Monday Morning News & Notes
The world continues to heat up. COVID vaccines saved millions of lives.
Editors Note: Summer vacation in Denmark is coming to an end with kids returning to start a new school year today. That means my life will begin to settle back into normal routines, and I can tackle putting this together more regularly. It has been an exceptionally busy summer for my family, with trips abroad while also showing off Denmark to a number of visiting friends. Our last get-away was a week in Berlin, which is a fantastic city. I am rather proud of the picture of the Brandenburg Gate I snapped and thought I would share.
I hope all of you had a great summer as well!
🇩🇰
It is back to school in Denmark today. The Danish police say they will be spending the next three weeks focusing on enforcement in school zones. So be warned.
Fyn Police Commissioner Søren Blomgren Wind-Hansen:
"Unfortunately, every year we stop far too many drivers who drive too fast, who have forgotten to wear seat belts for both themselves and their child or children.”
It also won’t just be speeding and seatbelt enforcement. Police say they will also be watching the school parking lots as parents drop off their kids.
🍃Environment & Energy⚡️
🌍
Last month was the second-hottest July on record, ending a streak of 13 consecutive months that set new global heat records. According to Copernicus, the EU climate change service, the average surface air temperature in July was 16.91°C, which is 0.68°C above the 1991-2020 average. It was surpassed only by July of last year as the hottest July on record, and even then by a mere 0.04°C.
That said, July of this year did have the two hottest days on record, with daily global average temperatures reaching 17.16°C and 17.15°C on July 22 and 23rd.
Danish Meteorological Institute Climate Manager Adrian Lema finds last month’s daily heat records concerning.
“We know that the temperature will remain high in the aftermath of El Nino. But the fact that there is so much heat in the system that we are breaking records several days in a row. But what bothers me is that these very high temperatures can cause extreme weather all over the world, like heat waves, cloudbursts, floods, and droughts. So of course I get nervous about what this can bring.”
The past few months have already brought a lot of wild weather across the globe. India saw massive heat waves, with southern Europe, Russia, and the United States quickly following suit. Floods have paralyzed cities in Brazil and Kenya, and huge wildfires in Canada and California have caused major destruction and driven thousands of people from their homes.
Scientists at Copernicus say that it is still “increasingly likely” that 2024 will become the hottest year on record. So far, 2024 is 0.70°C above the 1991-2020 average, 0.27°C warmer than the same period last year. It is statistically unlikely that average global temperatures would drop to a degree where 2024 would not set a new global heat record.
“The devastating effects of climate change started well before 2023 and will continue until global emissions of greenhouse gases reach net zero.”
🇫🇮
Finland was exceptionally warm last month. According to the Finnish Meteorological Institute, temperatures in the north last month were between 15.5 and 18°C, which is almost three degrees higher than normal. For the rest of the country, average temperatures hovered around 17 to 19.5°C, which is about 1.5 degrees higher than the long-term average.
Finland also registered 20 days that hit the ‘heatwave’ threshold, a day where temperatures hit 25°C or more somewhere in the country. That is about 20% higher than in a normal July.
“The greatest number of heatwave days, a total of 14, was measured in Kevo, Utsjoki. In north-east Lapland, the number of hot days has been unusually or exceptionally high."
🇩🇰
Groundwater levels are much higher than normal right now, and if something doesn’t change soon, it could mean an increased risk of flooding this fall. The Danish National Geological Survey (GEUS) calculates that groundwater levels are about 40 centimetres higher than usual for this time of year.
Department of Hydrology Senior Researcher Jacob Kidmose:
“When the upper ground water is already as high as it is, we can sooner than usual get into a situation where flooding from ground water, creeks, and general above ground water will become a problem. As the situation is now, it is equivalent to pouring water into a glass that is already half full. If the coming autumn and winter are as wet as last year, the glass will overflow more quickly, and we therefore risk experiencing groundwater flooding earlier and over a significantly longer period of time.”
