Denmark has some of the the most rigid food regulations than any other country in the world. Denmark dedicates 6% of their agriculture to organic food, the U.S allocates merely 1%. Danes are also very resistant to GMOed food, pesticides, food additives and colorings. Danes eat very healthy and value sustainable agriculture. They are soon hosting a “Dirt Cafe” conference to discuss the implications of feeding a city now and into the future. The “Dirt Cafe” started in London in 2004, during these sessions a diverse grouping of designers, scientists, sociologists, economists get together to find solutions to problems of our world today.
Carolyn Steel, an author and activist in the area of sustainable living, argues that changing our attitude toward food is crucial for the survival of our world. Activists in America, like Alice Waters and others, have dedicated their lives to promoting slow food and seasonal eating.
Alice Waters from California has created programs, charities and restaurants to return human’s relationship with food to a more natural place. One of the programs she has started is called “Edible Schoolyard”, where children apply their expereinces in the garden to their schoolwork. building awareness of the importance of food and the magic of growing food. The Edible Schoolyard teaches children the basics of science, team building and responsibility. As Carolyn Steel mentioned, Americans throw 1/2 of our food away becuase we have lost value for our food.
It looks like the The US, more than any other nation, needs to conduct a Dirt Cafe of our own. Carolyn Steel argues that food should be used to design infrastructures of our local communities, and cities as a whole.
Good luck Copenhagen, I am sure we will be following in your footsteps.
Alice waters and the Edible School Yard
The day in the life of a typical Dane is quite different than that of the typical American. Some of the most dominant differences are those surrounding transportation norms. Together residents of Copenhagen bike an average of 1.1 million km each day. The city hopes to increase the amount of bike commuters in the population from 37% to 50 % by 2012. Considering the harsh weather of Scandinavia, this is a pretty remarkable figure. In effort to create an efficient and enjoyable bicycle experience, the city has developed a system of interconnected bike lanes and convenient bike racks throughout the city. Residents of Copenhagen and surrounding areas can easily bike from one end of the city to the other on well-maintained bike routes, and have the option of combing biking with one of the many modes of public transportation including the train, metro and extensive bus systems.
We must ask ourselves why America is so resistant to commuting by bike. After only briefly observing American culture, it is easy to conclude that cars an integral part of the American lifestyle. The way our cities are designed, with sprawling suburban areas, giant superstores and zero public transport, forces Americans to drive cars everywhere. We are conditioned to walking no more than a couple hundred yards in any given situation. Furthermore, the majority of Americans view biking as a way to exercise, not as a mechanism of transportation.
Though many Americans deny the effects of global warming and vote for idiots like Sarah Palin, there are a number of intelligent and forward-thinking people who are finding innovative solutions to our nation’s problems, including issues concerning global warming, pollution, obesity, and the economical crisis. We must rely on them for changing our world for the better. One company, B-cycle, based out of Boulder, Colorado is solving each one of the problems addressed above with an ingenious bike-sharing system. These systems will facilitate convenient ways for citizens to commute by bike. By installing loading stations throughout the city, people can pick up and drop off bikes as they please, paying only for the time they ride.
How simple right? Why doesn’t every American city have this, is the question I asked after discovering B-cycle. And the answer is culture. Our culture must change for these needed systems to take place. Changing culture is not impossible- we have a black president and my 85 year old grandmother recycles. I believe we can.
How will American culture embrace programs like B-cycle? The answer is serious governmental support paired with smart marketing efforts. It is about people letting go of their old habits and adopting new ones, something that will never happen without a little nudge from government and societal groups. Today, more than ever, people rely on peer acceptance and are willing to make an effort to be part of their social tribe. We see more and more community members investing in local artists, farmers and supporting small businesses. There are countless examples of how communities shape each other. Fat people have fat friends. Another fascinating example of group behavior is supported by a company that makes available the amount of off-the-grid energy produced by solar panels on each household in a particular community. This stimulates intrinsic motivation for community members to perform, because by nature we are a tribe species. Transparency gives community members incentive to change, to fit in with the others that are making a difference. Nudges are important and change is contagious.
Take it from the Danes. Denmark is a visionary country and has a lot to offer in the way of eco-friendly advice. Having conquered their first task of creating world class public transpiration systems and one of the most bike accessible cities in the world, Denmark has recently announced that a company called Better Place and DONG energy will establish a 103 million Euro project of a Danish electric car network scheduled to launch in 2011. DONG energy is a governmentally funded energy company who will utilize excess wind energy to power electric cars throughout the city. This plan is brilliant and will allow Copenhagen to harness wind energy during the night, typically a time of power waste.
www.bcycle.
Did you know that the band Aqua, with their sing their hit song “I Am A Barbie Girl, In A Barbie World”, is actually a Danish band? After visiting Denmark and witnessing the beautiful blond men and woman, the Barbie song starts to make a little more sense. Not only are the Danes the happiest people on earth, they are arguably the most attractive too.
Most Danish Rock and pop songs are sung in English and have strong American or British influence. Their top ten lists follow that of the United States quite closely. After moving there last year I watched artists like lady Gaga and Taylor swift explode in popularity a few short weeks after the released in the US.
Although many Danes enjoy American and British tunes, they also having a thriving music community of their own.
Here is a video of the Danish music awards, featuring the new face of Danish tune.
