Bedtime story

A short, effective ad on climate change made by the Department of Energy and Climate Change.

Understanding Climate Change

The majority of people believe global warming is happening, but many do not understand why.

According to an American national study conducted by researchers at Yale University found that only 57 % of the population know what the greenhouse effect is and only 45 % understand that carbon dioxide traps heat from the Earth’s surface. Americans recognize their limited understanding where only 1 in 10 say that they are “very well informed” about climate change, and 75 % say they would like to know more about climate change (Science Daily, 2010).

A survey conducted on the public understanding of climate change and global warming on residents in the south of England show a tendency for the public to detach themselves from the causes, impacts and responsibility for tackling climate change/global warming (Whitmarsh, 2009). The public lack individual engagement in tackling the issue of climate change by distancing themselves from the issue, despite understand it is happening (Sharples, 2010).

The complexity of the science behind climate change contributes to the public pushing the responsibility away. It is therefore thought-provoking that experts believe the information about climate change is sufficient and appropriate (Sharples, 2010). There is a need for a better communication pathway between the experts and the public.

It is essential for the climate community to take advantage of the opportunities in the social media when informing the public about climate change as the media heavily influences the public’s opinion on the topic. Events like 24 Hours of Reality are ideal in creating publicity and spreading knowledge about climate change.

The video below is an ideal example of a good way for scientists to inform the public about climate change. The information is communicated in a simple, fast technique contributing to making the concept of global warming easy for the public to grasp.

I believe a fast and improved adaptiation to social media is necessary for the scientific community to increase the public's awareness and engagement in the fight against climate change.

24 HOURS OF REALITY- The Dirty Weather Report

24 Hours of Reality- The Dirty Weather Report is a an event taking place over 24 hours from the 14th to the 15th of November, putting a spotlight on climate change in every region of the world. Broadcasting live on the Internet; featuring news, voices and multimedia content experts, musicians, comedians and citizens share their stories about climate change impacts.

The event is launched by the Climate Reality Project, lead by the Chairman, former Vice President Al Gore (The Climate Change Project, 2012).

The Climate Reality Project’s Message: ”We can solve the climate crisis, we need leadership to implement solutions today.”

Watch the live stream here: http://climaterealityproject.org/

During these 24 hours, you are asked to sign a pledge and join a global movement to demand action.

Signing the pledge will help spread the truth about climate change and put pressure on the world leaders to guide us towards a clean energy future. 

Take the pledge here: http://climaterealityproject.org/pledge/

I BIKE CPH

In continuation of my latest blog post, one of the four targeted areas in the CPH 2025 Climate Plan is mobility, aiming to make cycling, walking or public transport the preferable transport forms when getting around the city. I will in the following blog post focus on biking and on the specific goals and initiatives Copenhagen has made to reach each the goals set for 2025. I will thereafter evaluate if it is realistic for other cities to adapt these goals.

Copenhagen is a world-class city for cyclists but their ambitions are higher and new initiatives are required to reach the major goal of 2025:

For 50 % of trips to work or school in Copenhagen to be by bike (35 % today).

Reaching this goal will lead to reducing the annual carbon emission by 40,000 ton CO₂ compared with 2010 (The City of Copenhagen, 2012).

 (City of Copenhagen, 2011)

To reach these goals concrete initiatives include:

•       Travel time- Establishing Superhighways, short cuts, routes with Green Waves for bikers.
•      Safety- Green bicycle routes, redesign of intersection, wider bicycle lanes, safer school routes and campaigns for the general bicycle attitude and consideration.
•       Comfort- Improved asphalt and snow clearance on cycle tracks, services (air pumps, apps e.g.) and effective bicycle parking.
•       Lifestyle and image- Campaigns marketing the health associated with cycling and specific efforts for groups with potential for more cycling (e.g. newcomers).

The Municipality of Copenhagen expect total costsof approximately 56 million British pounds to reach the goals set in the CPH 2025 Climate Plan. In addition to the initiatives tied with the CPH 2025 Climate Plan the city will have expenses of approximately 100 million British pounds to develop the bicycle city further (The City of Copenhagen, 2011).

One of the great strengths of the bike culture in Copenhagen is that biking is nothing special; people choose to bike simply because it is practical, fast and cheap.  In other countries biking is more of a subculture, requiring special clothes, extreme bikes etc. For cultures to adapt Copenhagen’s bicycle goals and ambitions the general bike mentality will need to change. None the less, Copenhagen’s bicycle plans can inspire cities and be a role model for other cities.  

Campaign video for UCI Road World Championships 

Copenhagen: The First CO2 Neutral Capital

Copenhagen is leading the way in the action against climate change by becoming the first carbon neutral capital by 2025. Their goal is to show that it is possible to combine growth, development and an increase in life quality while reducing CO₂ emissions.

On August 23rd 2012 the City Council of Copenhagen adopted the CPH 2025 Climate Plan, a plan to show the route to a CO₂ neutral Copenhagen. Carbon neutrality will be reached when Copenhagen’s carbon net emissions equals zero. This means Copenhagen will have to reduce their carbon emissions to a minimum, and compensate the remaining emissions with external initiatives. The CPH 2025 Climate Plan has been divided into four areas: energy consumption, energy production, mobility and the city administration. In the plan specific goals and initiatives within each area are described for how the goal of carbon neutrality can be reached. Through close cooperation between governments, businesses, knowledge institutions and Copenhageners the holistic plan is working for a better quality of life, innovation, job creation and investment (City of Copenhagen, 2012).

The government has been criticised for failing to introduce a promised congestion charge for Copenhagen, which would potentially have increased the use of public transport for the city’s commuters (Stanners, 2012). 

An article written by Rasmus Skov Olesen for Baggrund (a Danish contemporary online magazine), the method used in calculating the Copenhagen's carbon emission is criticised. Today the city’s emission is calculated only from the direct carbon emissions of the area. This means there is a weighted focus on the emissions associated with traffic congestion and the energy sector. This calculation fails to include the citizen’s environmental liability associated with indirect emissions e.g. the emissions associated with travel and consumption. NIRAS (a large multidisciplinary consultancy company) mean the method for measuring carbon emission is incorrect, giving a distorted perception of reality amongst the citizens, where the world’s environmental and climate problems are being solved from above.  The problem is it is not popular to discuss behavioural changes and reduction in public consumption, as it is often associated with a welfare loss (Olesen, 2012). By including the indirect emissions, Copenhagen will need to give more responsibility to the citizens forcing them to change their comfortable lifestyle in order to meet the 2025 goals.

Regardless, as a capital city and a metropolis, Copenhagen is taking responsibility for climate change. Let us hope the initiatives will inspire other cities to do the same.