Monday Morning News & Notes
Denmark takes aim at diesel vehicles. Nordic vaccination efforts.
🍃 Environment & Energy⚡️
🇩🇰
Beginning October 1, diesel-fueled vehicles must have a particulate filter or have Euro 5 environmental status to be legally driven in new ‘low emission zones’ that will become active in Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Odense, Aarhus, and Aalborg. According to FDM, an organization representing car owners, this could mean about 10% of all diesel cars in Denmark will not be allowed to be used in those zones.
The regulations include all diesel vehicles from passenger cars to big commercial trucks. It also applies to vehicles registered in Denmark and those coming from outside the country. Enforcement will be conducted using a camera system that grabs license plate information. Violators will be fined 1,500 Danish kroner (about $289 Cdn).
The zones do not include highways and there are also transit corridors through them for things like ferry traffic to harbour areas in Copenhagen and Aarhus for example. The Limfjord Bridge in Aalborg is also considered a transit corridor.
You can find a mobile map HERE that you can zoom in to see exactly where these low-emission zones are located.
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We can’t just recycle our way out of the climate crisis. That was the message delivered by Inger Andersen, Director General of the UN Environmental Program (UNEP), over the weekend. Andersen, who is Danish, spoke to Ritzau to say that while recycling is great, what is urgently needed is to vastly reduce the use of plastic altogether.
“There are different approaches to the solution. But I think that everyone recognizes that the status quo is no longer an option.”
Plastic use around the world has more than doubled in just the last two decades.
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LEGO is giving up on its efforts to find materials to create its iconic bricks that are not made from oil-based plastic. CEO Niels Christiansen spoke to the Financial Times to say that every effort to find a more sustainable option has failed. Christiansen says every recycled material LEGO experimented with ended up creating more greenhouse gas emissions than what it is currently using.
“We have tested hundreds of materials. It is simply not possible to create a [usable] material.”
LEGO had been hoping that recycled polyethylene would do the trick and provide a greener option but to no avail. In 2020, LEGO set itself the goal of abandoning oil-based plastic bricks for a greener more environmental option by 2030.
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Big rigs could become even bigger in Denmark. Transportation Minister Thomas Danielsen says he is working on legislation that will allow commercial trucks to go from a maximum length of 25.25 meters to 34 meters. He says that the ability to carry more cargo will mean fewer trucks on the road and thus less greenhouse gas emissions. In Sweden, extra long commercial loads have already been legalized.
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A Danish energy rebate program offering homeowners some relief on their heating bills has rejected 10,000 people who have applied for the money. The Danish Energy Agency says people either haven’t met the requirements to receive the funding or two members of the same household both applied. This is the second round of heat rebate checks to be handed out. People who are eligible receive 6,000 kroner (almost $1200 Cdn). So far 5,500 applicants have been approved to receive the rebate from the 34,500 who have applied.
🇩🇰 🇪🇺
Danish environmental groups are lobbying the government to vote against approving the use of glyphosate within the EU. Glyphosate is a herbicide that is the most active ingredient in the weed killer Round-Up. Denmark's Nature Conservation Association, the National Ecological Association, and Greenpeace have all written to Danish Environment Minister Magnus Heunicke asking that Denmark oppose the use of the chemical in Europe.
EU Commission has proposed allowing the herbicide to be used in Europe. In its recommendation, the commission is citing a large study that found that glyphosate posed no serious risk for people or the environment. In Denmark, beginning next year the use of glyphosate will be banned on all Public and private land where there is a particular risk to the groundwater.
🇸🇪
With its books awash in red ink the Swedish Government has introduced some steep cuts in its proposed budget. The climate adaptation budget was reduced by a third for the coming year as the government tries to right its fiscal ship. The cuts mean that efforts to protect society from the impacts of climate change and associated extreme weather will have to be scaled back.
In an environmental double whammy, Sweden’s government has also proposed cuts to both gas and diesel taxes next year.
