Science News in Brief: Denmark’s climate-friendly electricity record is incinerated

In other news, Denmark’s record on the Environmental Performance Index would appear to suggest it is getting some things right

Denmark’s low ranking in the latest figures from Eurostat regarding climate-friendly electricity, which places the country in 32nd place out of 40 countries, is partly a result of the country’s reliance on the incineration of trash to warm our homes via long-established district heating systems.

Additionally, there are not enough electric vehicles – a recent increase in sales was halted in 2016 when the government started to phase back registration taxes scrapped in 2008.

Not enough green electricity being used
Denmark is good at producing green electricity, reports Politiken, but it does not use enough, and long-term this is bad news if it wants to fulfil the EU’s 2050 goal to eliminate CO2 emissions.

A recent report by Eurelectric and McKinsey demonstrates that if heating, transport and industry were electrified, 95 percent of the country’s CO2 emissions could be eliminated by that date.


Medicinal cannabis trials to begin this summer
Aalborg University Hospital will later this summer commence clinical trials that test medicinal cannabis on arthritis patients. Additionally, it will be assessed whether the drug can be used as an alternative to traditional therapies. The results are expected within three years.

Hump-back whale sighted in Danish waters
A young hump-back whale was sighted in the Kattegat sea on Wednesday off the northeast coast of Jutland. Brian Møller Nielsen, who has been sailing in the area for 30 years, confirmed to TV2 that it was seven to eight metres long, and experts later confirmed that footage taken from the boat was indeed of the rarely-seen whale. “It’s totally wild,” said Nielsen – yes, literally and figuratively.

Wind turbine testing centre expansion approved
Parliament has approved the expansion of two wind turbine centres in northwest Jutland. The centres in Østerild and Høvsøre will have the capacity to test nine and seven turbines, measuring 330 and 200 metres in size (up from 250 and 165) respectively. The Østerild expansion should be completed in 2019, while Høvsøre ​​will have to wait a little longer.

Contrary to some recipe books, rhubarb leaves can be deadly poisionous
It isn’t the first time that DTU Food Institute has issued a warning about eating rhubarb leaves, and it won’t be the last. Don’t put them in salads because they are poisonous! In some cases, their ingestion could even cause death. For a few fateful weeks during World War I, the leaves were suggested as a replacement for spinach, and recently there have been a few cookbooks with recipes recommending their use.

Sustainable underwear range smashes Kickstarter record
A recent Kickstarter campaign launched by sustainable underwear manufacturer Organic Basics could not have gone any better. Launched on May 1, it raised a million kroner – far in excess of its 190,000 kroner target – the most successful ever fashion-related campaign in Scandinavia.

Third on the Environmental Performance Index
Denmark finished third on the latest Environmental Performance Index, finishing only behind Switzerland and France. Its best category ranking was third for Environmental Health. Elsewhere, it ranked 11th for Ecosystem Vitality, 18th for Biodiversity and Habitat, 94th for Forests, 87th for Fisheries, 25th for Climate and Energy and 37th for Air Pollution, 14th for Water Resources and 7th for Agriculture.




  • Ryanair cancels all flights to and from Billund 

    Ryanair cancels all flights to and from Billund 

    Ryanair has increased its cuts from the Billund-Aalborg route to encompass its entire operation to and from Billund Airport. The airline’s scarce communication is leaving both the airport and passengers scrambling for answers.

  • What do Danes do for “Vinterferie”?

    What do Danes do for “Vinterferie”?

    As tradition has it, many Danes take a week off for Vinterferie next week. Or the week after. It’s a bit confusing, especially since Christmas and New Year’s Holiday are not far away. What’s going on?

  • The educational options for internationals in Denmark

    The educational options for internationals in Denmark

    Denmark offers free public education, but private schools and universities for non-EU students require tuition. Language is a barrier, with international schools available for children and limited English-taught university programs. In 2024, Denmark expanded university seats for internationals and introduced an HF-international program in Aarhus.

  • Aarhus Gymnasium is launching Denmark’s first HF program for internationals

    Aarhus Gymnasium is launching Denmark’s first HF program for internationals

    Aarhus Gymnasium is launching Denmark’s first HF-international program in August, offering young adult internationals an alternative to IB programs with a focus on career-oriented education and Danish language learning. Unlike IB, it reduces academic pressure while providing access to vocational schools and professional bachelor’s degrees

  • Top Danish companies report strong financial performance

    Top Danish companies report strong financial performance

    Some of Denmark’s leading companies reported solid financial results for 2024, with Lundbeck, Demant, and Vestas seeing growth, while Pandora tackled rising production costs with price increases and cost-saving measures.

  • Greenland restricts foreign property purchases and election donations

    Greenland restricts foreign property purchases and election donations

    These days, the Greenlandic institutions are approving two new norms to restrict, reduce, or ban the possibility for foreign citizens to buy real estate on the island, as well as for political parties to receive large amounts of money from foreign donors.