My journey through Graphic - Edmund Smith Asante writes - Part 8
Mr Nielsen also told the journalists that Denmark resolved to invest in renewable energy, when they were caught unawares at the start of the global oil crisis in 1973/74, adding that since switching to renewable energy, the Danish economy had grown by 80 per cent.
Among many other plans, he said during the 2014 visit that Denmark’s aim was to become a fossil fuel-independent economy, with an ultimate target of using 100 per cent renewable energy in the energy and transport sectors by 2050.
The next stop was at Aalborg, where the team held discussions with leading researchers such as Professor Arne Remmen of the University of Aalborg.
Prof. Remmen was candid with his words. Speaking to the issue of the trade in substandard goods, he said in spite of international agreements signed by European and African countries, it continued to persist, blaming it on lax enforcement. (https://esmithasante.wordpress.com/2014/04/16/ensuring-sustainable-power-supply-the-danish-experience/)
Home use
Indeed, he spoke to the challenge of proper disposal of used electronic appliances which still remains with us in Ghana today and has been compounded with the advent of the technological age, where electronic gadgets are constantly being upgraded and consumers are going in for the latest inventions, with no clue of how to dispose of outmoded and non-functioning ones.
So Ghana and the entire Africa has become the dumping ground for the used appliances Ghanaians affectionately call ‘home used’ but derogatorily refer to as ‘abrokyire borla’ when they are found strewn on pavements along the streets to attract buyers.
To deal with the challenge, Professor Arne Remmen, a highly reputed specialist in energy and economy at the University of Aalborg, Denmark, called for an improvement in the enforcement of laws on illegal trade and collaboration between European countries and Ghana.
While saying that the Geneva Convention restricted the whole of Europe from the exportation of worn-out electronics, he admitted, “But of course, it is always an issue of enforcing this because you can put it in a container.”
The 12 journalists also met with national and local politicians with a special interest in green growth, such as the then Mayor of Aalborg, Søren Kastrup-Larsen, and visited the world’s largest windmill at the National Test Centre, among others.
Picturesque Aalborg
But while the engagements with lead actors in green energy were exciting, perhaps what caught my fancy on the Aalborg trip was the sparkling cleanliness of the town as we drove on the bus, as if we were viewing some pictures in a magazine.
In fact, at some point, it looked so unreal, with all the colourful buildings and nothing littering the asphalted streets with their bold white markings and traffic lights illuminating the dull weather that presented a picturesque view.
However, what gave me the killer punch was an inscription I saw at the Aalborg Lufthavn (Airport) on the day of our departure for Aarhus.
The bold signage at the airport read, “Kiss and goodbye, No kisses above 3 mins.!”
While I found the notice at the departure area very interesting, I guessed it might have been put there because people were causing serious traffic with their goodbyes and kisses.
We continued to Aarhus for more engagements related to green energy, then completed our tour in Copenhagen before departing to our various countries.
Second time around
As we neared the end of our tour, the organisers, IMS, hinted at a follow-up to the programme in the very near future.
Little did I know that I would be chosen for the second lap.
But I was, with another colleague journalist from Kenya – Janet Otieno.
Apparently, we had caught the eye of the organisers and we were going to have another bite of the cherry, barely a month after our first visit. I was excited at the prospect of doing a second round of the tour, but I was not expecting to meet some challenges, especially because the first had been quite smooth.
The second trip would involve meeting with some Danish key officials and also getting the opportunity to report on the two-day EU-AFRICA Summit in Brussels, Belgium, we were told.
Preparations were a bit hasty because there was not much time, but both Janet and I were able to secure visas for the trip.
So it was, that the two of us landed in Copenhagen for the second time in a month, on Sunday, March 30, 2024, with my colleague from Kenya arriving first.
We both checked in at the same hotel that hosted us the first time (First Hotel Twentyseven), thus bringing back fond memories from the previous visit.
Missing luggage
However, despite the smooth flights I enjoyed from Accra to Istanbul and from Istanbul to Denmark, I was to receive the rudest shock of my life on arrival at the Copenhagen Airport – my luggage was nowhere in sight.
After a flight delay of an hour, I had to spend another two hours at the airport checking and rechecking that indeed my luggage did not come with me, and finally lodging a complaint and filling a form.
To be continued
