[BBC Travel] What Copenhagen can teach the world

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BEYOND THE HEADLINES | 13 April 2012

What Copenhagen can teach the world

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By Suemedha Sood

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Cyclists bike down path in the center of Copenhagen, Denmark. (Associated Press)

Copenhagen frequently tops rankings of the world’s happiest, most liveable and best-designed cities.

This is likely because the city strives for sustainability in nearly every aspect of policy and culture. While Denmark’s capital may not be perfect, its successes in a few key areas provide teaching points for metropolises around the world.

Work/life balance
Family is central to Danish life. According to BBC News, parents typically receive an entire year of maternity/paternity leave (which can be spread out over nine years), half fully paid and half up to 90% paid. In addition, government subsidies often cover 75% of pre-kindergarten childcare costsand the majority of education and healthcare. Culturally, BBC News adds, there is little pressure to work overtime, leaving people more time to spend with their families. 

While all of this leads to much higher taxes (Denmark has the highest income tax in the world), Danes are willing to bear the cost since, studies show, they have a high degree of trust in their government.

Infrastructure
The importance of liveability in Danish culture is exemplified in the sustainable infrastructure of its capital city. Copenhagen is friendly to pedestrians, and perhaps even friendlier to cyclists. Nearly 480,000 people (40% of residents) commute by bike each day, causing some to call Copenhagen the number one cycling city in the world. The city’s bike-sharing program, Bycyklen København, provides bikes to locals and visitors for free, and Copenhagen has a network of about 350km of off-road bike paths, complete with traffic lights. Plus, there’s the S-tog commuter train, the Metro and an extensive bus system.

Residents usually prefer to cycle or take public transport since there are deterrents to driving in Denmark – namely, some of the highest petrol prices in the world and a petrol tax of about 4 Danish kroner per litre.

Sustainable architecture is also central to city policy. Most new buildings, for example, are required to have roofs covered with plants and vegetation, and most old buildings have been retrofitted to meet these standards. Green roofs reduce storm water runoff and help control the building’s interior climate, reducing both utility costs and greenhouse gas emissions. In addition city plans say that by 2015, 90% of residents will be able to walk to a green space in just 15 minutes.

Copenhagen is also trying to diversify its energy portfolio, purchasing some wind energy, for instance, from the nearby Danish island of Samsø. Samsø is an inspiration for Denmark’s capital, as it is an entirely carbon-neutral island that produces 100% of its electricity with wind power.  

As Copenhagen itself strives to be carbon-neutral itself by 2025, sustainable economic growth remains a major concern. To address the challenge of merging environmental and economic goals, Copenhagen will host the Global Green Growth Forum, an annual summit of 200 world leaders, this October.

Science and technologyThe city’s many research companies are being joined by thriving medical technology and communications technology sectors, all big job creators, according to the German news source Der Spiegel. The broader entrepreneurial tech sector is flourishing as well. Copenhagen is turning into a major startup city, which some attribute to its commitment to design and its culture of collaboration. The city hosts many events to support entrepreneurs, such as startup “bootcamps” and competitions for seed funding.  

Indulgence
One of the biggest contributing factors to Copenhagen’s happiness and liveability is purely cultural: Copenhageners know how to have a good time while also taking care of the environment. Copenhagen consumes more organic food than any other place in Europe, is home to more breweries per capita than anywhere else in Europe (many of which are organic), and also has more Michelin stars than any other Scandinavian city – 14 to be exact. Leading the city’s recent food and drink renaissance, is Noma, a local food-obsessed establishment named the world’s best restaurant two years in a row.

Mixology is also blossoming in Copenhagen, with craft cocktail professionals promoting inventive concoctions beyond just beer.

Travelwise is a BBC Travel column that goes behind the travel stories to answer common questions, satisfy uncommon curiosities and uncover some of the mystery surrounding travel. If you have a burning travel question, contact Travelwise.

Correction: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated the number of residents that commute by bike each day. This has been fixed.

[BBC] Snapshot: The biggest problems facing the world

Snapshot: The biggest problems facing the world

6 hours ago

In 2010, Cambridge professor Nicholas Boyle said "a great event" in the year 2014 would be pivotal in determining whether the 21st Century would bring peace and prosperity or war and poverty.

