As summer gives way to autumn weather in Europe is between still hot and mild. But Greenland is a different story. Temperatures have dropped from the high 20’s (Celsius) they reached during a few days in the middle of the summer, to the low teens in the best of cases during these days. Within another thirty days it will easily be -20’C.
In preparation for the trip I packed some of the lighter clothes my daughter Eugenia help me purchase for a scientific expedition to the Arctic Circle two years ago. Then, the coldest it got was -56’C.
The flight to Copenhagen, our point of departure, was a good one – if you can identify yourself with a sardine in a can. Airlines are so squeezed by the present economic crisis, they have put more rows of seats into their planes to carry more passengers. As a result, when I sat down for the four-hour flight from Madrid, I felt my knees being forced into my chest! Thanks Spanair Airlines for the almost yoga position!
Landing in Copenhagen brought, as it always does, all types of fond memories to mind. Farfar and Mormor - my Danish grandparents; my mother with her Danish way of doing things; extended and beloved family in Denmark; open-faced Danish sandwiches; Royal Copenhagen porcelain, and the list goes on and on…
Already in the city, Copenhagen also brought clear images of how sustainability can be achieved, and of some of the re-learning we need to do with respect of our development styles. Take transportation.
The first picture I took to the left, is the bicycle rack outside the Prime Minister’s Office. Most people who work there come to the office on their bicycle!
And the second picture I took to the right, is around the time everybody starts leaving their offices - many again on bicycles!
In Copenhagen quality of life includes riding a bicycle every day to work. In developing nations, quality of life means forgetting your bicycle and buying a car – except we will be running out of oil, and there are not enough raw materials on the planet to keep on building cars for a population of 7 Billion, and growing. Something has to change!
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