I am so thankful for the opportunity to live abroad and work remotely because it has opened my eyes to new ways of living. I recently visited Copenhagen, and after exploring the city for a couple of days, I decided to name it MY favorite city in the world!
You might ask me what led to this lofty praise…
I come from Mexico City, one of the most populated cities in the world, with 22.1 million residents! You can imagine how chaotic, polluted, and noisy it is, and yet it will always have a special place in my heart. Many other cities have some or most of these characteristics. I am not a fan of loud traffic, dramatic city scenes, too many people, trash on the streets, stinky sewer smells, etc. Yes, it might be part of the fabric of a place but, for me, it takes away from the overall experience.
What if I were to tell you that Copenhagen blew my mind because it was the opposite of all these things?
The streets had cars but there was no traffic, there were trucks but there was no annoying noise, and there were underbridges and no dirty sewer smell. I just could not believe it! I looked around and it still had all the amazing things a city has to offer but without all the things I dislike. What kind of magic creates such a place?!
Copenhagen showed me that a clean city is possible to exist. Having clean and safe water in its harbor for recreational activities such as swimming, water polo, kayaking, and paddle boarding is worth every effort to take care of our environment. According to Jørgen Lund Madsen, Copenhagen’s head of Water and Environmental Impact Assessments, it took about $440 million to reroute wastewater, build overflow barriers, and create underground water-storage vessels to ready the harbor for swimming.
It is clear to me that the preservation of water is a manifestation of a culture of prioritizing water…a mindset of caring for one of our most precious natural resources. Not to mention that they also drink some of the world’s purest tap water—taking care not to waste it. The mayor of Technical and Environmental Affairs Morten Kabell stated that “Public drinking water is so clean that it’s better than bottled water”—and that’s without chlorine or other chemical processing (only aeration, pH adjustment, and filtration).
I feel ashamed to admit that I use too much water and that I have not taken care of it the way I should. It is time to change.
To give you an idea of how different consumption can vary, the average Copenhagener only uses about 26 gallons of water a day, compared to the 80 to 100 gallons used by the average U.S. citizen!
At this point, I believe we are not aware of how truly precious this natural resource is.
The Global Water Intelligence, a UK analysis group, mentioned that Danes pay the highest water rates in Europe, at 6.33 Euros per 1,000 liters or 264 gallons. Is it worth it? I believe it is!
What should we, as citizens of the world, have to do in order to have access to clean water? And what are you going to do to preserve this water?
I believe that it starts with the mentality that it’s actually about “we” rather than just “me”.
Copenhagen taught me that respecting yourself, the people around you, and the environment can create a better place for all. Yes, there is a cost but the reality is that there is always a cost. If you don’t invest in something, there won’t be prosperity. Apathy is the killer of dreams.
Be active and invest in what is good for you, your neighbor, and the environment! If you need a little inspiration, take a trip to Copenhagen.
Written by: Sandy Rivera, Recruiting Coordinator at Hunter Crown, LLC
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