WIREC 2008

WIREC 2008 is the third global ministerial-level conference on renewable energy, following events in Beijing in 2005 (BIREC 2005) and Bonn in 2004 (Renewables 2004). The first renewable energy International Action Plan, which contains 197 non-binding commitments to foster growth in renewable energy, resulted from the Bonn conference.

Conference focal points are organized around four themes: Market Adoption and Finance; Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development; Technology, Research and Development; and State and Local Government Initiatives, each intended to provide a forum for examining policy initiatives that can facilitate a rapid ramping up renewable energy sources.

Denmark Pledges
The Danish government, for instance, has already announced the following pledges for WIREC 2008:

• Reduce the use of fossil fuels by a minimum of 15% by 2025;
• Increase the share of renewable energy to at least 30% of energy consumption by 2025;
• Increase energy efficiency by 1.4% per year from 2010 to 2025;
• Double funds for research and development of new energy technologies by 2010

Danish Apology

(Click the photo to enlarge)
Source: DanishMuhammedCartoons.com

Hansen Living kitchens

The Danish furniture company Hansen Living has just announced three new eco-friendly kitchen designs by the architect Knut Knapper. The Series 100 leans to the more traditional look and feel, and the Series 200 is inspired by Japanese minimalism. The Instant Kitchen is for small spaces, incorporating the cooktop, oven, dishwasher, refrigerator, mixer (faucet) and mechanical entries into one freestanding unit. Everything is made of solid woods from managed forests: choose between plantation-teak, walnut, ash or oak. The finishes used are an all natural wood treatment, based on renewable plant materials. Since the furniture is solid wood, maintenance is a snap - just lightly sand and re-oil.
This stuff, years from now, has developed their own beautiful, rich patinas as they age and have been used for what they are: honest-to-god, handcrafted well-used furniture. Warm, natural modernism at it’s best.
Hansen Living is now in the USA.

Police harassment triggered unrest in Denmark

A group of youths who have been torching cars and waste containers in the Danish capital said the wave of unrest started as a protest against police harassment.

In a letter published in Copenhagen newspaper Politiken, the youths accused police of "brutal, racist" behavior.

It was the first time that rioting juveniles had offered any explanation for the fires that have raged for nine consecutive nights mostly in immigrant neighborhoods across the country. The authors of the letter said they would now stop rioting.

"Basically the unrest is about the way we are treated by the police, who are brutal, racist and totally unacceptably insulting," the group said in the letter.

The authors called themselves "Boys of inner Nørrebro," referring to the immigrant neighborhood in Copenhagen where the unrest started on Feb. 10.

Police said 21 fires were set overnight Tuesday for a total of about 600 since the wave of arson started. The youths have burned cars, trash containers and schools. In some cases, they have pelted firefighters with rocks, but no serious injuries have been reported.

Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen defended police and firefighters and put the blame on the rioting youths and their parents.

"The youths have a responsibility and now they must stop. Their parents also have a responsibility," he told reporters Tuesday.

Fogh Rasmussen said he had asked the Danish justice minister to examine whether the parents could be held financially responsible for damage caused by the fires.

Some observers have said that the reprinting of a caricature of the Prophet Muhammad may have aggravated the situation.

However, Tuesday's letter did not mention the prophet drawing, which Danish newspapers reproduced Wednesday in a gesture for free speech following the arrest of three men accused of plotting to murder the cartoonist.

Copenhagen police chief Hanne Bech Hansen said she met Monday with the youths who wrote the letter, and would investigate their concerns about police harassment.

The Pursuit Of Happiness

In The Science of Happiness, author Stefan Klein at this phenomena and comes to some conclusions on a meta-level on what creates happiness in a society and the results might surprise you. He finds that there are three critical standards that must be met: a civic sense, social equality and control over our own lives. The more participatory the democracy, the more equal the social and income distribution among the citizens and the more self-determination (meaning not being forced to do a job you dislike because you have to pay the bills), the happier the society is.

You can get the full segment and transcripts on CBS.com

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Why corporate Denmark is afraid of foreign talent

I think this is a very interesting article about business in Denmark. It can be read here.