‘Obama, Please Beat Us!’ on Renewable Energy, says Denmark
This week, Obama’s alternative energy promises prompted Danish Minister of Climate and Energy Connie Hedegaard to say she’d be happy if the US took Denmark’s first place title on renewable energy.
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Obama, visiting a wind power plant in Iowa on Earth Day, said that the US would make great efforts to surpass Denmark as the leader in wind power and other renewable resources. The US President said that currently America produces less than 3% of it’s electricity from renewable sources, like wind and solar.
“Now, in comparison,” Obama said, “Denmark produces almost 20 percent of their electricity through wind power. We pioneered solar technology, but we’ve fallen behind countries like Germany and Japan in generating it, even though we’ve got more sun than either country.”
“I don’t accept this is the way it has to be. When it comes to renewable energy, I don’t think we should be followers, I think it’s time for us to lead.”
Danish Minister for Climate and Energy, Connie Hedegaard, a leader on alternative energy, says she’d like to see him try. Really. Hedegaard told Danish news agency Ritzau:
“It would be super if the US could supply its 300 million inhabitants with renewable energy to the same extent as we do in Denmark. If it is feasible, they would take over the leading position.
“The speech yesterday is consistent with the reports that we have received in recent times. Across the board the country shows that climate change is at the very top of their agenda,” the minister said, noting that it’s not free to make such optimistic promises.
”Every time [politicians] say so in public, they commit themselves to take action,” she said.
Currently, Denmark holds first place on renewable energy for some of the following reasons. In Denmark:
- They get 20-25% of electricity and heating from renewable energy, mostly biomass, biodegradable waste and wind.
- That will be 36% by 2025.
- They build houses with green roofs made from seaweed. Nuff said.
- Since 1973, they’ve gone from a 99% dependence on Middle East oil to 0% today. None.
Via: COP15
Image credit: Stephen ONeill via stock.xchange
I have designed a hot water furnace that burns hay pellets ashes come out, automatically without any clinkers the cheapest energy we have in North America
Furnace has been heating apartment buildings for 6 mouths last winter
Denmark has accomplished the unthinkable. Not only do they produce twenty to twenty five percent of their electricity and heating from renewable energy, (examples such as: biomass, biodegradable waste and wind) but they have become completely independent of Middle Easter oil. This is a great accomplishment. During earth day Obama, visited a wind power plant in Iowa. This marvelous invention made him believe that the US can surpass Denmark in renewable energy. Competition is not bad. It is human nature to go against others on topics of interest. However, I disagree with our president. He cannot say that we can increase our renewable energy from three percent to twenty in a short period of time. This seems impossible. Especially since US uses way more energy than Denmark, and twenty percent of US energy would require a tremendous amount of wind mill. Again this is not a bad idea. It would be great if he proves me wrong in the end. But with the economy being unstable this might not be a great idea for right now.
I write from the world’s first big windmill, 54 m, 1 MW, built by volunteers in the 1970. It is still running today. Our windmill, Tvindkraft, inspired other producers by showing windpower was a true alternative. Tvindkraft also provided the necessary wing technology which today is at every producer’s disposal. Danish windpower boomed in just 20 years, creating lots of jobs and income for Denmark. Please read about Tvindkraft as a source of inspiration and good luck with your energy transformation.
France changed their energy system in 10 years, albeit opting for nuclear, so change of energy systems over a short period of time is possible also for bigger countries, especially when this provides job opportunities.
Since the election of President Barak Obama, we in the United States have real reason to look forward to meeting the many challenges of our time. This is the kind of competition between nations the peoples of the world can really get into. Thanks for posting the article.
As an added thought, it has been three years since we installed solar panels on our roof. Several neighbours have asked us about them and recently, two more homes near us have installed panels. While solar and other technologies continue to improve, it is encouraging to see that people are not just waiting to see what comes up, but are forging ahead with the best currently available and looking forward to continued improvements.