Another side of Lesley Riddoch

Today's Sunday Post column in full

Denmark's been in the news lately – and not just because of Borgen.

The Danish TV series about a fictional female Prime Minister was a surprise hit on BBC4 this winter -- inspiring and tear-jerking in equal measure. Why? Because it Scots glimpsed a genuinely progressive society many of us would give our eye teeth to share. Statsminister Birgitte Nyborg works full-time in the top job despite being a single mum. That's not just Danish fiction. Childcare, costs £500 for two toddlers full time in Copenhagen compared with a whopping £1400 in Edinburgh. So 74% of women in Denmark work (65% here) – and more have well-paid, full-time positions not badly-paid, part-time jobs. Danish children are at kindergarten until they start school at six – so vital early years are spent learning to talk, play and share with other bairns. All education is free so well-educated mums can keep working, paying taxes and helping to fund the Danish "welfairytale." As a result -- Denmark was named the happiest country on earth in 2012.

Nordic Horizons event co-hosted by Europa Institute, Edinburgh University

Venue David Hume Tower - Lecture Theatre A March 4^th 6-8pm

Norway is a member of NATO, Finland is not. Does that single fact produce radically different thinking about peace and security in the two Nordic nations? Or does more unite these neighbours who are both members of the Arctic Council and other alliances, both reject nuclear weapons in their waters and share outlooks on neutrality and the importance of non-military peaceful activity. Both countries were shaped by the trauma of occupation and military defeat during World War 2 – what is the right size and purpose for their forces today? Defence policy in an independent Scotland was a controversial and divisive issue during 2012. Can the defence strategies of these Nordic nations usefully inform Scottish and UK debate? How does the international relations community regard the possibility of an independent Scotland?

Stop press Borgen fans -- Edinfilmhouse has a THIRD screening of the final Borgen episodes (in current series) plus Q&A with star Sidse Babette Knudsen at 14:05 on 3rd Feb. Tkts avail noon tomm 23 Jan bit.ly/WaXJR8

I've just written a Scotsman column about Dundee which refers to the way outside agencies – on both sides of the border –can make decisions that make or mar city development – especially in transport and energy. I've been tackled by Chris Mostyn of the National Grid over this criticism of; '….the Warwickshire-based National Grid plc whose laggardly upgrades have left existing Scottish renewables suppliers unable to connect to the grid - let alone offshore newcomers'. Chris says;

 To clarify, National Grid plc does not own any electricity networks in Scotland. They are owned by Scottish Power and Scottish & Southern. He is right – apologies to National Grid.

I think I should have written; The key to success for the onshore and offshore wind industries is the London-based regulator Ofgem, whose oversight of the pricing regime leaves Scottish suppliers out of the market and the Warwickshire-based National Grid who calculate and implement these charges in all parts of the UK - including Scotland. This situation is exacerbated by SSE's laggardly upgrades in the North of Scotland and Scottish islands which, when set alongside Ofgem and National Grid's punitive charges, mean consented renewable energy projects are often unable to connect to the grid.

Right – I realise even this will be questioned by some! Many councillors and renewables projects do complain about grid connection delays and costs - so I've tried to come up with an explanation of what happens and who is responsible for grid connections. Thanks to an energy specialist (who prefers to remain nameless!) When the electricity industry was privatised in the nineties, the high-voltage transmission network (shifting large amounts of power around the country) in England and Wales was parcelled off as National Grid, but in Scotland, it was split and passed (in the north) to Scottish Hydro and (in the south) to ScottishPower.

 Jan 16th 6pm Scottish Parliament. Hosted by Jenny Marra MSP, chaired by broadcaster & NH Director Lesley Riddoch

1. Groovy poster (above)

2. Great Scottish speakers are coming -- Drew Ratter from Shetland Islands Council on its pretty enormous Viking wind project and Martin Mathers from Scottish Power Renewables (in personal capacity) who once studied Samsoe for a dissertation.

