Saturday, September 13, 2025

Polaris of Enlightenment

Study: Money the biggest motivator for reducing food waste

Published 4 October 2024
– By Editorial Staff
1 minute read

Saving money is a far more important driver for most people when it comes to reducing food waste than trying to avoid a perceived impact on the global climate, according to a study by the University of Copenhagen.

The study involved 1,948 Danes who were asked about food waste and what would make them change their habits around it. 27% said that the most important reason for them to reduce food waste was to save money. About 10% answered that they wanted to protect the climate.

– One explanation could be that it is more urgent to prioritise one’s finances than the climate, Camilla Falk Rønne Nissen, one of the researchers behind the study, told Danish national broadcaster DR.

Of the total amount of waste from Danish households, food waste accounts for about 507,000 tonnes, including both regular food waste and leftovers, i.e. food that could have been eaten. Of the total amount of waste, food waste accounts for about 235,000 tonnes.

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Putin’s advisor: The US is conspiring with crypto and gold

Published 10 September 2025
– By Editorial Staff
Governments and central banks worldwide are closely monitoring how the United States plans to approach cryptocurrencies.
2 minute read

A Russian presidential advisor is convinced that the US is planning to exploit cryptocurrencies and gold to erase large portions of the country’s $35 trillion national debt.

Anton Kobyakov, senior advisor to President Vladimir Putin, made the accusations during the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok – an event aimed at attracting foreign investment to Russia’s Far East region.

Kobyakov directed sharp criticism at what he describes as Washington’s attempts to manipulate global financial markets.

— The US is now trying to rewrite the rules of the gold and cryptocurrency markets. Remember the size of their debt, 35 trillion dollars. These two sectors are essentially alternatives to the traditional global currency system, Kobyakov said in his address.

— Washington’s actions in this area clearly highlight one of its main goals to urgently address the declining trust in the dollar, he continued.

The US national debt has now surpassed $35 trillion – the largest in the world. The sum consists of the federal government’s total debt to various creditors: foreign governments, institutional investors, and American citizens holding government bonds.

The debt has accumulated over several decades through budget deficits, extensive stimulus packages, high military spending, and costs for social programs such as Social Security and Medicare.

Converting national debt to “stablecoins”?

Kobyakov suggests that the US plan involves converting parts of the national debt to so-called stablecoins – cryptocurrencies pegged to traditional currencies. Through this, the debt could in practice be devalued, which he describes as “starting over from scratch”.

The Russian advisor warns that such a strategy could have serious consequences for global economic stability.

The statements come amid an intense international debate about the future role of digital currencies in the global financial system. How the US will approach cryptocurrencies – and what it means for the dollar’s role as the world’s reserve currency – is being closely watched by governments and central banks around the world.

Ukrainian weapons factory in Denmark – citizens barred from appeals

The war in Ukraine

Published 8 September 2025
– By Editorial Staff
The factory in Skrydstrup, Denmark, will primarily produce rocket fuel for the "Flamingo" cruise missile.
2 minute read

Ukrainian weapons manufacturer Fire Point is establishing a rocket fuel factory in Skrydstrup, Denmark. To expedite the establishment, the Danish government is using a controversial law that bypasses citizens’ right to appeal – and therefore does not need to consider local residents’ concerns.

Just on the other side of the fence from Skrydstrup Air Base, where Denmark’s new F-35 fighter jets are stationed, Ukrainian weapons company Fire Point is set to begin production of solid rocket fuel on December 1st. The announcement came during a press conference with Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen (Liberal Party).

— We are proud to welcome them to Denmark. As a country, we are now contributing to ensuring that Ukraine can fight the important battle against the superior power Russia, claims the minister, who has personally visited the company in Ukraine.

Fire Point is behind Ukraine’s new cruise missile “Flamingo”, which according to reports was recently used against a Russian base in Crimea. The weapon reportedly has a range of 3,000 kilometers and has been described by President Volodymyr Zelensky as the country’s “most successful” missile.

It is precisely the solid rocket fuel for this missile that will now be produced in Skrydstrup, where local residents have expressed strong concerns about potential security risks.

“Dialogue” to reassure citizens

To enable the rapid establishment, the Danish government is using the criticized law that removes citizens’ right to appeal and gives authorities free rein to bypass other laws when a project is deemed to serve essential national defense goals or civil preparedness purposes.

Local residents have reacted with concern about having a rocket fuel factory in their vicinity, and a public meeting is being held on Saturday, where both the defense minister and Business Minister Morten Bødskov (Social Democrats) will meet with worried citizens.

— I understand very well the many concerns that potentially arise in and around Skrydstrup, admits Troels Lund Poulsen.

Haderslev’s mayor Mads Skau (Liberal Party) is trying to balance between the government’s decision and dissatisfied citizens’ concerns.

— We will ensure that it remains safe for citizens to live in the area. We do this through dialogue. I have told the ministers that it is important they keep citizens informed about what is happening.

“Hundreds of jobs”

Business Minister Bødskov is careful to emphasize that the factory will create “several hundred jobs”, primarily for unskilled workers.

Despite using the controversial law, he insists that safety will not be compromised:

— The requirements that exist for safety distances to the surroundings we do not touch. The same applies to requirements for transporting rocket fuel. What applies today will also apply tomorrow.