With the loss of two Malaysia Airlines flights, the kidnapping of 200 schoolgirls in Nigeria, war in Gaza and Israel, the birth of an "Islamic State" in the Middle East, tensions in Europe over Ukraine and the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, his prediction doesn't seem that far off.

BBC News takes a look at some of the crises facing world leaders, as Nato members gather in the Welsh city of Newport for a summit.

Ukraine

Western leaders have described the Ukraine conflict as the biggest crisis in Europe since the end of the Cold War.

Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was brought down during the Ukrainian crisis in July

Tensions erupted when Russia annexed the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea in March. Two months later, pro-Russian gunmen declared independence in the eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk.

Some 2,600 people have been killed in fighting between Ukrainian troops and the separatists since mid-April, according to the UN.

This does not include the 298 passengers and crew of Malaysian Airlines MH17, which was shot down - probably by rebels, accidentally - in the Donetsk area in July.

The Ukraine conflict has pushed Nato's relationship with Russia to new lows, with the alliance accusing Russia of sending at least 1,000 troops and hundreds of armoured vehicles into eastern Ukraine.

The EU and US have already imposed a series of economic sanctions on Moscow for backing Ukraine's separatists.

Ukraine in maps: How the crisis spread

Syria

The Syrian conflict has just entered its 42nd month. Described by the UN as "the biggest humanitarian emergency of our era," almost 50% of all Syrians have been forced to flee their homes because of clashes between government forces and rebel fighters, which include jihadists from Islamic State and al-Nusra Front, an al-Qaeda affiliate.

This time last year, the US and its allies came very close to launching punitive military air strikes on government positions after a deadly chemical weapons attack killed hundreds of civilians on the outskirts of Damascus.

More than three million Syrians are registered as refugees

But when the UK Parliament voted against intervention, depriving US President Barack Obama of crucial support and sowing doubts among US politicians, the move was quickly quashed.

A positive outcome of the chemical weapons crisis was the destruction of Syria's chemical weapons stockpile, although there are fears that some weapons remain unaccounted for and may be used by government forces or end up in the hands of extremists.

President Bashar al-Assad has been gaining the upper hand in the conflict, with the rebels beset by divisions and denied the heavy weapons they need by their foreign backers.

Questions remain over whether more could have been done to prevent the chaos seen today in the region, with Syrian sectarian tensions spilling into neighbouring Lebanon and Iraq.

The divisions among Syria's rebels have also created a void that led to the birth of an entity posing a whole new threat to the region: the rise of Islamic State.

Syria's refugee exodus

Syria chemical attack: What we know

Islamic State

The Syria conflict has become overshadowed by the rise of the Islamic State (IS) group, which has seized vast swathes of eastern Syria and northern and western Iraq. The militants' emergence has prompted US military intervention in the region once again.

Formerly known as the Islamic State in Iraq and Levant (Isis), IS has developed a reputation for its brutal tactics. Its mass killings and abductions of members of religious and ethnic minorities, as well as the beheadings of two US journalists, have sparked fear and outrage across the world.

IS has been an active force in Syria since April 2013. Its size is unclear, but it is thought to include thousands of fighters, many of them foreign jihadists.

The number of fighters IS has drawn from European countries and the US has shocked many in the West.

The group's capture of Iraq's second largest city of Mosul in June was due in part to its support from Iraq's Sunni Arab minority community - including tribal militants and former army personnel - who were disillusioned by the exclusionist policies of outgoing Prime Minister Nouri Maliki.

Iran subsequently dropped its support for Mr Maliki's bid for a third term in office and even suggested working together with the US to counter the threat of IS.

The rise of the Islamic State

Militant Islam

Islamic State is not alone in trying to establish an Islamic caliphate in the world.

Nigeria's militant Islamist group Boko Haram says it has set up its own caliphate in the areas it controls in the north-east of the country. The group's kidnapping of more than 200 schoolgirls near Chibok, Borno state, in April sparked global outrage.

Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau announced a caliphate in areas Boko Haram controls

It has stepped up its campaign against the Nigerian army in recent weeks, even carrying out cross-border raids into Cameroon.

Meanwhile, al-Qaeda's affiliates in Yemen and North and East Africa continue to plague governments and national armies there, although they don't always make the headlines these days now that IS has stolen the limelight.

Islamist militant group al-Shabab continues to control large swathes of territory in rural areas of Somalia and carry out bombings and assassinations in the capital, Mogadishu. It said it was behind last year's dramatic siege of the Westgate mall in the Kenyan capital, killing at least 67 people.

