28th
Sustainable Samsø
Last weekend I went on a trip to the Danish island of Samsø, which is powered 100% by wind energy. Actually, it’s better than that—they produce 167% of their consumption, exporting the rest to the mainland. It’s pretty remarkable, especially considering that they made the switch from fossil fuels in just 10 years. They really turned around their economy, which was facing a huge loss in jobs on their island of just 4,000 when the largest pig farm announced it would shut down. One aspect of their approach that I really like is that the wind turbines are cooperatively owned. People from the community bought shares so that they not only benefit from cleaner air and a lower carbon footprint, but also from the profit the turbines generate. It’s frustrating to compare the situation with the US, where the NIMBY-ism (not in my backyard) is so much stronger. In Samsø, our community guide said, residents would put the turbines in their front yards! The islanders, a modest people, mostly farmers, funded the wind turbines themselves—without government support. Pretty remarkable. They also use this system called district heating where the heat for your house is generated at a central plant. In their case they use biomass (we visited a place that burned straw) and solar. It’s much more efficient than having a furnace in your house (using straw was 88% less than oil) and creates fewer emissions. What I appreciated most from our guide/lecturer was his admission that they need to do so much more, especially because they still have a fossil fuel transportation infrastructure. I think that in America we are too quick to congratulate ourselves. There is so much work to do to switch to a green economy and green lifestyle.
In addition to its renewable energy wonders, Samsø is tremendously beautiful. I did 75km (45 mi) of cycling between the two days. Because the land is flat (like the rest of Denmark), it was a pleasurable yet envigorating ride. In my opinion, the wind turbines only contributed positively to the picturesque quality of the place. The endless green fields, yellow flowers, clear blue ocean, brown thatched roofs, white wind mills… like paradise. However, as our guide said, “Life in paradise is quite boring.”
