IN THE past two years, for the first time DN suffered a drop in its membership, a trend that is common to other NGOs in Denmark. Today, these NGOs are competing for money and support from the same fraction of the Danish population, which no longer seems to be responsive to appeals.

One reason for the decline is the success achieved on the national environmental agenda and the fact that most remaining problems are global in nature. Another factor is the economic recession in Denmark. Recent opinion polls in Europe indicate that for the first time, public concern for the environment is losing out to economic worry.

Some blame the high level of lobbying the green NGOs have attained in recent years. Says former environmental minister Lone Dybkjaer, "Movements behind the environmental struggle have turned into professional lobbyists, with a limited number of persons actively engaged. It does not have very much to do with participatory democracy."

In her opinion, it might be time to start all over again -- to reactivate democracy by establishing new groups at the local level and new initiatives to develop sustainable patterns of living.