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  Something's rotten (even) in the state of Denmark

  
  Bjorn Lomborg seems to appear on the scene as an errand boy for the new Janus approach of Denmark.

  Denmark, well known for its leading role in development and use of wind energy - yes, as a matter of fact, until recently a world leader in that field - now also has become a world leader in air pollution.

  How did it come about, that a Scandinavian country shifted from being an invocative leading sustainable developer to an extremely high contributor of greenhouse gases [GHG]?
  Denmark, with an annual growth rate of 12, 7% in primary energy consumption of fossil fuels in 2006, now has the highest rate of energy growth among OECD members' countries - even higher than the growth rate in China (8, 4%).

  Add thereto, the GHG-emissions from the Danish International Shipping Industry [DISI] - which now owns and manages a fleet with a gross tonnage of approximately 50 million  - equal to ca. 10 percent of the entire world fleet (and with a heavy segment of high-speed container vessels, (Maersk-Line etc.)). In 2006 DISI consumed about 40 million tons of heavy marine bunker oil - more than twice of the country's entire domestic energy consumption (total domestic fossil fuel consumption 2006: 19, 5 mill. tons oil equivalent, according to BP Statistical Review of World Energy June 2007)  

  To Denmark, that gives a yearly consumption rate of 11 tons fossil fuel/capita and a corresponding emission rate of 32, 5 tons CO2/capita - far beyond the figures from US.

  So, The Kingdom of Denmark, which ironically embraces Greenland, has as a world leader in air pollution sent a messenger to play down the consequences of the global warming.
  On The great polar bear irony posted 2 years, 2 months ago 11 Responses