GREEN LIVING AND THE CYCLING CULTURE:
Danes really love their bicycles. The Danish cycle-culture is as old as the bicycle itself. Copenhagen is world famous for its biking culture and now officially it has been voted the first Bike City in the World. Last year, it was also voted the ‘Best city for cyclists’ and the ‘World’s most liveable city’. The Danes are well known for their love of cycling and cities all around the world are now looking at ways to mimic this (Copenhagen has over 390 kilometres of designated bike lanes.) Copenhagers have used bicycles to move around the city since the 1880s. Back then, commuting by bike was the fastest, easiest and most environmentally friendly way to travel around the city – and it still is. For over 40% of the population, cycling is the favoured means of transportation. In Copenhagen bicycles are everywhere!
Bicycles, of course, are a wonderful green initiative. The Danish reliance upon cycling is just one of the many things that help promote green living. Denmark also relies heavily on wind and solar energy. In fact, Copenhagen plans on becoming the world’s first carbon-neutral capital by 2025. “Acting on a City Council plan approved last August, Copenhagen intends to replace coal with biomass, to add more wind and solar electricity to the grid, to upgrade energy-guzzling buildings, and to lure even more residents onto bikes and public transit.” (denmark.dk) Admirable goal and 2025 is not that far away.