🇬🇷
The Prime Minister of Greece is determined to find some kind of silver lining to climate change. This year Greece has endured searing heat, torrential rain, epic flooding, and some of Europe’s biggest and fiercest wildfires. Despite that Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis says that climate change is here and like it or not we will have to adapt to it. Mitsotakis says for one it presents an opportunity to extend the tourist season in Greece. He says the Greek government is now focused on short-term adaptation. To do that budget reserves will be doubled to cover natural disasters linked to climate change. To find the budget increase the country will increase its accommodation tax on high end hotels.
🇬🇧
Dangerously high levels of harmful pesticides have been found in one out of every ten rivers that have been tested in England. Environmental groups did s study of water testing by the Environment Agency and found that harmful, and even banned pesticides, were found in 29 of 283 rover sites that had been tested in the last two years. In half of those, the pesticide levels exceeded safe limits set by the European Union’s environmental standard. In 21% of the rivers, pesticide levels were four times higher than EU limits. This could pose a danger to organisms that live in the water. The most concerning testing results in the east of England, South East, and West Midlands in the river Ivel, Waveney, Nene, Ouse, and Tame.
🇸🇪
A huge landslide over the weekend destroyed buildings and wiped out a section of a major highway in Sweden. On Saturday night the landslide came roaring down and punched through the E6 motorway north of Gothenburg.
Johan Nimmermark, a risk management specialist at the consulting firm Sweco, says repairs to the highway and surrounding area could run into billions of Swedish kroner. He spoke to Swedish news agency TT.
“My assessment is that the reconstruction work and the consequences of the landslide in Stenungsund can cost between a number of hundreds of millions and up to several billions, considering all possible factors.”
The landslide tore apart about 150 meters of the highway.
🦠COVID🦠
🇩🇰
Make it 27. That is how many confirmed BA.2.86 infections there are now in Denmark. The latest batch of 244 sequenced positive test results found ten more cases of the new variant. The strain accounted for 9% of all sequenced positive test results in week 37. It was 0.5% in week 35.
As always it is good to remind people that Denmark’s testing regime is a very pale shadow from what it once was. So the ‘true’ infection situation remains a mystery.
Staten Serum Institute Executive Vice President Tyra Grove Krause says the numbers of BA.2.86 cases are rising. She adds that it is good the vaccination effort is underway.
“We see an increasing proportion of BA.2.86 in the latest data release. They come from all regions and there has been no targeted testing in connection with outbreaks. Approximately 60 to 80% of all positive tests are sequenced.”
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“It is a little chaotic, we have a lot of frustrated and scared patients.”
That is how some family doctors in Denmark are describing this year’s COVID and influenza vaccination strategy. During the pandemic General practitioners were a key part of the vaccination effort but not this fall. Across the country phones in doctor’s offices are ringing off of the hook. The Practicing Doctors Organization for both Region Midtjylland and Syddanmark say their members are reporting 40 to 50 calls a day from people confused about where to get vaccinated.
Kim Brogaard, a family physician in Aabenraa, spoke to DR:
“There is a great deal of confusion about it among our patients. So there has been very, very bad information about what is supposed to happen. It is a bit stressful for our staff that there are people on the phone all the time who need information when they could be busy doing other things.”
He says that while family doctors have been excluded from the vaccination effort they are now being pulled in to convey information about the vaccination program, a job Danish health authorities should be doing.
“After all, we have a great many of our sick patients and citizens who would like to get through to us on the phone so that we can treat them. But right now they are standing in the same queue on the phone as all those who call every day to ask us how the vaccine program works. In fact, there are so many people calling right now that some are also turning up physically to find out how they can book that time to get vaccinated.”
The Chair of the Region Midtjylland Practicing Doctors Organization, Henrik Idriss Kise, says it isn’t just confusion about the how and when, people who do know how to use the system are running into all sorts of problems and calling their doctors in detention.
“We fear that there are many people, and perhaps among them the most vulnerable ones, who are giving up on making an appointment and then will not get vaccinated. If we turn back the clock two years, this flu vaccination actually worked very well in general practice. And the patients were comfortable coming to us.”