Danish media: American agents infiltrating Greenland

Donald Trump's USA

Published 28 August 2025
– By Editorial Staff
Donald Trump has repeatedly stated that Greenland should become American.
3 minute read

At least three Americans with ties to President Donald Trump are conducting influence operations in Greenland aimed at undermining the relationship between Denmark and Greenland.

The men are mapping Trump-friendly Greenlanders and gathering information that could be used to damage Denmark’s reputation, according to sources speaking to Danish media.

Actors with direct connections to the White House are conducting systematic attempts to infiltrate Greenlandic society. The goal is to create a pro-American independence movement and weaken ties to Denmark, reveal several anonymous sources with insight into the matter to Danish public broadcaster DR.

One of the men, who has often been seen publicly with President Trump and recently received a role with influence over US security policy, landed earlier this year in snow-covered Nuuk, Greenland’s capital, with a clear mission. He established lists of both Trump sympathizers and opponents among Greenlandic citizens, it is reported.

At the same time, he is said to have collected material about controversial Danish affairs – such as forced removals of Greenlandic children and the so-called spiral affair where Danish doctors inserted contraceptives into Greenlandic women without consent.

— What we see is the use of soft power, influence and attempts to create internal division, says a source to the channel.

Danish security service confirms influence campaigns

Both Danish authorities and the country’s government are now closely monitoring the Americans’ movements on the Arctic island. Two of the men, both with backgrounds in the Trump administration, have regularly traveled between the US and Greenland in recent years to build networks among politicians and businessmen.

— We are all worried about this. Of course we are, confirms a government source.

The Danish Security and Intelligence Service (PET) also confirms that Greenland is being subjected to influence campaigns and that they are in “ongoing and close dialogue with the Greenlandic authorities about developments in the threat picture”.

According to PET’s assessment, the campaigns aim to “create division in the relationship between Greenland and Denmark” by exploiting real or fabricated conflicts.

American strategy in three phases

Sources within the government describe the Trump administration’s Greenland strategy as divided into three distinct phases since the president declared in December 2024 that American “ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity”.

First came the charm offensive, symbolized by Donald Trump Jr.’s high-profile visit to Nuuk in January. This was followed by pressure on Denmark, when Vice President J.D. Vance visited the American Pituffik base in March and accused Denmark of betraying the Greenlanders. Now the strategy is in its third phase according to sources: infiltration of Greenlandic society.

One source warns that the summer’s calmer activity may be misleading:

— Perhaps what we are experiencing right now is the calm before the storm. And perhaps the fewer activities in Greenland are an expression that professional institutions have begun to operate, which they will be better at hiding, he speculates.

Concerns were heightened after the Wall Street Journal’s reporting in May that American intelligence services had been ordered to intensify espionage in Greenland, focusing on the independence movement and mapping Trump sympathizers.

Sensitive for Denmark

The American activities also place Danish power holders in a delicate position. While they want to alert Greenlanders to the influence attempts and prevent them, they are simultaneously concerned for political reasons about not being perceived as interfering in Greenland’s internal affairs.

— Greenlanders are welcome to work for independence, and the US is welcome to invest and work for stronger ties to Greenland, explains one source, but emphasizes that there are limits that must not be crossed.

— No one is allowed to spy – not even the Americans.

The White House has declined to comment on the allegations from Danish media, and the US embassy in Copenhagen, Denmark refers to the fact that “the American government does not control or direct the actions of private citizens” and that they “respect the Greenlandic people’s right to determine their own future”.

Trump threatens new tariffs in retaliation for “discriminatory” tech taxes

Donald Trump's USA

Published 26 August 2025
– By Editorial Staff
President Trump defends Meta, Google and Amazon against foreign taxes and threatens US countermeasures.
2 minute read

Donald Trump warns of new tariffs and export controls against countries that he claims “discriminate” against American tech giants. The statement could escalate trade conflicts with both the United Kingdom and the EU.

In a post on his Truth Social platform on Monday evening, the president launched a harsh attack against “digital taxes, legislation, rules or regulations” and claimed that as president he intends to defend American companies against what he described as malicious attacks.

“As the President of the United States, I will stand up to Countries that attack our incredible American Tech Companies. Digital Taxes, Digital Services Legislation and Digital Markets Regulations are all designed to harm, or discriminate against, American Technology”, Trump wrote.

“They also, outrageously, give a complete pass to China’s largest Tech Companies. This must end, and end NOW!” he continued.

True to form, Trump uses his own social media platform to tell the world about his plans. Photo: facsimile/Donald Trump/Truth Social

According to analysts, the statement risks further deteriorating trade relations between the US, the United Kingdom and the EU.

“Flagrant attack”

Washington has long criticized the UK’s digital services tax, which despite American criticism was retained after an agreement with Trump’s previous administration. The US has also directed harsh criticism at the EU’s Digital Services Act, which places higher demands on large tech companies to control content on their platforms.

Several EU countries, including France, Italy and Spain, have had their own taxes of similar nature since before, reports Financial Times.

In June, Canada chose to scrap its digital services tax to pave the way for trade negotiations with the US. Trump had previously described the tax as a “direct and flagrant” attack. The British also considered changes to their tax, but ultimately managed to reach a trade agreement without making changes.

In the UK’s case, the tax is 2 percent and applies to companies like Alphabet, Meta and Amazon. It affects companies with global revenues over £500 million and is levied on parts of turnover exceeding £25 million in the country.

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