Iceland – Integrating Iceland – Integrating Technology, Needs, and Technology, Needs, and

Responsibility For Sustainable Responsibility For Sustainable LivingLiving

Amish & JenAmish & Jen

Dedicated to Team DaedalianDedicated to Team Daedalian

And 1 car 1And 1 car 1

Overview of Topics:Overview of Topics:

Iceland’s IdentityIceland’s IdentityIndustriesIndustriesLand DevelopmentLand DevelopmentIceland’s ResourcesIceland’s ResourcesBiota – plants, animals, and fishBiota – plants, animals, and fishImage – tourism and the economyImage – tourism and the economyThe Government and Energy PlanThe Government and Energy PlanPollutionPollutionIceland – Today and TomorrowIceland – Today and Tomorrow

Iceland’s Identity:Iceland’s Identity:

Energy IndependenceEnergy Independence

International acceptance of venture International acceptance of venture – Money Money – InfrastructureInfrastructure

Ministry of the EnvironmentMinistry of the Environment

TradeoffsTradeoffs– Power PlantsPower Plants

IndustryIndustry

FishingFishingNatural ResourcesNatural ResourcesLandLand

Encourage Business Encourage Business InvestmentInvestment

BesidesBesides

Aluminum SmeltingAluminum Smelting

FerrosiliconFerrosilicon

Renewable EnergyRenewable Energy

Software, BiotechSoftware, Biotech

Land DevelopmentLand Development

Birth to death ratio ~ 2+Birth to death ratio ~ 2+

Alcoa and the EastAlcoa and the East

Job Creation Job Creation

Maintain clean imageMaintain clean image

Iceland’s Resources:Iceland’s Resources:

Iceland is a geologically young land massIceland is a geologically young land mass– 2 million years old. 2 million years old. – Lacks conventional resourcesLacks conventional resources

Oil issuesOil issues– 90% of citizens live on the coast90% of citizens live on the coast– High monetary costHigh monetary cost– Economic fishing zoneEconomic fishing zone

Abandoning oil Abandoning oil

Iceland’s Past:Iceland’s Past:

Clean and UntouchedClean and Untouched– Current reputation that transcends all sectorsCurrent reputation that transcends all sectors

Dirty PastDirty Past– Answered to “The Man” at one timeAnswered to “The Man” at one time

Willingness to changeWillingness to change– Vulnerability Vulnerability

BiotaBiota

Destructive pastDestructive past– Birch ForestsBirch Forests– WetlandsWetlands– Red listedRed listed

51 / 458 vascular plants types51 / 458 vascular plants types

32 / 75 birds types32 / 75 birds types

Mammals Mammals

Arctic FoxArctic Fox

American MinkAmerican Mink

Water Rail (mink and wetland draining)Water Rail (mink and wetland draining)

FishFish

Most important resourceMost important resource

““For the fish”For the fish”

LandLand

Land pollution affects marine environmentLand pollution affects marine environment

Untouched to save what remainsUntouched to save what remains

Rewetting the “Dry lands”Rewetting the “Dry lands”

National Parks , pride, and aluminumNational Parks , pride, and aluminum

Iceland’s Image: Iceland’s Image:

TourismTourism– Clean and unspoiledClean and unspoiled– OutnumberingOutnumbering

FishingFishing– Before geothermal there was fishing…Before geothermal there was fishing…

VALUABLE RESOURCEVALUABLE RESOURCE

– 70% of exported goods70% of exported goods– Stringent regulations Stringent regulations

Cod, haddock, saithe, redfish, herring, and capelin. Cod, haddock, saithe, redfish, herring, and capelin.

Iceland’s Image:Iceland’s Image:

High Standard of LivingHigh Standard of Living– Decoupling of economics and environmental Decoupling of economics and environmental

degradationdegradation– Virtually no povertyVirtually no poverty

Street InterviewsStreet Interviews– Government Agencies Government Agencies – CitizensCitizens

Willingness to pay! Can you believe it?Willingness to pay! Can you believe it?

Iceland’s Image:Iceland’s Image:

The Blue LagoonThe Blue Lagoon– ““Hottest” tourist attractionHottest” tourist attraction– Geothermal power plant affluentGeothermal power plant affluent

Compare to U.S.A.Compare to U.S.A.

– Not in the master planNot in the master planProfits in the end.Profits in the end.