The agency says the situation is particularly acute in the western parts of Denmark.
🇸🇪
With climate change causing an increased risk of flooding, Sweden is well behind the curve in upgrading and climate proofing water and sewer systems. Municipal association Svenkst Vatten is estimating that it will cost at least 570 billion Swedish kroner to upgrade all the water and sewer infrastructure. The association says that with climate change severely impacting water and sewer systems, the work to upgrade them needs to be done at a much faster pace. It adds that if municipalities do pick up the pace, it will mean that water and sewage rates paid by homeowners and businesses will need to quadruple.
Insurance Sweden says that climate change means more intense rainfall, which means more pressure on antiquated water and sewerage infrastructure. The agency notes that overwhelmed sewage systems are the biggest cause of flooding.
🇪🇺
The EV revolution is growing across the European Union, and Denmark is leading the way. Last year, 1.7% of all cars in the EU were electric, according to the statistics agency EuroStat. Denmark (7.1%) and Sweden (5.9%) had the highest proportion of electric vehicles of any country in the EU. Cyprus, Greece, and Poland had the lowest (each at 0.2%).
Looking at EV sales, the share of newly registered electric vehicles across the EU reached 14.6% last year. That is impressive growth from the 5.3% recorded in 2020.
🇩🇰
EV sales continued to eclipse fossil fuel vehicle sales last month in Denmark. According to Dansk e-Mobilitet, there were 5,179 used EVs and 5,934 brand new ones sold across the country last month. This compares to fewer than 5,000 fossil fuel vehicle sold.
Chief Analyst Søren Jacobsen:
“The Danes love used electric cars. 2,543 used electric cars were less than 2 years old and are included in the figure. The stock of fossil cars has fallen by 88,000 in one year and by 9,510 in July.”
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The energy transition has spawned its own tourism industry in Denmark. In Hvide Sande, on the west coast of Jutland, tourists are being taken on boat excursions to see the Vesterhav Syd offshore wind farm. The energy farm consists of 20 wind turbines towering 200 meters above sea level.
Fritz Kott, co-owner of Kott Leisure, tells DR that German tourists in particular are eager to take the trip.
“There was reasonably high demand. People want to go out and see. German tourists in particular are impressed by the Danish wind turbine industry, so they want to go out and see for themselves.”
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Climate change is pushing tourists from southern to northern Europe. Tourist agencies in South Sjælland, Møn, and on several popular Danish islands are all reporting a major increase in tourists from southern European countries. The draw is the relatively bearable temperatures, mild weather, and long summer days in Northern Europe. The hotel Jungshoved Præstegård near Præstø in southern Sjælland reports that 30% of their guests this year are from southern Europe, a number that was just 5% three years ago.
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The wet Danish summer is impacting farmers and horse owners. All the rain has caused a pretty major shortage of hay.
Plant expert at SAGRO, an agricultural consultancy company, Per Skodsborg says that with not enough hay to meet demand, prices will almost certainly rise,
“It is a market where there is great demand. We have seen the same with straw. Here, the prices have had a kick upwards, and I think we will also see the same with hay.”
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Over the weekend, the World Wildlife Fund helped facilitate a citizen led hedgehog count across Denmark. The agency says there are fewer and fewer hedgehogs across Europe, and it wants to know if the decline is also being seen in Denmark. On Saturday, people were asked to register the number of hedgehogs they managed to spot on the WWF’s website.
WWF Head of Danish Nature Line Gylling:
“We don't know very much about Denmark's hedgehogs, but with the help of the Danes, we can learn more about their distribution and target our efforts to protect them.”
The last time a count was done, some 30,000 hedgehogs were spotted across Denmark. The result of this year’s count hasn’t been made public yet.
🇫🇮
Wildfires are burning in the Murmansk region of Russia, and the smoke is drifting into Finland’s Northern Lapland. Municipalities and Finnish first responders are working to reassure people that the smoke is from wildfires about 125 kilometres away and that there are no known fires on this side of the Finnish border.
