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What it takes to be carbon neutral — for a family, a city, a country

bicycle commuting

New Washington Post series on Climate Solutions (Read more here)

  • The deliberate choice to “live small,” Purup Nohr said, is one way people can be kinder to the planet than their parents might have been.

Copenhagen is trying to become the first carbon-neutral capital by 2025 — a full 25 years before Washington and other major world cities expect they might have a shot at canceling their emissions.

Denmark’s newly elected center-left leaders are trying to turn the whole country into a showcase for how to go green without going bankrupt….

Nearly half of Danes — 47 percent — consider climate change to be the most serious problem facing the world, according to European Union polling. That’s more than double the E.U. average of 23 percent.

And yet researchers from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology pegged the annual carbon emissions of the average Dane at 14.5 tons, above the E.U. average and reflective of the country’s wealth.

Many scientists say a two-tons-per-person annual limit will be needed to meet the 2050 goals of the Paris climate accords….

…Another major focus of the city’s efforts is how people get around. Copenhagen officials estimate that at least 75 percent of all trips must be done by foot, bike or public transportation to meet the 2025 goals…