Government:Government:

Not of U.S. traditionNot of U.S. tradition

Althingi – 930. Althingi – 930. – ThingvellirThingvellir

Mid Atlantic RidgeMid Atlantic Ridge

1944 – Republic of Iceland1944 – Republic of Iceland– Dissolved relations with the Danish Monarchy Dissolved relations with the Danish Monarchy

Government – fishing rights:Government – fishing rights:

TransitionsTransitions– Trade monopolies, natural disasters, and Trade monopolies, natural disasters, and

pollutionpollution

19521952– Extent of fishing rights were 4 miles off the Extent of fishing rights were 4 miles off the

coast coast

TodayToday– 200 miles off the coast 200 miles off the coast

Government:Government:

Still not a part of the European UnionStill not a part of the European Union– Fishing right impingement fearsFishing right impingement fears

Part of the European Economic AreaPart of the European Economic Area– Allowed to trade and sell in the European Allowed to trade and sell in the European

arenaarena

Energy Plan:Energy Plan:

Government regulates the energy industryGovernment regulates the energy industry

90% of heat90% of heat– Thorsteinn JonssonThorsteinn Jonsson

Clean and Price CompetitiveClean and Price Competitive– 5-6 Kronas 1 Krona= .01318 USD5-6 Kronas 1 Krona= .01318 USD– Equivalent to 6.6 to 7.8 cents per kWhEquivalent to 6.6 to 7.8 cents per kWh– U.S. pays 4 to 9.5 cents U.S. pays 4 to 9.5 cents

ISO 14000ISO 14000

Energy Plan:Energy Plan:

Hydrogen Economy is coming!Hydrogen Economy is coming!– 15, 470 barrels of oil15, 470 barrels of oil– TimeTime– InfrastructureInfrastructure– EmbracingEmbracing

Transition in recent memoryTransition in recent memory

Environmental Plans:Environmental Plans:

Reykjavik Conference on Responsible Reykjavik Conference on Responsible Fisheries in the Marine EcosystemFisheries in the Marine Ecosystem

United Nations Convention on the Law of United Nations Convention on the Law of the Seasthe Seas

United Nations Global Program of ActionUnited Nations Global Program of Action

PollutionPollution

Marine pollution comes from the landMarine pollution comes from the land– Sewage Sewage Low commitment Low commitment

– Persistent Organic Pollutants ***Persistent Organic Pollutants ***PCB, DDT, HCHPCB, DDT, HCH

Industry, agricultureIndustry, agriculture

Stockholm Convention, PCB, dioxinsStockholm Convention, PCB, dioxins

PollutionPollution

Heavy MetalsHeavy Metals– Pb, Cd, Cu, ZnPb, Cd, Cu, Zn– Cod, musselsCod, mussels

Radioactive SubstancesRadioactive Substances– TestingTesting– Sellafield nuclear reprocessing Sellafield nuclear reprocessing – ChernobylChernobyl– MedicineMedicine

PollutionPollution

OilOil– UnreportedUnreported– Utilize renewable EnergyUtilize renewable Energy

Hydrogen EconomyHydrogen Economy

Transportation ~ 80% oilTransportation ~ 80% oil

Icelandic Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Co.Icelandic Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Co.– 3 buses …….. 803 buses …….. 80

HH22 generation generation Electricity can supply Electricity can supply

22% needs 22% needs

Plenty of room to expandPlenty of room to expand

Hydrogen EconomyHydrogen Economy

Cleaner imageCleaner image

Small population + lots of carsSmall population + lots of cars

Lower Greenhouse emissionsLower Greenhouse emissions

1 Hydrogen 1

1 Car 1

Iceland Today and Tomorrow:Iceland Today and Tomorrow:

Taking away subsidiesTaking away subsidies

Kyoto ProtocolKyoto Protocol– Eliminate transportation emissionsEliminate transportation emissions

U.N. Convention on Bio-DiversityU.N. Convention on Bio-Diversity– BIOICEBIOICE

OECDOECD– Sustainable developmentSustainable development

Iceland Today and Tomorrow:Iceland Today and Tomorrow:

Geothermal Training ProgramGeothermal Training Program

Leader in environmental conservation Leader in environmental conservation

Is Iceland ahead of its time, or is the rest Is Iceland ahead of its time, or is the rest of the world just really behind? of the world just really behind?