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The Finnish Border Guard Agency says it responded to 23 oil spills in Finnish waters last year. It says most were small spills taking place near a port or close to the coastline.
🇬🇷
An out-of-control wildfire is burning near Athens in Greece. At least 250 firefighters, along with helicopters and other firefighting aircraft, are battling the flames. The fire caused an evacuation of the village of Varnava early on Sunday. Evacuation alerts have also been issued for several suburbs of Athens. Hot temperatures and high winds are making the situation difficult. The Greek capital is also being inundated with smoke.
🦠Outbreaks🦠
🇪🇺
The COVID picture is mixed across Europe, with most countries seeing declining infection numbers and hospitalizations while numbers rise in other countries. Spain has the highest positivity percentage, at 31%.
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control says until recently coronavirus indicators and hospital admissions had been rising across Europe since the spring. For context, though, the ECDC says that compared to previous infection waves, the overall impact of this latest outbreak “has been relatively low.”
The agency continues to caution that seniors over 65 and other vulnerable populations will continue to be the hardest hit when COVID numbers surge.
“The most affected group in hospital settings has been individuals aged 65 years and above, highlighting the fact that vulnerable populations remain at higher risk of severe illness.”
The ECDC says the KP.3 variant remains dominant in Europe, but there is no evidence that it causes more severe infections than previous mutations of the virus.
“Vaccination remains the most effective measure for preventing COVID-19 and seasonal influenza infections from progressing to severe disease. It is essential that all Member States actively promote vaccinations against seasonal influenza, COVID, and RSV, in line with national recommendations.”
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“No major public health events related to communicable diseases have been detected in the context of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.”
However, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control does note that COVID infections have been confirmed among members of the French fencing team, the German Women’s Football squad, the Australian Women’s Polo team, and among athletes on the Great Britain and American swimming teams.
The ECDC rates the infection risk as low at the games if athletes and attendees use preventive measures like wearing masks in crowded places, isolating themselves if they have flu-like symptoms, and ensuring their vaccinations are up-to-date.
🇪🇺🇩🇰
COVID vaccines saved over a million lives in Europe alone. That is the conclusion of a new study by the World Health Organization. The study focuses on the WHO European region, using data from December 2020 to March 2023. It estimates that COVID vaccines reduced the pandemic death toll by at least 59%, saving 1.6 million lives across Europe.
In Denmark, approximately 17,000 coronavirus deaths were prevented thanks to vaccines. The majority of the lives saved would be seniors and others in vulnerable populations. To date, Denmark has suffered 8,814 COVID fatalities, meaning vaccines have reduced the death toll by about 70%.
Statens Serum Institute Academic Director Tyra Grove Krause says the institute contributed a wealth of data to the study.
“The study confirms that we have prevented many Danish deaths with the vaccines, and that with the high Danish vaccine coverage, we have also prevented relatively more deaths than in many other countries. Countries that introduced early vaccination programs that covered large parts of the population have typically experienced the greatest impact in terms of the total number of lives saved.”
Krause emphasizes that COVID remains a concern, with the number of infections in Denmark increasing again over the summer months.
“It is a reminder that the virus has not disappeared. The combination of new virus variants and waning immunity gives way to summer waves of infection, just as we expect larger waves of infection in the autumn and winter months, when viruses have better opportunities to spread. This also means that it is important to continue to offer the most vulnerable Danes the COVID vaccination in the autumn. An updated vaccine is an effective means of reducing both hospitalizations and deaths in high-risk groups.”
She says that fall vaccination programs against COVID and influenza are expected to begin again at the beginning of October.
🇩🇰
COVID activity has decreased across Denmark, according to the latest wastewater surveillance results. After weeks of increasing activity, the Statens Serum Institute says that virus concentrations in the wastewater are lower than they were the previous week. It rates the trend over the last three weeks as “decreasing” but COVID activity overall remains at a ‘medium’ level.