Those concerns are being dismissed by Region Midtjylland’s Group Director Kurt Espersen who is advising everyone to just calm down.
“From the region's side, we want to communicate how and where you can be vaccinated. It comes out on our website with maps and everything. And it's coming out within the next week. The vaccination season starts on October 1st and runs for the next 8-12 weeks. So you just have to take it easy.”
This year seniors over 65 and everyone who is in a high-risk or vulnerable population can get a COVID booster dose and a flu shot at the same time. Appointments can be booked at vacciner.dk. Vaccinations are done at regional vaccine centers and at select pharmacies. Locations of both can also be found at vacciner.dk.
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The Statens Serum Institute has paused the sending out of invitations for children to get a pediatric flu shot after something of a privacy breach. The SSI says in an effort to be inclusive for same-sex parents around 7,000 vaccination invitations were sent to people who were not the children’s legal guardians. The institute says the invitations would have included the child’s first name but no other personal information. Work is underway to contact the parents and legal guardians of children who have been impacted.
SSI Director Henrik Ullum:
“We want to continuously inform Danish parents as best as possible, in order to strengthen public health through vaccinations, and we would therefore like to ensure optimal information also for parents of the same sex. We are very sorry for the error that occurred and we are in dialogue with our sub-contractor to ensure that it does not happen again.”
Vaccination invitations have been paused until the issue is fixed.
🇸🇪
The Swedish Public Health Authority is now recommending a new monoclonal antibody treatment to prevent RS virus infections for some infants less than a year old. The agency says a small group of children with medical conditions that makes them a high risk for potentially dangerous RS virus infections can access this new treatment. The antibody treatment is administered in one inoculation.
Deputy Unit Head Johanna Rubin:
“The fact that the medicine is given in one dose per season makes distribution easier than before. RS virus can cause serious infections, and the hope is that more children will be able to receive the treatment when it is available in Sweden. At the same time, it is important to continue to prevent RSV infection by washing hands and keeping small children away from people who are sick.”
Children most at risk of a severe RS virus infection are those who have been born premature and infants battling chronic heart and lung diseases.
🇳🇴
After seeing rising numbers of respiratory infections, including COVID, since the late summer, the Norwegian Institute of Public Health says infection activity has plateaued and may now be trending downward.
COVID hospitalizations are “still at a relatively low level” and intensive care numbers remain low. Influenza and RS Virus-related admissions have been stable and “very low” in the last few weeks.
But the NIPH warns that doesn’t mean people shouldn’t be vigilant.
“Hospitals and municipalities must be prepared for admissions for COVID and other respiratory infections that may increase later this fall and winter.”
The institute is recommending that seniors over 65 and anyone in a high-risk or vulnerable population get a COVID booster dose and a flu shot.
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A study from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health has found an increased risk of abdominal bleeding among women who are menopausal after having been vaccinated against COVID.
The study involved 22,000 women who were sent a survey asking about episodes of bleeding after being vaccinated.
Institute Dr. Kristine Blix:
“In the new study, we found an increased risk of unexpected abdominal bleeding in women who have stopped menstruating due to menopause, as well as in women who do not menstruate because they use hormones.”
Among 7,725 postmenopausal a total of 252 (3.3%) experienced unexpected bleeding after vaccination. Among 7,148 perimenopausal women 1,008 (7.2%) also reported post-vaccination bleeding issues. 934 women (13.1%) of the 7,052 who were premenopausal in the study also experienced bleeding issues after being inoculated.
"Given that the women have remembered all bleeding episodes equally well, and did not over-report bleeding after vaccination, or perhaps more importantly, did not under-report bleeding before vaccination, we have determined the risk is increased 2-4 times in the first month after vaccination.”
The study focused on the beginning of the vaccination campaign when the first two doses were administered. The risk broke pretty equally between the mRNA vaccines from Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna. The one exception was among premenopausal women where the risk seemed “somewhat higher” for those vaccinated with the Moderna vaccine.
