Save Eco Destinations

Our first stop is Reykjavík, Iceland’s capital. It is the smallest of all the green cities, hosting just about 115,000 people (almost half the country’s population!).

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As previously mentioned, not only Reykjavík but also the entirety of Iceland is going 100% fossil-fuel free by 2050, aiming to become a hydrogen economy.

People swimming outside a geothermal plant in Iceland

For a long time now, Iceland has been running largely off hydropower and geothermal resources thanks to its many volcanoes and hot springs. These are completely renewable, greenhouse-gas-emissions-free resources. Thus far, a few of Reykjavík’s buses run on hydrogen and hopefully more will be joining them very soon.

Fabulous, dah-ling.

In fact, it is Iceland’s very renewable energy resources that many people hope will pull the country out of its sunken economy.  It is cheap and ridiculously convenient for Iceland to obtain all the green megawatts it needs from [yet untapped!] geothermal power sources within the ground. (Its other resource is its fishing industry, whose further tapping is not an appealing choice given the hydropower dams needed to extract additional quantities of fish from national waters.)

Already back in 2003, Reykjavík became the home of the very first Shell-branded hydrogen station. (It was built by Shell Hydrogen, a global business of the Royal Dutch/Shell Group of Companies.)

75% of the world’s energy is consumed by urban areas, so any cleansing choices in terms of energy sources, such as substituting pollutants for renewable, clean energy, is the absolutely 100% awesome way to go. Note: I don’t know how Iceland would fit in here, since 54% of the geothermal energy generated in 2006 was used for space heating and everywhere in Iceland is cold enough to require space heating!

So if you’re thinking about going somewhere spectacular on the cheap, consider Reykjavík! (Need some coaxing? Read this blog post.)

Let’s review.

Essentially, the “green cities movement” comprises loose groups of cities focused on becoming and remaining sustainable. Green cities, I joyfully report, are sprouting worldwide, albeit only in urban areas thus far.

Their point is, as I’m sure you’ve guessed already, to lessen their environmentally destructive impact. Green cities do this by reducing their waste, recycling it, and reusing materials. Their goals are lowering emissions and increasing housing density, green spaces, and sustainable local businesses.

Remember Gothenburg’s ecotopia?  Same concepts, although Gothenburg’s are more evolved.

Examples

Curitiba

I was surprised to learn that a typical green city is located in Brazil: Curitiba. This city went green back in the 1970s!

Curitiba has a high-tech bus system and has worked to increase population density around transit hubs, enabling other areas to become green, open land instead of stimulating urban sprawl.  I’m not sure why this city counts as green when it has such a long way to go, but if it’s the best Brazil’s got right now, I’ll take it. It’s got a lot more than many cities can boast, after all.

And remember Iceland? Reykjavik relies on geothermal and hydropower for heating and generating most of its electricity. This city has the largest geothermal heating system in the world. In fact, it was ranked 1^st in Grist Magazine’s “15 Greenest Cities” list. On the other hand, it’s got large scale urban sprawl and one of the highest worldwide per-capita ownerships. Public transport consists of an unpopular hydrogen-powered bus system.

Rekyjavik

We should note that Reykjavik plans to go fossil fuel-free by 2050, though. Cheers to that.

Other green cities include Sydney, Copenhagen, Portland, and Seattle. More on that coming up.

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.