US and France battle al-Qaeda in Africa

Afghanistan

There has been no let up in the intensity of violence and attacks carried out by the Taliban since US-led combat troops started to withdraw from the country.

The Taliban have continued to extended their influence across Afghanistan and into neighbouring Pakistan

The Afghan army has seen a rise in the number of casualties as it increasingly takes over the front line in the battle against militants. The situation is not much better for civilians, with casualties rising 24% in the first half of 2014. The army hopes to secure more funding from Nato leaders to better equip its soldiers.

Meanwhile, Afghanistan remains embroiled in a political crisis over the disputed presidential election, which would be the country's first democratic transfer of power.

The UN is in the process of auditing every vote cast after the two rival candidates, Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah, both claimed victory. They have publicly agreed to form a national unity government whatever the outcome of the audit.

Both have committed themselves to signing a security agreement with the US which will allow foreign forces to stay in Afghanistan after 2014.

Israel-Gaza

This summer has seen some of thedeadliest violence in years between Israel and Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip.

Figures for Palestinian deaths are to 27 August

Israel launched a massive military operation on 8 July to halt rocket attacks from Gaza. By the time a long-term ceasefire was brokered by Egypt on 27 August, more than 2,100 Palestinians had been killed, along with 66 Israeli soldiers and seven civilians in Israel. Commentators said there were no clear victors, but for now the truce is holdingand the reconstruction of Gaza - where about 17,000 homes were destroyed or severely damaged, leaving an estimated 100,000 people homeless - can begin.

Gaza crisis: Toll of operations in Gaza

Ebola

World Health Organization (WHO) officials have described the Ebola outbreak in Western Africa as the "largest and most severe and most complex" they have ever seen.

At the time of writing, more than 1,900 people have died, with some 3,500 confirmed or probable cases in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia. The outbreak has also reached Senegal and Nigeria.

The speed at which the epidemic isspreading is a real concern for health officials, who say more than 40% of the total deaths occurred in the three weeks leading up to 3 September.

Experts have warned that many thousands more may be infected.

The crisis is having knock-on effects elsewhere, with Thai sailors fearful of sailing to the region, which is affecting the supply of the millions of tonnes of rice they usually bring in. Students have also faced school closures in Nigeria.

Ebola: Mapping the outbreak

[BBC CULTURE] Getting romantic again: Reviving the art of love

PRIVATE VIEW| 14 February 2014

Getting romantic again: Reviving the art of love

 Jason Farago

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A many-splendoured thing

Love in its many varieties may be the most frequent subject of artists throughout history. Gerhard Richter’s Two Couples from 1966 captures an idyllic scene. (Corbis)

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For centuries, love was one of the great subjects of Western art. Out of favour for a period, art about romantic love is making a comeback, says Jason Farago.

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Love is a paradox. Its force, argues the philosopher Michael Hardt, derives from contradiction. On the one hand, love is an attachment: the strongest and most unshakeable relationship you can have with another person. On the other, love is an explosion:  an event that marks you for life, an irrevocable division between then and now. Love is the ultimate union and the ultimate rupture at once.

Love, for all its mystery, has of course been one of the great subjects of Western art, and its many varieties – courtly love, erotic love, filial love, divine love – have been depicted through Greco-Roman allegory, Romantic iconography or harsh realism. Until recently, that is. Love is still the principle obsession of songwriters and filmmakers, but among artists love went somewhat out of fashion in the central decades of the 20th Century. Until recently, artists have seemed more comfortable investigating sex, and the social and political dimensions of the body, than the disruptive, unpredictable phenomenon of love. Yet today love is back on view in the galleries, and often in disarmingly candid guises.