🇫🇮
Finnish health authorities are getting ready for the fall/winter COVID booster dose campaign. The Finnish Institute for Health is recommending seniors over 65 and anyone older than 18 in a high-risk or vulnerable population get vaccinated. Anyone older than 12 who is immunocompromised is also eligible. The agency says that slightly more than a million doses of the newly approved XBB variant specific vaccine have already begun to arrive in Finland. The institute says it has no plans to dip into its stores of older bivalent doses targeting the BA.4 and BA.5 strains. It is also giving the different Finnish regions the autonomy to move up the vaccination campaign to get the most vulnerable better protection if they see the need to do so.
Chief Physician Hanna Nohynek:
"The COVID situation is currently calm in Finland. However, it is good for the health authorities to be prepared for the fact that, even in Finland, because of old age or underlying illness, booster vaccinations of the most high-risk groups can be started earlier. This means, for example, people living in long-term care facilities for the elderly and those who are severely immunocompromised.”
The institute says for the rest of the population“there is no medical justification” to get a booster dose.
As has become normal across Scandinavia, Finland will also administer flu shots at the same time as COVID boosters for those eligible.
🦠
A new study in the journal Science Translational Medicine is shedding more light on the mystery that is long-COVID. It may also have found some new treatment approaches. The study done by a consortium of researchers, including the COVID-19 International Research Team, found the virus can bind with mitochondrial proteins in our bodies, which can trigger abnormal behavior in the heart, liver, and kidneys. This can lead to long-term damage and may help explain long-COVID.
In arriving at their findings researchers analyzed mitochondrial activity in the nose and throat tissue of COVID fatalities from people to mice.
Study First Author Joseph Guarnieri:
“The tissue samples from human patients allowed us to look at how mitochondrial gene expression was affected at the onset and end of disease progression, while animal models allowed us to fill in the blanks and look at the progression of gene expression differences over time.”
Researchers found that mitochondrial proteins had recovered in the lungs but not in the heart, kidneys, and liver. Researchers say this is strong evidence that COVID is not a respiratory virus but rather it impacts multiple organs.
Senior Author Douglas Wallace:
“The continued dysfunction we observed in organs other than the lungs suggests that mitochondrial dysfunction could be causing long-term damage to the internal organs of these patients,”
The study also found that some therapeutic treatments that help regulate mitochondrial function in human tissue may be one new avenue of help for those suffering from long-COVID.
The study in full can be found HERE.
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Add one more study to the pile that has linked a rise in early-onset diabetes, especially among young people, to the COVID pandemic. A study published on the JAMA network last week found that rates of type 2 diabetes rose by an astonishing 62% among young people, especially Black and Hispanic children, in the United States during the pandemic. Type 1 diabetes cases also increased by 17%.
The study was done by researchers at Kaiser Permanente. They focused on diabetes cases among young people 19 years old and younger in Southern California with no previous history of diabetes over five-year period.
“Youth-onset diabetes is a serious chronic health condition, placing individuals at risk for early complications, comorbidities, and excess mortality, in particular among those who develop type 2 diabetes and those from racial and ethnic minority groups such as non-Hispanic Black individuals.”
The study suggests that diabetes risk factors may have been exacerbated during the COVID pandemic with limited physical activity, more sedentary behavior, bad sleeping patterns, and an increased intake of processed foods.
Other studies have shown that the coronavirus can cause damage in the pancreas, which can lead to diabetes.
Study authors say that their findings point to a need for much more research on risk factors and new-onset diabetes before, during, and after the pandemic.
The study in full can be found HERE.
🇺🇦/ 🇷🇺 War
In a violation of international law, Russia is deliberately trying to starve Ukraine into submission by targeting grain warehouses, food stores, and water supplies in its missile and drone attacks. That is the case being made by a group of lawyers working with Ukraine public prosecutors who are gathering evidence for a case to be submitted to the International Criminal Court.
In gathering concert evidence the group cites things like the siege of Mariupol where food supplies to the city were blocked and humanitarian corridors were bombed to prevent desperate and starving city residents from fleeing.
The group has until the end of next year to gather and document as much evidence as they can before submitting their case to the ICC.