The SSI says COVID hospitalizations also decreased week to week, and “the strain on the healthcare system remains at a low level.”
That said, the institute also notes that the number of people showing up to a doctor’s office with flu-like symptoms has increased.
The institute’s sentinel monitoring system, which relies on workers in some of Denmark’s biggest companies getting voluntarily tested when they get sick, also seems to indicate an easing of coronavirus infection activity.
🇸🇪
For the last five weeks, the number of coronavirus infections and related hospital admissions has been rising across Sweden. The Swedish Public Health Agency says seniors over 65 and other vulnerable populations are bearing the brunt of the increased infection activity.
In Sweden, COVID hospitalizations (212) have increased (+52), while the number of severely infected people needing intensive care (6) has edged downward (-3).
The health agency stresses that while confirmed cases and hospitalizations are rising, they are still well below the infection numbers seen last fall and winter.
The agency is advising people who feel sick to avoid contact with vulnerable seniors and even infants, as whooping cough cases are also on the rise.
🇫🇮
COVID infection numbers have risen slightly in Finland over the last few weeks. The Finnish Institute for Health says that wastewater surveillance is also indicating an increase in virus activity across the country. While virus-related hospitalizations have also increased slightly, the health agency says the situation is regarded as being “stable.”
Overall, it says fewer people in Finland are being hospitalized or are dying from COVID.
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Finnish health authorities are bracing for increasing COVID and influenza infections as the kids return to school.
Finnish Institute for Health Infectious Disease Doctor Aino Nyqvist says that with kids and teachers suddenly thrown back into indoor spaces, it creates an ideal situation for viruses to spread.
"There will be more infections towards autumn and winter. It [COVID] is now starting to follow the usual seasonal pattern for respiratory infections, with more cases in the winter and fewer in the summer. We don't know for sure yet in which months the peak will be.”
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Finnish health authorities are putting out a measles warning after a passenger on a ferry to Tallinn was diagnosed with the highly infectious disease. The Finnish Institute for Health says the person traveled on the Viking Line’s Gabriella ferry, departing Finland at 2 p.m. on July 26. The health agency and the cruise line are both working to contact people on the ferry who may have been exposed to measles.
The institute is urging anyone who thinks they may have been exposed to ensure they, and anyone they were traveling with, have up-to-date MMR vaccinations.
🇺🇦Ukraine/ Russia War🇷🇺
The International Atomic Energy Agency says it has observed “heavy, dark smoke” coming from the Russian occupied Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant in Ukraine.
“The nuclear power plant has told our team about an alleged drone attack today on one of the cooling towers located in the area, but that the fire does not immediately affect nuclear safety.”
There are conflicting reports about where the smoke is coming from, with each side blaming the other.
The Zaporizhzhya plant is the largest nuclear power plant in Europe and has been occupied by Russia since 2022.
🇩🇰🇺🇦
The first F-16 fighter jets have arrived in Ukraine and begun undertaking military operations in the war against Russia.
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed the news.
“F-16 aircraft are in Ukraine. We did it. I am proud of our boys, and we have already started using them for our country. This is a new stage of development for the Air Force of Ukraine. We have done a lot to reach a new standard, the Western standard, in the air.”
Danish Minister of Defense Troels Lund Poulsen says the first F-16s to arrive in Ukraine are from Denmark.
“It is an important step to increase Ukraine's combat aircraft capacity and create the long-term basis for establishing a modern Ukrainian Air Force.”
He also gave full credit to Danish Air Force personnel who have been working hard to train Ukrainian pilots and support staff on the F-16s.
“It gives Ukraine the best opportunities to operate the F-16 aircraft with all the risks that it presents in a war-torn country.”
