Iceland: amazingly sustainable
Horse in countryside
Last time I touted Kalmar, Sweden as an ideal ecotourism destination because it’s going green fast-plus it’s beautiful, of course. Today I will tout Iceland! (Sure, you think “brrr this blogger is friggin nuts!!” now because it’s probably winter where you live, but come summer you may start fantasizing about traveling somewhere fresh, clean, and COLD!)
I would say Iceland should change its name to Greenland, but that would cause trouble. In any case, Iceland is proving to be one of the most progressive (it did breed Bjork, after all, heheh) and green-friendly countries in the world. So despite their recent economic meltdown, Iceland has gotten its ass in gear and is relying mostly on its own energy!
Here’s a brief on Iceland’s progress:
- 1970s: Iceland relies on imported coal for 75% of its energy
- 2007: more than 82% of its energy comes from geothermal and hydropower! Oil makes up just 16% of its energy source and is reserved for cars and fishing fleets.
- 2009: 99+% of Iceland’s electricity comes from hydropower and geothermal energy!
- By 2050: the country’s goal is to be energy-independent
“It’s our goal to be a carbon-free and oil-free country by 2050,” asserts Össur Skarphédinsson, Iceland’s minister of industry and energy.
Take a bath!
Imagine this: frequent earthquakes (last May it was a 6.3) that cause intense geothermic activity-Iceland has 200+ volcanoes, 600+ hot springs, and 20+ scalding steam fields. They have no coal, petroleum, or even trees-can you even imagine that? Tundra city all the way. And all this has led them to become practical, harnessing their geothermic activity for heat for many centuries.
I’ve always been intrigued by places so close to the poles-how do they handle it? What are their secrets? How does their culture significantly differ from that of warmer climates (does it?). What do their landscapes look like up close? What does their air smell like? What does it feel like to have hours of sunlight per day, or 14?!
Now (okay, supposing I could afford the trip and all) I could find the answers to those questions while at the same time knowing I would be supporting a laudable effort by honorable people to make the world a better place.
Read more about Iceland’s progress here.
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Green City Tour: Reykjavík, Iceland « Save Eco Destinations says:
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