Great art about love, in all its messiness and splendour, requires an artist who is willing to be vulnerable and to risk embarrassment – an artist like Sophie Calle. The French conceptual photographer, currently the subject of a fine show at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, Massachusetts, has chronicled passion, heartbreak and recovery in intensely personal exhibitions and books, some of which are so emotionally naked that looking at them can feel like an invasion. Take Care of Yourself (2007), her greatest work, began when she received a breakup email from her boyfriend, identified only as ‘X’ in the project. The tone of the email was cold and mechanical, and Calle couldn’t make sense of it, so she showed the text to a close friend and asked her to explain it. Then she showed it to another woman, and another: 107 women in total, each of whom she photographed and then asked to interpret the letter according to the practices of her profession. Some of the viewers were fellow artists. The singers Feist and Camille wrote songs about X, while actresses Jeanne Moreau and Miranda Richardson performed the letter and Laurie Anderson turned it into a multimedia performance. Other interpreters included a professor of moral philosophy, an expert on women’s rights at the United Nations, a Talmudic scholar, an accountant, a psychic and a clown. None of the interpretations offer any clarity on their own, but together, they comprise a stunning, salutary effort to make heartbreak bearable, and to make love public.

Calle’s work stands as a reminder that art with a conceptual bent – so often thought of as drily intellectual or distantly ironic – is actually just as capable of expressing the intensity of love as more customary representational modes. Few artists of the last 30 years found a more moving vocabulary for the expression of love than Félix González-Torres, the late Cuban-American artist who imbued usually cool minimal and conceptual practices with burning emotion. His Untitled (Perfect Lovers), from 1991, consists of two battery-operated clocks that hang side by side, ticking away in sync. The ticking suggests an eternal, perpetual love that will go on long after the beholder leaves the gallery. It also reminds that truly eternal love is impossible, and inevitable mechanical glitches mean that the clocks eventually fall out of registration. The fact that the clocks look identical is significant – González-Torres led the way in putting gay issues, including HIV/Aids, front and centre in US museums. Love and loss, towards the end of González-Torres’s career, became the generator for some of the most beautiful and moving artworks of the age: piles of sweets that weighed the same as his dead lover, or paired strings of lightbulbs that intertwined and shone together.

A beating heart

González-Torres taught a generation of artists that ambitious art needn’t be emotionless, and his legacy endures. Romanticism, so out of fashion for much of the 20th Century, has had a notable comeback recently – the Schirn in Frankfurt devoted an exhibition to the subject a few years back – and many artists today are much more comfortable talking about love than previous generations were. Ragnar Kjartansson, an Icelandic artist whose work will be seen at New York’s New Museum this spring, is one of the best of these new romantics; his art, which often takes the form of super-long musical performances, aches with the glory of love. For Bliss(2011), he and a group of singers performed the final five minutes of Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro, in which Count Almaviva begs for and wins forgiveness from his wronged wife, with a full orchestra and traditional Rococo costume. And then they performed it again, and again, and kept performing it for 12 straight hours; the singers went hoarse, the musicians’ hands grew calloused and everyone needed to hydrate in order to keep going. As it went on into the night, not just the musicians but the audience became invested in an endurance contest, an effort to celebrate love at the limits of experience. Indeed opera, with its unabashed emotions, has been a key tool for contemporary artists looking at love – Yinka Shonibare recently restaged La Traviata, while Bill Viola’s Tristan und Isolde took the old Wagnerian theme of redemption through love and revived it through high-definition video.

Taking love seriously in art doesn’t have to mean walking away from formalism. Gerhard Richter, the great interrogator of painting, can produce a picture of lovers in the forest that feels as cold as a tomb, and then also paint his wife with such loving delicacy that it recalls Vermeer. Love needn’t negate history: Yang Fudong, a Shanghai-based video artist whose work is now on view at the Met in New York, makes powerful love stories that are also investigations of China’s breakneck modernisation. Nor does an interest in love have to mean a fear of politics, or a turning away from social issues. The photographer Zanele Muholi has been producing extraordinary portraits of lesbians in South Africa that are at once political activism and tenderly personal snapshots.

But if there’s one artist who best expresses the paradoxical power of love, its simultaneous nature as both unshakable bond and unstoppable rupture, it is Sharon Hayes. For the New York-based artist, who was the subject of an excellent mid-career retrospective at the city’s Whitney Museum of American Art in 2012, love is the material that fuels politics and urban life, and love offers a chance not only to bind together individuals but the whole world. Hayes’s art often takes the form of speeches, and in I March in the Parade of Liberty But As Long As I Love You I’m Not Free, she took to the streets of her city with a bullhorn, reciting a text that inserted gay liberation slogans, newspaper reportage and Oscar Wilde’s writings into an aching, desperately romantic plea for a lost lover. Love is private and public at once, Hayes insists: she can’t live without you; we can’t live without each other. 

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