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Takk for Trams
Takk for Trams – Digital Notes Wednesday 15 January 2014 Oslo –public transport Nirvana Hanne Bertnes Norli from Ruter Weds January 15th 2014 Members Restaurant, Scottish Parliament 6-8pm Hosted by Gordon Macdonald MSP Chaired by journalist and NH Director Lesley Riddoch Background Oslo, Edinburgh and Glasgow have a lot in common. The population of the Norwegian capital is 593k, Edinburgh 495k and Glasgow 598k. But Oslo transport leaves its Scottish cousins standing with 6 cross-city tram lines with 99 stops, 6 cross-city underground train lines, 60 bus lines and 6 passenger ferry lines to neighbouring towns and the peninsula of Nesodden. Car transport is not forbidden – there’s an expanding network of inner city tunnels — but it’s taxed. Drivers are charged (roughly £3) every ...Read More
Social gathering
You've seen 'The Killing' Christmas jumper Save the Children appeal, yes? Well, we're inspired. And it's about time that we at Nordic Horizons arranged some Christmas drinks! So, come along in your jumper (optional), donate some dosh to Save the Children and share some Christmas cheer with fellow NHers (compulsory). It will be 7.30 pm Saturday 21st December ( the weekend after Borgen has finished ) at Joseph Pearce's Bar 23 Elm Row Edinburgh. Sorry for the late notice. We'll be better organised next year, promise! And, if you already have plans for the night but are in Edinburgh, feel free to drop in whenever you like for as long or as short a time as you like. Friends and partners are welcome, of course. And if you don't recognise...Read More
Sandy Miller’s photos of the Copenhagen event
Sandy Miller's photos Sandy's photos regularly appear on the Nordic Horizons' Facebook page and offer a good incentive to join this group, if you haven't done so already.
Events 2014
There are no more events planned for 2014. However, there will be a full programme planned for 2015 – details to be released soon. Past Events Women’s Quotas – The Norwegian experience NORDIC HORIZONS with Mai-Lill Ibsen and Arne Selvik Lecture Theatre Moray House, EH8 8AQ 6pm 2nd December 2014 Free but please register In 2002 the Norwegian conservative Trade Minister announced a ‘Quota Law’ requiring publically listed companies to appoint 40% of the under-represented gender to their boards or face being closed down. Despite criticism the law came into force in 2006. Around 500 PLC’s were affected and during a two year transition period a hundred opted to delist from the Oslo Stock Exchange – some to avoid the quotas. ...Read More
Copenhagen Greenest City – Meeting Notes
Copenhagen Greenest City – Meeting Notes Copenhagen – the world’s greenest capital city Klaus Bondam Monday 2nd December 2013 Venue Old College, Edinburgh University Lecture Theatre 175 (far right corner of old quad opp Blackwells on South Bridge) Time 18:00 – 20:00 By 2015 Copenhagen aims to become an Ecometropolis with the best urban environment of any capital city in the world. By 2025 it aims to be the world’s first carbon neutral city. To get there, the Danes have taken policy, politics, consultation and involvement far beyond any British or Scottish council publishing regular updates to show current levels of achievement against their 2015 pledges. Copenhagen’s annual green accounts show that by 2015, 90 per cent of Copenhageners should be able to walk to a park, a...Read More
Nordic Cooperation
Nordic Cooperation – Event Details Nordic Co-operation Members Restaurant Scottish Parliament 5th November 6-8.30pm Hosted by Helen Eadie MSP Chaired by journalist and NH Director Lesley Riddoch Speakers: Johan Strang of the Helsinki-based Centre for Nordic Studies and author of the Nordic Communities report describing a “third Nordic Golden Age” and Mary Hilson author of The Nordic Model from UCL London. The Nordic Council was set up in 1952 – a few short years after Iceland declared independence from Denmark, and Finland backed the ill-fated German invasion of Russia whilst two Nordic neighbours endured Nazi occupation. No-one would have blamed the Nordic nations for being huffy with one another. But they weren’t. The five Nordic defence ministers already co-operate on Scheng...Read More
The world’s greenest offices – people-heated Stockholm
The world’s greenest offices – people-heated Stockholm Is Stockholm’s “people-heated” office the world’s greenest commercial building? And can Scotland have one? Monday 28th October 2013 Venue Old College, Edinburgh University Lecture Theatre 175 (far right corner of old quad opp Blackwells on South Bridge) Time 18:00 – 20:00 with Klas Johansson Kungsbrohuset is an office building with a difference. It’s heated by people. Excess body heat produced by 200 000 daily commuters in nearby Central Station is piped in, the windows let daylight in, but block out summer heat. Bike parking is state of the art and tenants are offered changingrooms with showers and lockers. Hour by hour, the building gets automatic digital weather forecast updates to adjust heating and cooling hours in advance ...Read More
Possible Orkney – Meeting Notes and Audio
This event was excellent and a packed audience, judging from Facebook and Twitter, enjoyed a lively debate of the ideas raised. Graham Hogg and Alex Hobday presented a vison of a 'Nordic Scotland' which was challenging and different. You can listen to the audio below and download a copy of their presentation as well. However, it is worth understanding the background to this presentation, which sounds more like a manifesto. Judge for yourself.
Possible Orkney
Print responsibly! This event was excellent and a packed audience, judging from Facebook and Twitter, enjoyed a lively debate of the ideas raised. Graham Hogg and Alex Hobday presented a vison of a ‘Nordic Scotland’ which was challenging and different. You can listen to the audio below and download a copy of their presentation as well. However, it is worth understanding the background to this presentation, which sounds more like a manifesto. Judge for yourself. Orkney sits at a strategic location within the Northern Periphery – a gateway for the Nordic region within a global context. Possible Orkney is a large group of projects at varying scales looking at how to integrate Scotland into this Nordic region through its exploitation of the shipping, renewable and tourist ind...Read More
Excellent Elderly Care – How does Sweden do it?
Excellent Elderly Care – how does Sweden do it? “People worry they might NOT get into a council nursing home. That’s how popular they are. But cutbacks mean every 4th place has disappeared in the last 12 years.” The Swedish experience of elder care is dramatically different to the Scottish one. The “People’s Home” (Folkhemmet) ideal is that only the highest standards are good enough for the people. Excellent public services are designed to remove the build-up of demand from the rich for separate, private facilities – and this has worked in a society with relatively high taxes and low income differentials. The worry in Sweden today is that cuts will create underfunded Old Folk’s Homes and those council services will lose the middle class – and their support for high quality public ser...Read More