Denmark. Denmark's official Green Living website talks about the project as a Ò600MW offshore wind farm will act like a 'Supergrid', eventually being able to transmit renewable energy through power grids to all three countriesÓ ("Kriegers Flak - The world's first offshore electricity 'Supergrid'").
No one takes cycling quite as seriously as the Danes. In fact, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development estimates that Ò34% of commuters use their bicycle for going to and from workÓ (ÒOECD Better Life IndexÓ) in the capital, Copenhagen. This efficient means of transportation has become a part of the culture in Denmark. Traffic congestion, emissions and pollution, gas prices, and obesity are all issues in major metropolitan areas in the world today. Cycling is a sure way to fight each of those issues. While a city of cyclists certainly requires a special infrastructure and path network, it has some awesome benefits. In Copenhagen, the Danish government estimates that cyclists are saving the city 90,000 tons of CO2 emissions annually. In addition, bicycling as a main method of transportation creates a more people-friendly city with a greater morale.
It is obvious that the government and people of Denmark alike are taking steps to create a sustainable society. However, it is not just the everyday efforts of citizens that contribute to green living. Information technology plays an important role, as well. Refocusing on the threat posed by sea level rise, the ability to predict what such change would physically look like would be tremendously helpful. In fact, that's precisely what Denmark has done. Scalable Algorithms, or SCALGO, is a company founded in Denmark in 2009 that brings researchers from around the world together in order to create accessible and efficient large-scale terrain data-processing software. Essentially, SCALGO software can be used on any computer to take massive data inputs and create simple models with them.
In February 2012, Danish Prime Minister for the Environment Ida Auken announced a project between the government and SCALGO. The result of this collaboration was an online, interactive tool that allowed users, from private citizens to businesses to government officials, to simulate the flooding effects of sea level rise. The map provides a clear visual depiction of what parts of a land mass would be underwater if the sea level rose by a certain amount. When discussing the intended goal of the new technology, Environment Minister Auken said, ÒWith the new tool, municipalities can see exactly where the water is rising when they start to develop local climate adaptation plansÓ ("New tool maps the flooding from the sea"). Not only does this technology assist Denmark's city planners and engineers with the process of reconstructing dikes and existing coastal management features (as described in the ÒDanish strategy for adaptation to a changing climateÓ report), but it also reaches citizens on a local level. The Environment Ministry hopes it will inspire Danes to gain a better understanding of how exactly climate change affects them and what they can do to live with and adjust to the inevitable change.
The interactive map can be found and used at the following link: http://scalgo.com/technology/map.php. Of course, this piece of information technology is not exclusively applicable to Denmark. The same tool can be used to simulate sea level rise all over the world. In addition, it may be helpful in planning for the flooding of rivers, lakes, watersheds, and any other body of water.
ÒClimate change is a reality,Ó (ÒDanish strategy for adaptation to a changing climateÓ) is how the first line of the introduction to a report on climate change in Denmark reads. This report was published in 2008. It's no question that Denmark takes climate change and sustainability very seriously. Green living has quickly become a large part of their society. Even Denmark's official website has a tab titled ÒGreen LivingÓ, something the United States does not offer. The preparation being done today in the fields of transportation, energy production, sea level rise, and many others is crafting a culture in Denmark that will not be shaken by climate change.



Works Cited
"Denmark." OECD Better Life Index. OECD. Web. 18 Feb 2013. .
Denmark. Danish Energy Agency. Danish strategy for adaptation to a changing climate. Copenhagen: , 2008. Web. .
Denmark. Ministry of the Environment. New tool maps the flooding from the sea. 2012. Web. .
Denmark. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark. Kriegers Flak - The world's first offshore electricity 'Supergrid'. Web. .
"Sea Level Rise." National Geographic. n.d. n. page. Web. 18 Feb. 2013. .


Here is a list of my original references:
1. European Environment Agency: Denmark Country Profile
2. Denmark Green Living Government Site
3. Danish Energy Agency
4. Waste Management in Denmark
5. Danish Offshore Wind