🇳🇴/ 🇷🇺
Russian diplomats faced tongue lashings from a number of countries at the UN General Assembly over the weekend. Among those delivering blistering rebukes of Russia’s invasions of Ukraine was Norwegian Development Minister Anne Beathe Tvinnereim who took aim at how Russia is fighting in Ukraine targeting civilians, children, and hospitals. She added that Norway would support Ukraine for as long as was needed.
“Russia is our neighbor. The country is responsible for an obvious breach of the UN declaration. They have broken basic principles of international law. It has created a serious, international crisis. A permanent member of the UN Security Council is trying to deny another UN member country the right to exist.”
Australian diplomats have demanded that Russia be removed as a permanent member of the UN Security Council.
🇩🇰
An official celebration will be held at Skydstrup Air Force Base to mark the arrival of the first four Danish F-34 fighter jets. The next-generation fighters arrived on Danish soil last week but this coming Sunday officials from Lockheed Martin will formally hand the jets over to Danish forces.
Denmark will now begin transitioning its Air Force from its fleet of aging F-16s to the new F-35s. But with 27 F-35s on order and the next delivery delayed until late next year that transition will be a slow one. This could also impact Ukraine where Denmark has pledged to send its old F-16s to help modernize its Air Force. Those F-16s could stay in Denmark to maintain their own national security until more F-35s arrive.
🇩🇪 🇺🇦
Germany is sending more weapons to Ukraine. The German Defense Ministry has announced it will supply 50 drones, IRIS-T missiles, Gepard SPAAG self-propelled artillery, 200 MRAP armoured vehicles, 30,000 rounds of 155mm caliber artillery shells, 480 AT2 anti-tank mines, and other ammunition and equipment. This latest weapons package from Germany is worth about €400 million.
🇸🇪/ 🇭🇺
Hungary continues to play games with Sweden’s NATO application. The Hungarian parliament is due to reconvene this week after taking the summer off. Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has repeatedly promised that his government fully supports Sweden joining the military alliance But once again the parliamentary agenda makes no mention of a ratification vote. Hungarian politicians are demanding a state visit from the Swedish Prime Minister to help address some of their concerns. But those invitations have fallen on deaf ears as Ulf Kristersson dismissed the idea outright while insisting that “they will not delay Sweden's NATO accession.”
Turkey and Hungary are the only two NATO member nations yet to hold a ratification vote on Sweden’s NATO application.
🇳🇴/ 🇷🇺
Should he stay or should he go? A former Wagner soldier who sought asylum in Norway after fleeing across the border into the country can’t seem to make up his mind. He has been arrested on charges of trying to cross back into Russia illegally. But Andrei Medvedev’s lawyer says this is all a misunderstanding.
Brynjulf Rivnes says his client wasn’t trying to cross back into Russia at all.
“He was up there [at the border] to see if he could find the place he entered the country. He was stopped while in a taxi. He was never near the border. It was never his intention to cross the border.”
Medvedev has since been released by police.
He seems to have a fascination with learning all about Norway’s legal system as he has been arrested and charged several times since fleeing to the country to avoid fighting with the Wagner group.
🇵🇱/ 🇺🇦 🇺🇸
The Prime Minister of Poland seems to be on the hot seat over his comments threatening to halt arms shipments to Ukraine as the two countries clash over grain. Poland’s President chalked it all up to a bad translation and a misunderstanding but that isn’t good enough for American officials. The U.S. government has demanded that Poland explain the Prime Minister’s comments. Bloomberg is reporting the United States has since received assurances of Poland’s continued military support for Ukraine.
🇫🇮/ 🇷🇺
A Finnish company is turning Pepsi products because the company is continuing to operate in Russia. Juvenes, a Tampere-based company, operates 50 cafeterias, restaurants, and cafes across 10 Finnish cities. It says PepsiCo products are being turfed due to the company wanting to make a difference.
Development Manager Nina Lyytinen:
“Juvenes want the ability to make our actions influence socially important issues. We've received a lot of positive feedback and support from customers about our decision.”
