{"id":11424,"date":"2020-10-05t16:24:37","date_gmt":"2020-10-05t16:24:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dpetrov.2create.studio\/planet\/wordpress\/the-subtle-and-systemic-changes-that-make-life-in-copenhagen-more-sustainable\/"},"modified":"2023-05-15t18:58:57","modified_gmt":"2023-05-15t18:58:57","slug":"moving-to-copenhagen-a-fresh-perspective-on-sustainability-in-cities-or-subtle-and-systemic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"\/\/www.getitdoneaz.com\/story\/moving-to-copenhagen-a-fresh-perspective-on-sustainability-in-cities-or-subtle-and-systemic\/","title":{"rendered":"the subtle and systemic changes that make life in copenhagen more sustainable"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
a few weeks ago, i moved to copenhagen, denmark. although i am half danish, and have spent plenty of time here growing up, the culture and lifestyle habits surrounding sustainability differ greatly from what\u2019s familiar\u2014shifting my mindset and forcing me to re-evaluate my own sustainability practices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
i consider myself a rather environmentally conscious 20-year-old: i eat plant-based, contemplate my clothing sources, despise single use-plastic, bring reusable bags and bottles\u2014i even tried the whole zero waste thing. despite my efforts, living sustainably as a student in rapidly changing, business-centric cities like new york and washington, d.c., has been more than challenging. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
moving to copenhagen has made me realize that instead of constantly evaluating my personal habits, perhaps i should be more critical of the systems which ultimately shape society\u2019s collective impact because real improvements will only transpire when we collectively take action. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
in 2020 denmark was ranked as the most sustainable country<\/a> by experts from yale and columbia universities, according to the 2020 environmental performance index (epi).<\/a> reasons for this high ranking include denmark\u2019s reduction of co2 emission by more than half since 1996<\/a>, and that 47% of electricity was sourced from wind power in 2019.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n furthermore, as identified by the united nations, these high ratings likely correlate to the fact that denmark is a front runner in other aspects of sustainable development. the danish government provides citizens with universal health care and education, there is high gender equality, a generous social safety net, personal freedom, and more. <\/p>\n\n\n\n these high rankings are also largely thanks to the shared philosophies of sustainability and minimalism which are upheld in the home, and beyond. this collective mindset is often neglected when discussing global sustainability methods, but i believe it should be emphasized. <\/p>\n\n\n\n to find out more, i decided to talk with other students who have also recently moved here, to see what they\u2019ve noticed living in copenhagen and whether these differences have impacted them too. these conversations have left me with a freshly optimistic outlook on how sustainability within cities can not only improve the health of our planet but also improve people\u2019s mindsets and happiness overall. <\/p>\n\n\n\n i\u2019ve come to think that perhaps we are looking too far into the unknown for solutions to our biggest climate challenges. rather than waiting around for another ambiguous statement from our world leaders, or some unidentified technological solution, let\u2019s examine the cities who have already implemented tangible and effective sustainable systems into daily life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n it all started with a mirror. <\/p>\n\n\n\n this recent incident with my father perfectly illustrates the first major difference i noticed when moving to denmark: the absence of online shopping.<\/p>\n\n\n\n my dad needed to acquire a full-length mirror. after days of careful window shopping around town, he finally picked one out online and reserved it for same-day pickup. as my dad insisted that everything was transportable via the holy bike lane, he and i cycled out to the store and purchased the mirror. realizing that it was indeed far too large and heavy to cycle with, even for a full-blooded determined dane like my father, we resorted to balancing the mirror on one of the bike pedals and walking it all the way home, fighting the wind as we went. yes, this entire fiasco could have (and would have) been avoided in new york city with the ease of a click on amazon prime. but, this would have also come with an environmental cost, going against danish values of minimalism\u2014as well as the notion that everything is possible on a bicycle.<\/p>\n\n\n