Yes, it is true that the world is preparing for an energy revolution that will change all habits in leading countries around the world. But Denmark's Samsoe island has already achieved this revolution.Denmark currently supplies more than 15 percent of its overall energy requirements and about 30 percent of its electricity production from renewable energy resources and is planning to increase the rate by which its overall energy production is done through non-fossil fuels to 30 percent by 2025. Realizing that over the long haul the world cannot rely on fossil fuels, which release carbon dioxide in amounts that the world and its atmosphere cannot properly handle, the Danish government developed policies fostering energy production using wind, wave, solar and biofuel in the 1990s. It placed the bar quite high: reversing the ratio of energy production using renewable energy resources to energy production based on fossil fuels, which is currently 15 to 85 percent, by the end of 2040.
This said, where does Denmark's boldness in designating such an ambitious target come from as it prepares to host the World Climate Conference, which is likely to produce important decisions, in December? Of course, from its own successful practices and the successful results of these practices. In 1997, the Danish government ran a competition for projects on green energy that would be realized through its subsidies. The project developed for Samsoe island was selected as the winner, and the government allocated funds for its realization. On this beautiful island, with a population barely exceeding 4,100 and where the islanders' main occupations were tourism, agriculture and stockbreeding, the project's target was to supply all of the island's energy requirements through renewable energy resources. As part of the project, a nongovernmental organization was set up to coordinate and monitor the project as well as to ensure popular participation, considering how the project entailed cultural and lifestyle changes.
As part of the project, fields of wind turbines were built off the coast of the island and in regions with strong winds. Additionally, fields of solar panels were constructed for solar energy collection. For thermal production with a system with self-complementary and self-backing components, energy production facilities were built to make use of the island's abundant repository of agricultural waste such as stubble and wood chips. The results? Ten years have passed since the start of the project, and Samsoe, which was previously dependent on the mainland for energy, has become a completely self-sufficient island thanks to energy production based on renewable energy resources. Moreover, the island is now able to supply the excess of its energy production to the mainland at times when it can generate more energy than it needs. Today, all energy requirements on the island, including big vehicle ferries shuttling between the island and the mainland, are powered by renewable energy. These days, Samsingers are looking for methods to store excess energy production for use in periods of lower energy generation.
Ahead of the COP15 United Nations Climate Change Conference, to be held in Copenhagen in December, the Danish government has launched campaigns to promote this successful project to as many people and officials as possible. The case of Samsoe serves not only as a model for green energy production. It has also triggered green energy tourism, with many people starting to get interested in the achievements of this island. Every day, hundreds of tourists who are interested in green energy flood the island.
In a nutshell, we can say that, as I noted above, the green energy revolution has already started in Samsoe. Thanks to this project, the island's carbon emission improved from negative to positive with a 140 percent change. In other words, the island of Samsoe is no longer a settlement that adds to the greenhouse effect, which is the main cause of global climate change, and therefore of disasters affecting hundreds of millions of people today. Furthermore, it serves as a model for making this world a more inhabitable place with green energy, green economy and green employment.
The cost of the Samsoe project came out to 60 million euros. Green energy technology is improving and being fine-tuned each day, lowering the costs of implementing similar projects. In fact, green energy projects quickly compensate for the cost of initial investment and, in the long run, turn out to be the least expensive form of energy production. But the cost of such projects is not a problem. The main factor that blocks the implementation of these projects is the level of preparedness or determination of political decision makers to make moves toward an energy revolution. As a matter of fact, the risk of global climate change that faces the world today and the massive measures that must be taken against it are given lower ranks in government agendas.
Why should our beautiful Samsun not do what Samsoe has achieved? Why should we not implement a similar project in another part of the country with suitable wind, solar and agricultural conditions? Why should we not take this revolution to the entire country? What is the use of maintaining our dependence on fossil fuels, which are destined to eventually become depleted, and doing this through imports that amount to $50 billion every year? Now that we will make the transition to renewable energy sooner or later, why are we so slow in adopting already sufficiently perfected green energy technology? Why should Turkey not become a leading country like Denmark in green energy, green economy and green employment by developing and implementing radical policies today? Do you not think it is high time for both Turkey and the world to make this radical change?
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