Neither Zelenskyy nor Poulsen specified exactly how many F-16s had arrived in Ukraine. We do know that Denmark has promised to donate a total of 19 F-16 aircraft to Ukraine in three installments, with the first being six fighter jets. The Netherlands, Norway, Belgium, and other countries have also promised to donate F-16 fighter jets.
What is clear is that it will take time for Ukraine to completely modernize its air force as it transitions away from soviet-era MiG fighter jets. The biggest challenge is to get enough Ukrainian pilots trained to fly the jets that are beginning to arrive. Training is complex and takes many months to complete. The other factor is the pace of F-16 donations, with countries slowly donating the warplanes over a period of years.
🇩🇰🇱🇻🇨🇦
Denmark has deployed a combat battalion of soldiers, armoured vehicles, and equipment from the Danish Armed Forces 1st Brigade to Latvia. The deployment is part of Denmark’s contribution to NATO. The battalion will serve a four-month rotation in the multinational NATO brigade stationed in Latvia. The brigade is currently being led by Canada.
🇫🇮 🇺🇸 🇷🇺
As we careen towards another presidential election in the United States, Finland is already making it clear it will not host another summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and former US president and current Republican candidate Donald Trump. Helsinki hosted a headline-grabbing summit between the two in 2018 where Trump and Putin met alone for hours, with Trump emerging from the meeting to take a verbal flamethrower to his own intelligence agencies.
Finnish Foreign Affairs Minister Elina Valtonen told the Times, a British newspaper, that hosting another such meeting is an absolute no-go.
“I would completely rule out such discussions taking place in Helsinki if there wasn’t a significant move from the side of Russia showing that they want to go back to valuing and respecting international law. We don’t have any political dialogue with Russia at the moment, and we are not looking to open any dialogue either for as long as Russia keeps invading a sovereign neighbouring nation.”
🇫🇮 / 🇷🇺
Finland will not be reopening its land borders with Russia anytime soon. Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo told the newspaper IItalehti that the border will remain closed for the foreseeable future.
"At the moment, I still do not see any opportunities to re-open it. We would need assurance that Russia is ready to cooperate based on the previous model, where both countries ensured that only people with valid travel documents arrived at border stations. If it leads to the same kind of chaos that we saw at the turn of the year when the border crossing was momentarily opened, then it cannot be allowed to happen.”
Finland is also lobbying the European Commission to table legislation to address Russia’s tactic of weaponized migration. Russia has launched a hybrid warfare strategy of flying in illegal migrants and then funneling them towards the borders with Poland and Finland. The Finnish government closed all of its land border crossings with Russia late last year after thousands of illegal immigrants began arriving at the border.
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Finland’s Defense Minister has taken the unusual step of rejecting a proposed real estate deal in the country’s south over the potential buyer’s links to Russia. The 61-year-old buyer who is seeking to buy property for a vacation home is a dual Swiss and Russian citizen who runs a company that services military activities. Finnish Defense Minister Antti Häkkänen intervened and rejected the deal over concerns that the buyer could be engaging in activities that serve the interests of the Russian government. The decision is being appealed.
The Defense Minister told Finnish national broadcaster Yle that his ministry is preparing draft legislation that, if approved, would place a total ban on Russian citizens buying real estate in Finland. The legislation will be tabled this fall.
🇩🇪🇸🇪/ 🇷🇺
Fighter jets from Germany and Sweden were scrambled earlier this month to intercept two Russian SU-30 fighter jets that were approaching NATO air space. The German Air Force says the Russian planes were intercepted, with the SU-30 pilots behaving “uncooperatively but not aggressively.”
🇫🇷/ 🇷🇺
Just days before the summer Olympics began in Paris, French police arrested a 40-year-old Russian man on suspicion of planning large-scale “acts of destabilization” during the Olympic Games. French prosecutors say that a search of the man’s home turned up documents linked to an elite Russian unit operating under the command of the FSB, formerly known as the KGB. The man, who works as a chef, is accused of working for a foreign power “with the aim of provoking hostilities in France.”
