COP15 Warm Up: Pedal Power to Light up the Christmas Tree

COPENHAGEN, November 30 - Counting down to the UN Climate Change Conference (COP15) in December,
the people of Copenhagen will be pedalling hard to light up the traditional
Christmas tree on City Hall Square.

(Photo:
www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20091230/368843 )

Tradition has it that the big Christmas tree on Copenhagen's City Hall
Square is lit up with hundreds of lights. But this year it will be a
different story - unless people pedal hard, that is.

During the Climate Summit, Copenhagen's City Hall Square will be
transformed into a climate-friendly city called Hopenhagen Live. Until 18
December, Copenhageners and anyone else who is concerned about the
environment can jump on the bikes and pedal to light up the tree - and burn a
few calories while they're at it. This alternative way of lighting up the
Christmas tree will save the environment a total of nine tonnes of CO2
compared to the traditional way of powering the lights.

Copenhagen is already known as the City of Cyclists, and the term
Copenhagenize has become a catchword for a new concept - when cities work to
encourage increased usage of this healthy and CO2-friendly means of
transport. With more than 350 kilometres of cycle lanes and one third of all
Copenhageners commuting by bike every day, Copenhagen truly is a bicycle
city.

While the UN Climate Summit is taking place in Bella Center from 7 - 18
December, the whole city will be booming with international cultural events.
At City Hall Square there will be music, exhibitions and happenings. Al Gore
and Bishop Desmond Tutu will be in town, and more than 65 heads of state and
government will take part in the official COP15 in Bella Center - not to
mention the 100 mayors from all over the world invited to City Hall Square
during the summit.

For free broadcast-standard video about the pedal powered Christmas tree,
please visit www.thenewsmarket.com/Denmark

Download photos of the Copenhagen Christmas tree here:
www.copenhagenmediacenter.com/CMC.aspx#/tag/juletrae/

Follow the cyclists lighting up the tree at www.hopenhagenlive.dk

COP15 cultural calendar: www.cop15culture.com

    For further information, please contact:

    About cultural events in Copenhagen during the COP15: Aneh Hajdu,
    Wonderful Copenhagen, Head of Communication, +45-2122-2226, aha@woco.dk

    For general information about the Christmas tree: Jakob M0lgaard,
    City of Copenhagen, +45-2163-9360, jakomo@kff.kk.dk

    About Hopenhagen LIVE: Anders Ferdal Rasmussen, City of Copenhagen,
    +45-2677-2277, afr@okf.kk.dk

Photo:
www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20091230/368843

For further information, please contact: About cultural events in Copenhagen during the COP15: Aneh Hajdu, Wonderful Copenhagen, Head of Communication, +45-2122-2226, aha at woco.dk, For general information about the Christmas tree: Jakob M0lgaard, City of Copenhagen, +45-2163-9360, jakomo at kff.kk.dk; About Hopenhagen LIVE: Anders Ferdal Rasmussen, City of Copenhagen, +45-2677-2277, afr at okf.kk.dk