I'm
in hot water, with mud on my face.
Figuratively, such a combination would be
a disgrace. But on this occasion, I'm literally
sitting in a hot mineral stew at the Blue
Lagoon, a famous Icelandic spa, smeared
in a white silica mud mask.
In the distance, smokestacks
of the Svartsengi power plant, the source
of my spa treatment, blow plumes of steam
into the cold October wind.
The water is a byproduct
of the geothermal power plant. After pumping
lava-heated groundwater from 2 km below
the surface, steam is used to generate electricity
and the hot water to heat local homes.
Six million litres of
the excess runoff, or geothermal brine,
is then piped into the lagoon, a milky-blue
water rich in "biostuff" such
as minerals, silica and algae, and maintained
at a temperature of between 37C-39C.
The murky water feels
soft on the skin. It's been scientifically
proven to help treat psoriasis patients
and attracts visitors from around the world.
It's perhaps the most colourful example
of how Iceland has turned around in the
last 40 years to maximize its natural resources
and wean itself off oil.
Iceland gets 99% of
its electricity from renewable sources:
Kinetic energy from rivers and glaciers
is harnessed to generate hydropower, and
about 20% of the country is run on geothermal
energy. In the winter, geothermal systems
melt snow on sidewalks and driveways and
heat 90% of homes.
Water is so clean it's
piped straight into city taps without being
treated or chlorinated. A pollution-free
environment is said to be one of the reasons
why life expectancy on the island of 300,000
is among the highest in the world and, it's
said, to turn out some of the best looking
women in the world.
The country straddles
the mid-Atlantic ridge where the European
and American continental plates meet. Volcanic
systems and deep, porous lava rocks have
carved out a country dotted with more than
800 natural hot springs. In the last few
decades the country has started to tap into
their renewable energy potential.
Albert Albertsson prefers
to call the Svartsengi power plant a "resource
park" because it delivers several revenue
streams. Geothermal energy provides 17,000
people with hot water for heating, 45,000
residents with their electricity needs,
and 400,000 yearly visitors with a spa experience.
"We holistically
look at every available resource we have,"
he says. "In essence ... we do our
utmost not to waste energy."
Iceland is now in an
international race to become the first carbon-neutral
country in the world. New Zealand, Norway
and Costa Rica have also thrown their hats
into the ring as participants of the Climate
Neutral Network, a UN Environment Programme
initiative. The government has also set
a goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions
by 50%- 75% from 11000 levels by 2050.
But the global economic
crisis has hit this small Nordic country
hard. I arrive with a group of journalists
the day after the government takes control
of the major banks to ward off national
bankruptcy.
Despite the economic
crisis, the country's president -- an elected
head of state -- hasn't canceled our scheduled
meeting and graciously receives us in his
official residence with flutes of champagne
and dainty macaroons.
We don't know then that
days after our meeting, President Olafur
Ragnar Grimsson would be hospitalized after
undergoing coronary angioplasty.
Of the financial crisis
and environmental interests, we ask him
if the twain can ever meet.
"The economy is
more closely linked to the environment than
ever before," he said.
"Those who think
they can delay the problem are being shortsighted.
They are perhaps relics of debates from
years ago, of whether (climate change) was
really happening," he says. "It
seems now the only disagreement in the scientific
community is how much time we've got."
Some of the country's
biggest challenges in achieving its targets
will be to convert its fishing fleets and
change driver behaviour, which still depend
on imported fossil fuels. Ironically, despite
its renewable energy record, Iceland has
a love affair with gas-guzzling SUVs.
Meanwhile, engineers
are musing about what kind of energy potential
lies even deeper under the earth in the
Iceland Deep Drilling Project. Currently,
typical geothermal wells range up to 2.5
km deep and produce steam at about 300 C.
But it's estimated that drilling boreholes
as deep as 5 km would reach temperatures
of 400 C to 600 C and could be enough to
generate 10 times the current output.
"We have easy access
to heat sources," Grimsson said. "In
the days of global warming and climate change,
I am of the opinion we have to go after
this clean energy inside the middle of the
Earth as well as sun energy."
By VIVIAN SONG
+ More
First UN-backed 'Caring
for Climate' meeting ends in Geneva
United Nations officials
and business representatives from across
the world met in Geneva from 20-21 October
for the first UN-backed "Caring for
Climate" gathering. The meeting, which
also brought together civil society organizations
and government representatives, discussed
business solutions to the problem of global
warming and ways to speed up action on climate
change.
It was the first gathering
of signatories to the "Caring for Climate"
scheme, jointly launched last year by the
UN Global Compact, the UN Environment Programme
(UNEP) and the World Business Council for
Sustainable Development (WBCSD).
Chief Executive Officers
of more than 150 companies – including 30
from the Fortune Global 500 – signed on
to the initiative at the time of its launch.
Nearly 300 businesses, covering 30 industry
sectors in 48 countries, including emerging
and developing economies, have since signed
on.
"Caring for Climate"
seeks to advance practical solutions and
help shape public policy as well as public
attitudes on climate change.
"Climate
change will undoubtedly reshape the business
landscape as we know it," said Georg
Kell, Executive Director of the United Nations
Global Compact. "Whether or not companies
take early action on climate change is crucial."
The Geneva meeting aimed
to create a shared path in support of an
effective successor pact to the Kyoto Protocol,
whose first commitment period ends in 2012.
It also sets the stage for a World Business
Summit on Climate Change, to be convened
in Copenhagen in May next year.
During a series of plenary
sessions and interactive workshops, participants
discussed best practices and policy outlines
with regard to climate change; investments
and technologies; as well as emerging climate
leadership in developing nations.
"Recent weeks of
financial turmoil are a reminder of fundamental
decisions that need to be taken about how
we run our economies and business with longer
term climate change impacts in mind,"
said Achim Steiner, Under-Secretary-General
and Executive Director of UNEP.
USG Steiner noted that
"Caring for Climate" participants
are showing hope for the future, taking
action in all regions and addressing climate
change in a strategic manner.