3. No places for the public left - if you have a place and now can't come or if you'd like to go on a waiting list contact nordichorizons@hotmail.co.uk -- lucky MSPs and researchers are of course able and very welcome to just turn up on the night

3. Video conference link with UHI Exec Office in Inverness - they can connect with other UHI learning centres in H&I if there's demand or move to a larger room in Ness Bank in Sneckie. For all this contact Elaine Morrison elaine.morrison@uhi.ac.uk

4. Audio of main speakers will be available as usual a few days later at www.nordichorizons.org

Dear all

Best Wishes for 2013 and news of two great meetings about alternative Nordic ways of dealing with some of the problems Scotland also faces – energy policy, community development, is small or large beautiful in economic development, democracy, inclusion and letting bad banks go bust! Do come along – the meetings are free and currently there are 25 spare seats in the parliament for the fabulous Soren Hermansen and 50 seats for the newly advertised Icelandic event at the university. Please book as described below via Facebook or the Nordic Horizons email and check the website www.nordichorizons.org for more details.

The Great Green Danes

Scottish Parliament Committee Room One - Wednesday 16 January - 18:00 to 20:00

What size is the right size for renewable energy? Scotland's fast becoming a European hub for large-scale renewable energy production using the "Big is Beautiful" template that guided expansion in the oil and gas industries several decades back. Wave and tidal projects are being encouraged to find the same "large" scale. Energy is a policy area reserved to Westminster but Holyrood's planning control gives Edinburgh considerable clout. Community land buyouts mean more and more land is under into local control across Scotland and

particularly in the energy rich Western Isles. So how far should wind-rich communities expand renewables, particularly large-scale wind? Is large and company-owned or small and community owned the way forward - or both? Are developments on the scale of Shetland's Viking wind project too big or the right size to fund expensive connections to the UK grid? Danish Soren Hermansen is one of Time Life's Heroes of the Environment 2008. In 1997 the small, tight-knit, conservative, farming island of Samso, nestled in the Kattegat Strait, won a contest sponsored by the Danish Government to become Denmark's showcase for sustainable power, eventually going carbon-free without any state funding, tax breaks or technical expertise.Then almost all Samso's power came from oil and coal and the island's 4,300 residents didn't know a wind turbine from a grain silo -- Samso seemed an odd choice. Soren Hermansen, though, saw an opportunity. Today Samso isn't just carbon-neutral — it produces 10% more clean electricity than it uses, and feeds extra power back into the grid at a profit. How did Samso do it – how did islanders make sure control didn't shift to big multi-national energy firms -- what lessons are there for communities across Scotland?Labour's Jenny Marra MSP (pioneer of the Switchtogether scheme) will host the event. Book free seats by "joining" on Facebook or email NH via nordichorizons@hotmail.co.uk

Iceland Bounces Back

Feb 13, 2013, 6-8pm, Edinburgh University, Old College, Lecture Theatre 183

In March 2012 a packed Nordic Horizons meeting heard a fascinating talk from Icelandic Economist,Thorvaldur Gylfason – the most voted-for member of the Icelandic Constitutional Council which drafted the country's new "crowd-sourced" constitution. Since then Icelanders have been to the polls in a six question referendum to approve it and Iceland has clawed its way back to BBB+ credit rating and a projected 2.3% growth rate after opting to let "bad banks" go to the wall (in contrast to the UK and Ireland.)

They've also paid back Scottish councils and investors. It seems this Nordic nation of 300,000+ people is making (yet another) comeback. So will they join the EU?Has the People's Constitution passed its final political hurdle? Is bank regulation now tight enough to ensure crisis can never undermine the whole country again? And what prompted Icelandic President Olafur Grimsson to end 2012 with a BBC interview backing the prospect of Scottish independence? Prof Thor joins us for an Icelandic update together with Sigrun Davidsdottir - a London-based journalist working for the Icelandic State Broadcaster Rúv whose blog, Icelog, explores the financial "adventures" of her home. She's also published her second novel - Samhengi hlutanna, a financial thriller that takes place in London and Iceland.The event will be introduced by Independent MSP Jean Urquhart and chaired by journalist and Nordic Horizons Chair, Lesley Riddoch. Book free seats on the NH Facebook page or email Dan at nordichorizons@hotmail.co.uk.

For both events please assume you have a seat unless we get in touch. Please also note it's in lecture theatre 183, not our usual 175 – in the other corner of Old College quad. General info and updates on speakers will be posted on our Facebook page and website www.nordichorizons.org Please keep checking rather than sending individual emails about the event – NH is a small, self-administering, volunteer-based group with a rather ambitious list of new meetings to arrange. Thank you! Happy new year from the NH team!

Favourite slide from Copenhagen cycling Nordic Horizons event. Soren Rasmussen says Danes show cyclists are valued with little things like fab footrests at junctions.