healthier, happier and richer

Germany led the world on wind energy until 2007. In 2008, it was overtaken in terms of total installed capacity, though not percentage of energy coming from wind, by the USA. It remains the world’s top photovoltaic (PV) installer, accounting for almost half of the global market in 2007 – though this generates only about 1% of total electricity used in Germany.

For the next six months, Spain holds the Presidency of the EU and, from the start of February, there will be a new European Commission. Spain and Germany lead the EU on wind and solar power, so there are good grounds to hope that the new leadership will result in a major speeding up of the low carbon transition.

Six Degrees won the UK Royal Society Science Books Prize in 2008. It’s extremely well written and readable, but, because it is an illustration of the effects that different temperature increases will have, it is not exactly cheerful. Yet, anyone interested in climate change – or indeed human survival – should read it.

This document sets out some of the important climate change statistics concerning energy use in the Denmark.