WHEN PRESIDENT OBAMA joins the Copenhagen climate summit Friday, he will very likely sidestep congressional inaction on new energy legislation, committing our nation to a 17 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020. On his return, Denmark’s vibrant economy and leadership in the battle against climate change should inspire him as he coaxes a recalcitrant Congress to adopt meaningful new measures to combat global warming.
Denmark awoke to the perils of foreign oil dependence when the 1973 Arab embargo delivered a body blow to its energy security. Oil - virtually all of it imported - met a staggering 90 percent of the country’s energy needs at the time. Denmark’s political leadership responded by setting the nation on a path toward energy independence, with dramatic and lasting results.
Original Article: Green and prosperous? Denmark leads the way - The Boston Globe