Kashmir, another popular Danish rock band, is named after a Led Zepplin song. Kashmir’s latest album features David Bowie and Lou Reed. Indie rock dominates the current Rock scene in Denver with bands such as The Raveonettes, The Kissaway Trail and Mew. Another surprising fact is that rockstar Lars Ulruch, the drummer and co-founder of Metallica, is also a Dane.
The current musical movement are primarily with rooted in rap and pop.
The Danish Rap scene is on the rise and is gaining popularity among the youth.
Ja confetti is an up and coming pop band
www.youtube.com/watch?v=8n5r_iVclpc&feature=PlayList&p=1E0A96CA01068B2B&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=3
Denmark is not only known for their world class rock musicians, the country also hosts the second largest music festivals in all of Europe each summer. The Roaskilde Festival draws many A-list musicians such as Nirvana, Guns N’ Roses, U2, Bob Dylan, Black Sabbath and Green Day, and thousands more.
Many wonderful musical secrets have developed in Denmark since the beginning of its existence. This corner of Scandinavia has a rich musical history of their own, embracing traditional Folk music, jazz and more recently pop and rock. Children sing Folk music in school and traditional Danish melodies are frequently sung around the home and before celebratory meals.
Danish folk music has a strong lyrical base pared with the accordian and the fiddle. Recently musical pioneers such as Sorten Muld have construed musical forms combing electronica with the traditional sounds of Danish Folk music. Other big names in Danish Folk are those of Phonix, Zar, and talents like Baltinget, Instinkt, and the duo Haugaard and Høirud. Although the older generation of Danes listen to folk music and attend concerts frequently, the young Danes dance to jazz, rock and pop in music venues like Vega in Copenhagen.
Jazz has linked Demark to other musicians around the world, and although often deemed a deceased musical form, Danish jazz continues to be enjoyed around the globe. The jazz movement in Denmark began in the year 1934 when Svend Asmussen, the 18 year old violinist, made his first debut. Today jazz is fully integrated into the musical landscape, growing and evolving with the influences of other music form. Jazz bars are common and enjoyed by all age groups in Denmark. Jazzhouse in Copenhagen is a glitzy jazz house in the heart of Copenhagen’s old town area known as Vesterbero.
Danish Jazz has a vastly interesting history and has been greatly influenced by American musical movements. After jazz went underground during the Nazi occupation during the 1940’s, progressive musicians like Eiberg, Bonfils and Asmussen began to use jazz as a medium for protest. After WWII New Orlean’s jazz movement and Bebop slpit the jazz community into two. New Orleans jazz propagated within the more traditional and older-style of jazz musicians in Denmark, while new age musicians adopted the sing-song tune of Bebop.
Yoga is taking off in Denmark. Although Danes have not been practicing yoga for very long, the studios in Copenhagen are beautiful and the teachers are fantastic. Many times they teach in English, or have designated classes throughout the week that are taught in English. I saw mostly asanura and ashtanga studios. I give it only a year or two before bikram yoga becomes incredibly popular there. The hot room and calming practice would be a great fit for the cold and dark winters in the city.
I tend to slow down my bikram practice during summer, but the winter season is on it’s way. With the cold weather, our bodies have to fight even harder to keep ourselves healthy. The body has less energy to devote to the immune system , which means it is that much more important to keep ourselves healthy.
YOGA: There are a few fantastic immune boosting qualities about hot yoga. The practice works and cleanses every muscle, tendon ligament and muscle from bones to skin. The practice brings oxygen to every cell, healing the body and removing toxins from all areas. The compression poses work the the thyroid and promote with healthy digestion. While Bikram is a great immune system stimulator, it encompasses many more benefits like promoting healthy kidney function, helping with colitis, spondilitis, menstrual disorders and improves hip and back pain. It also gives cardiovascular benefits, as well as working on the circulatory, , muscular, digestive, and reproductive systems.
So the best way to boost your immune system, rid your body of toxins from unhealthy food or alcohol, or increase your flexibility and balance is no doubt Bikram yoga. Disclaimer: Bikram can be a challenge for beginners. My suggestion is go three times in one week. The more you go the easier the practice will become.
If someone does not open a bikram studio in CPH, I will.
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born October 2, 1869. In celebration of his birthday, and a tribute to his amazing life, I would like to discuss a few of his most profound quotes and powerful life lessons.
“Constant development is the law of life, and a man who always tries to maintain his dogmas in order to appear consistent drives himself into a false position.”
It is so important to remember that we are the makers of lives, we write our life story and can make changes at any moment along the way. There is no need to settle for anything less that something fantastic for ourselves or the people that we love.
“As human beings, our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the world – that is the myth of the atomic age – as in being able to remake ourselves.”
“Hygge” is a word describing Danish culture. At it’s most basic level, Hygge is that warm fuzzy feeling people feel when they spend time in cozy places or in good company. Danish Hygge is at the center of the Dane’s overall happiness. Time and time again, studies have shown that Danes are the happiest people on earth.
Danish Relationships:
Danes above all value personal relationships, and interaction between Danes is always respectful, loving, interesting and thought provoking. They are an open-minded people and enjoy spending time with one another.
Danish Lifestyle
Their value for personal relationships extends beyond interpersonal interacttion though, the Danish mentality is one of balance and simplicity for all aspects of life. They find something extrodinary in everything and learn to love what they have.
Lessons to Learn from the Danes
1. Keep it simple
2. Eat good food
3. Excercize – Do yoga
