Low-Carbon Living in Denmark

Defenders International Director Karen Baragona shares her insights from a trip to Denmark for a climate change conference.

I keep thinking that if I’m very, very good in this life, maybe I’ll be reincarnated as a Dane. I think Denmark is one of the most environmentally enlightened societies anywhere, a paragon of low-carbon, “green” living.

For example, the Danish government has made it astronomically expensive to own and drive a car. First, if you buy a car, you’ll pay a tax of 180% of its value. Yes, you read it right: cars there cost almost three times as much as here in the US. Then there’s a punishingly huge tax on gas as well, driving the price up to about ten dollars a gallon.

Like most Americans I’m pretty attached (albeit a bit sheepishly) to my car, but it’s fascinating to see how Danish society functions without them. Trains go everywhere and run every ten minutes all day long. Everyone has a bike, and they ride their bikes everywhere. Even in the rain. They’re tricked out with all manner of baskets, carts and kiddie compartments for transporting whatever needs to come along for the ride. And people walk. Everywhere. Vast distances. Without even thinking about it.

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Denmark was also a pioneer in the wind power movement and quest for clean energy. Onshore wind farms started springing up in the ’80s in response to the oil crisis of the ’70s. Construction of the first large-scale offshore wind farms got underway in 2002, though only after a hard look at potential environmental impacts and ways to avoid them. The government appointed an international panel of scientists and allowed a watchdog coalition of green NGOs to oversee every stage of construction and operation. Early on there was a lot of nail-biting about how the wind turbines might harm sea birds, marine mammals and other wildlife, so researchers collected extensive baseline data and continued monitoring wildlife for several years afterward. But to everyone’s relief, these exhaustive studies didn’t turn up any substantial negative effects. Today the Danish public gives two big thumbs up to wind power, and wind farms on- and offshore generate close to 20% of Denmark’s electricity.

Now offshore wind is coming to the U.S. and in a hurry. We can learn from Denmark’s experience—documenting baseline ecological conditions and watching like a hawk for disruptions—to make sure our wildlife stays safe.

Some people think wind turbines will clutter their view as they gaze out into the ocean. That’s a matter of personal taste, I guess. For me, when I saw them in Copenhagen, there was an elemental beauty to them—their stark white silhouettes against the cerulean sky almost a distant reflection of the serene wild swans afloat on the steely gray waves in the foreground. Their silent, rhythmic rotation melds into the cadence of Danish life, as much a part of the landscape as the seagulls soaring overhead or the ships traversing Copenhagen’s vibrant harbor. They’re an emblem of Denmark’s low-carbon pledge to our warming world. And with some careful planning, offshore wind  turbines could be our low-carbon pledge to a cleaner, greener future too.

Learn more about Defenders renewable program.