The company is replacing Pepsi products with local Finnish beverages.
Odds & Ends
Danish police may have incorrectly collected some 70,000 speeding fines since 2015. The blame is being put on an error in the police IT system. The automatic traffic control system has sent speeding tickets to the owner of any vehicle clocked at 30% or more over the speed limit. It has not taken into account if the driver was the registered owner or another person.
Police Administrative Centre Unit Manager Jeppe James says if someone thinks they have paid a fine they shouldn’t have they should sit tight for now.
“We must first have the legal clarification in place, and then we must find the best way to handle the settled cases.”
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An Italian man’s mission to cycle from Italy to Sweden hit a speed bump in Denmark over the weekend. He was biking across the Storebæltsbroen, which is the bridge between the Danish islands of Fyn and Sjælland. It is illegal to bicycle across the bridge. Danish Police say they gave him a talking to and then made some route suggestions before loading him and his bike up to drive him to the other side of the bridge to continue his adventure.
🇩🇰The Week Ahead Round Up🇩🇰
Monday, September 25th
The ‘Buster’ film festival, the largest Nordic film festival for children and young people, begins in venues across Denmark. Over 170 films and TV series from all over the world will be shown on big screens across the country.
The festival begins today and runs until October 8.
Find out more HERE.
Tuesday, September 26th
If you want a laugh the Tir Na nÓg Irish Gastropub in Aarhus is hosting a night of stand-up comedy for expats called ‘Why Aarhus?’. It is in English.
It begins at 7:30 p.m.
You can find more information and buy tickets HERE.
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A meeting will be held in Ribe to oppose the idea of a new offshore wind energy testing area in the Wadden Sea. The Danish Society for Nature Conservation (Danmarks Naturfredningsforening) and two former Danish ministers will participate in the meeting. It will be held in picturesque Ribe.
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A cycling conference hosted by the Danish Parliamentary Transport Committee and Cyklistforbundet will be held at Christianborg in Copenhagen. The conference will focus on how to encourage more children to use bicycles and how to make it easier for employers to encourage the use of bicycles as a commuting option.
The conference begins at 1 p.m. at Landstingssalen Folketinget, Christianborg.
More information HERE.
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On Tuesday night, The Danish women's national football team takes the field against Wales in UEFA Nations League action.
The match will be played in Cardiff, Wales.
Wednesday, September 27
The Danish Rainbow Awards will be held in Copenhagen. The awards recognize gay and lesbian accomplishments across literature, art, and activism. There will also be live musical performances from a number of artists. The event will be preceded by a red carpet entrance.
It takes place beginning at 6:30 p.m. at Wallmans, Cirkusbygningen Jernbanegade 8, in Copenhagen.
Thursday, September 28th
If you are interested in topics like AI, the green transition, and the global economy those are some of the issues being tackled at the 2023 Danish Industry Business Summit. Speakers include Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, Danish Crown Prince Frederik, and many others. European Space Agency Astronaut Andreas Mogensen will also address attendees live from the International Space Station.
The summit begins at 1:30 p.m. at the Jyske Bank Boxen in Herning.
Find out more HERE.
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Artificial Intelligence will also be the topic at the Danish Chamber of Commerce ‘CopenhAIgen Forum’. Speakers include Danish Digitization Minister Marie Bjerre, NATO Assistant Secretary General David Van Weel, and more.
It begins at 9:00 a.m. at Børsen in Copenhagen.
Find more information HERE.
Friday, September 29th
If you want to get your Halloween on, then head to LEGOland in Billund when it begins its Halloween season this Friday. Promising a “frighteningly good experience” LEGOland will debut a new monster show and monster party. Halloween candy will also be handed out to guests.
You can find all the details HERE.
Saturday, September 30th
If you are in Copenhagen on Saturday prepare to run into a cloud of marijuana smoke. A big demonstration is planned to lobby for the legalization of cannabis in Denmark.
It begins at noon at Den Grå Hal in Christiana before eventually winding its way to Christianborgs Slotsplads to try and get the attention of Danish parliamentarians.