Learning as you Go: What I Learned from Denmark

After flying over open-ocean for countless hours, my plane dipped closer to a ridge line separating the Atlantic Ocean and my home for the next month. I had anticipated this very flight to Denmark for so long that the moment didn’t feel real. Before flying over land, our plane neared an array of windmills positioned along the coast: and while I had tried my hardest to hide my excitement towards the powerful windmills- my smile definitely gave me away.

Before this summer, back in the cool season of January, I was up late at night wishing for an escape from the stress of my school’s approaching finals week. It was at this time in the year when I found it the most difficult to stay motivated, the grey weather and loss of sunlight numbed my sense of care. So, in a talented performance of procrastination, I was scrolling through potential summer abroad courses. ‘Taking Climate Action in Copenhagen,’ I read to myself, while guessing the chances I could actually convince my parents.

At that point in time, less than seven months ago today, I had a very different understanding of climate issues than now. I love the outdoors. I grew up hiking, going on canoe adventures, and believing nature was magical. Except, I felt very disconnected from the ways that human’s choices have had ecological consequences. Saying I cared about the environment, felt empty. It was true but it felt like I was assuming someone else's role in the world. Of course I cared, but so do many other people far more capable of making change.They will handle it.

Unfortunately, my silence on the topic of climate issues is more than common. It is easy to believe that there are people better suited for fighting that battle.

Upon my first week in Copenhagen, the city appeared to be a utopia. I was immediately awed by the amount of people in the city. I didn't have to count to know the number of bikes was far greater than cars. Every aspect of the city seemed to be carefully planned so that there was a perfect selection of parks, wide sidewalks, beautiful homes, and chirping birds at every turn of the city. Copenhagen felt so alive. I noticed small things like symbols on the back of food labels stating their commitment to sustainable packaging, or the efficiency of their metro system which discouraged the need for cars.

Before the start of my program, I was touring hamlets castle, a tourist magnet in, denmark. Beyond this castle was a small harbor where I could spot a large sailboat with colored flags and an attraction of people surrounding it. I could see tents covering what looked to me like a flea market. As I neared, I noticed signs labeled in Danish establishing the purpose of the pop-up. A kind man must have

noticed my confusion because he eagerly translated the signs I was struggling so hard to understand.

“The clothes you see here are free to take. They are donated by countries across Europe and our purpose here is to spread the message of ending clothing waste. ” He started. He then pointed to a large pile of clothes tied tightly by a net.

“That over there is the average amount of clothing waste produced in

just a year,” he continued. He explained the statistics and how Europe has enough excess clothes that they could stop production altogether and last another 40 years until they would need more. This was only my first encounter with a climate action group in Copenhagen.

Once my course had begun, my days were structured around lessons and city-immersive activities. I learned about everything from waste management to local district heating (which to my surprise was very interesting as Denmark is home to the world’s only ski-resort/powerplant). To me however, the most impactful lesson from my time in Copenhagen was from the founder of a Grassroot movement started by Denmark’s youth. The group is called the Green Youth Movement, and our guest

speaker introduced us to the purpose of the group.

“The Green Youth Movement is a group fighting for structural changes in society. We are a group of young climate activists frustrated with the lack of accountability and change to fight the climate crisis,” the activist, Elise, had explained.

Elise went on to describe the way that the movement worked and the multi-faceted approach that the group took to gain attention in the media. This varied from publishing books, to participating in protests, social media engagement, and even op-eds. At one point The Green Youth Movement had even organized interviews with Denmark’s political leaders and started a video series of engaging clips to get

people interested in environmental policy. Another non-traditional form of activism was the rap single that the Green Youth Movement released with the purpose of banning fossil-fuel ads.

This youth movement is very well respected in Denmark, or at least more than your typical youth movement. Because of this well established reputation, many politicians benefit from the support of such groups and therefore are more willing to advocate for the same policies that benefit the environment. I believe I found this group to be so inspiring partly because they were so young. The Green Youth Movement was run by people just a few years older than myself, and I finally realized what it means to

take action. Taking action doesn't mean waiting until you are old enough, smart enough, or wealthy enough to speak up: It is standing up when the world needs it, and learning as you go.

Today, I can say with pride that I care for the environment. And while I don’t feel ready to be the

person to make change, who else will if I don’t.