🇺🇦/ 🇭🇺🇸🇰
Hungary is threatening to block billions of euros that would normally flow to EU countries as compensation for military donations to Ukraine. Hungary is upset that Ukraine is blocking the transit of crude oil from a Russian company, Lukoil. Hungary isn’t alone; Slovakia is also upset. Russian oil accounts for 33% of Hungary’s oil imports, and for Slovakia, it is around 43%. The Slovakian government pointedly reminded Ukraine that it supplies the country with gas and electricity and that it "will have to react" if the Ukrainian ban on Russian crude oil remains in place.
The Hungarian Orbán government is unabashedly pro-Russia, as is the current Slovakian Prime Minister. Just something to keep in mind. While the EU has mandated a ban on importing crude oil and petroleum products from Russia, both Hungary and Slovakia have been exempted until they can find alternative fuel sources. Both countries remain highly dependent on Russian oil and gas.
Odds & Ends
🇩🇰🇸🇪
Due to a number of shootings and other gang-related violence being exported from Sweden, Denmark’s Justice Minister Peter Hummelgaard has announced that border controls between Sweden and Denmark will be stepped up. This means an increase in video surveillance and stepped-up passport controls for people coming from Sweden by train across the Øresund bridge.
🇩🇰
Due to security concerns, Denmark is removing Chinese made video cameras used for traffic enforcement. The move comes after the Danish Center for Cyber Security issued new guidelines. All cameras in use that are supplied by the Chinese company Hikvision will be decommissioned and replaced. The road directorate has about 170 of the cameras deployed around the country.
The move follows the scrapping of various Chinese-made technologies by western nations due to concerns about the risk they pose to national security.
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Denmark’s national broadcaster, DR, has pulled the plug on the social media platform X (Twitter). The news outlet deactivated its account and can no longer be found on the platform. DR’s Senior Editor Anders Emil Møller blames the platform’s increasingly toxic environment as the reason why they have chosen to abandon it.
“We are very aware of many of the dilemmas associated with this. DR is a responsible publishing company, so we take responsibility for the content we publish, and we spend a lot of resources on that. But we cannot take responsibility for the content that is shared on social media if we do not have the opportunity to moderate it in all possible different ways. And we believe that, as far as X is concerned, the possibilities for moderation and transparency are insufficient in relation to ensuring a good tone.”
🇸🇪
A record number of tourists have visited Sweden this year, and while they pour into the country, there is a debate about how to manage visitor numbers and whether Sweden should be working to attract a certain type of tourist.
Swedish national broadcaster SVT conducted a survey of the 22 most visited municipalities and found that half of them supported the idea of a tourism tax. The idea has been implemented elsewhere in Europe but is currently not allowed in Sweden. The arguments for and against run along the usual lines, with supporting municipalities looking to cover costs for infrastructure and things like trail management, while also hoping the surcharge will help manage visitor numbers. Those opposed worry that a tourism tax will just end up chasing people, and the money they spend, away.
While the debate over a tourism tax continues, Visit Sweden is exploring strategies to spread tourism out over the whole year instead of just the summer months. The agency is also building a profile of what they think is the best type of tourist to attract to the country.
CEO Susanne Andersson said:
“A profitable tourist is not only someone who spends money in Sweden, but also someone who brings back knowledge to their country based on how sustainable we are.”
Andersson says that Visit Sweden is focusing on “global travelers” who are keen on sustainability, culture, nature, and cuisine.
“It is a target group that can imagine moving to Sweden.”
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For the first time in over 50 years, more people are leaving Sweden than are moving into the country. Swedish Migration Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard made the announcement at a press conference, saying that Sweden has revised its estimates for asylum seekers to the lowest number since 1997. That, along with other factors, will push Sweden into net negative migration rates, something that hasn’t happened since 1973.