Just getting back from Denmarkand four full days of lectures at the international innovation and entrepreneurship school KaosPilot. Long days – but very rewarding to see the light bulbs go on in the students’ eyes. It is also rewarding to know they will be using the leadership and strategy work we do together to make the world a better place. The stories I hear about what they are doing are truly inspiring.
Every year, on my day off, my hosts travel with me to a place in Denmark that is on the cutting edge of sustainability (see: Samso and Friland for examples). This year the trip was to the city of Frederikshavn, a place that I found on the Go 100 Percent website. Frederikshavn has made a commitment to be carbon neutral by 2015 and they are on track to do it, despite the harsh climate.
I went with Bo Blaabjerg, Head of Consultancy at theKaospilotand Jakob Lindrup, one of the third year students. We met with Poul Rask Nielsen, the Project Leader for all the Energy Initiatives. Poul very generously took time out of his busy day to explain how they are working through the process of getting there, step by step. The efforts are already yielding excellent economic as well as environmental rewards at every step. If they can get there in that unforgiving climate, what is stopping us inHermosa Beach?
P.S. Interestingly, despite their remote location, Frederikshavn hosted President Bill Clinton and Vice President Al Gore. Pretty impressive!
View from the train station in Aarhus, DK, the home of the KaosPilot Innovation School. Notice the strong bike and pedestrian culture despite the weather.
Poul, Bo and Jakob in front of the small scale prototype "crestwing" wave energy generation machine that was developed by students at the local university.
Solar farm at the local district heating plant.
Poul very kindly showing us the innovation room in the city's planning department where all the ideas that are carefully nurtured in the community are explored and brought forward
Bo, Jakob and I were thoroughly impressed with the vision and execution capability that this town demonstrated in their efforts to not just help their environment, but to bring economic revitalization to the region
More from my site
<< Previous Post Next Post >>
[…] of sustainable towns and cities as well as thei technologies. See prior posts for Friland, Samso, Fredrikshavn and we also went to see the Home for […]