Geography of Europe

You’ve heard about Parking Day, right? Well, the idea is to reclaim open space one parking spot at a time to demonstrate that cities are for people, not just for trucks and cars. Do you think this will go over well in one of Ireland’s busiest cities?

At the height of the Cold War, a small group of Army personnel monitored communications in Soviet-controlled East Berlin. They’d send the recordings back to NSA headquarters in Washington and — in many ways, are the precursors to the modern surveillance system that has become so controversial.

Copenhagen is already one of the most environmentally-friendly cities in the country. More than a third of its commutes happen by bike. A majority of its energy comes from wind power. And now, a big portion of its cooling is done by ocean water. And it has its sights on an ambitious goal.

Majlinda Kelmendi will be competing in the Olympics in London this year. She’s the first Kosovar to participate since the country declared independence back in 2008. But because Kosovo isn’t recognized by the United Nations, she must compete for Albania.

Most countries in Europe are worried sick about debt, bailouts and unemployment, but Norway recently decided to cut spending in order to avoid too much growth. The smart management of Norway’s oil and gas industry is bringing spectacular wealth to the country’s small fishing towns.