Photos by Ólafur Már Sigurðsson

Tourism, it need hardly be pointed out, is big business in Iceland, an industry which in the years following the crash has ballooned, with more than double the country’s population visiting last year. But while making it into the New York Times would normally be good news for Iceland’s economy, a recent entry about Iceland’s highlands on the publication’s “52 Places to Visit in 2014” list was less than ideal from a publicity standpoint.

The paragraph-long blurb did mention the area’s unique landscape, but its key takeaway was that the “famously raw natural beauty” of the highlands—and more specifically, the Þjórsárver wetlands located in the interior—may not be enjoyable by anyone, let alone tourists, for much longer. As reads the article’s subtitle: “Natural wonders are in danger. Go see them before it’s too late.”

The suggested threat facing the integrity of Þjórsárver? Not impending volcanic eruptions or natural deterioration. Rather, the article stated that the Icelandic government recently “announced plans to revoke those protections” which had been safeguarding the wetlands, and additionally, that “a law intending to further repeal conservation efforts has been put forward.”

The “52 Places” article was widely quoted within the Icelandic media. Within days of its publication, the Ministry for the Environment and Natural Resources issued a brief statement in Icelandic bearing the title “Incorrect Reporting by the New York Times.” It claimed that the New York Times article was “full of misrepresentations” and was “paradoxical and wrong.” The author of the article, contributing travel writer Danielle Pergament, was not contacted in regard to any “misrepresentations,” and neither was the New York Times—although the latter was invited to send a reporter to an open Environment and Communications Committee meeting on Þjórsárver a few days after the article’s publication.

So what exactly caused all the kerfuffle? Did The New York Times get it all wrong?

A Contentious History

Before we address the “incorrect reporting” alleged by the Ministry of the Environment, it will be useful to step back and explain a little of the context surrounding the Þjórsárver Wetlands and the battles which have been waged over this area since the 1960s.

Located in Iceland’s interior, the Þjórsárver wetlands stretch 120 square kilometres from the Hofsjökull glacier in the northern highlands to surrounding volcanic deserts and are characterized by remarkable biodiversity. A description on the World Wildlife Fund website points not only to the variance of the landscape itself—“tundra meadows intersected with numerous glacial and spring-fed streams, a large number of pools, ponds, lakes and marshes, and rare permafrost mounds”—but also to the area’s unique plant and birdlife, including one of the largest breeding colonies of Pink-footed Geese in the world.

Þjórsárver is fed by Iceland’s longest river, Þjórsá, which also sources much of the country’s electricity. Since the early 1960s, Landsvirkjun, the National Power Company of Iceland, has proposed several plans for creating a reservoir on Þjórsá that would facilitate increased energy production and enlarge energy reserves. Such reserves would not only be useful for existing industries, such as aluminium smelting, but—following the proposed creation of a submarine cable to Europe—could also be sold as part of foreign energy contracts as early as 2020.

Through the years, Landsvirkjun’s proposals have been met with frequent opposition, which in 1981 led to a nature preserve being created in the Þjórsárver wetlands. However, a provision was made within these protections, allowing Landsvirkjun to create a future reservoir, provided that the company could prove that the wetlands would not be irrevocably harmed, and that the Environment Agency of Iceland approved the reservoir plans.

By the late ‘90s, there was another flurry of activity: in 1997, the Iceland Nature Conservation Association (INCA) was founded with the “primary objective” of “establish[ing] a national park in the highlands.” Two years later, the government began work on an extensive “Master Plan for Hydro and Geothermal Energy Resources.” Divided into two phases that spanned from 1999 -2010, the Master Plan was intended to evaluate close to 60 hydro and geothermal development options, assessing them for environmental impact, employment and regional development possibilities, efficiency, and profitability.

Over the course of the Master Plan’s two phases, it was decided that the nature preserve established in the Þjórsárver Wetlands was to be expanded and designated as a “protected area.” The new boundaries were to be signed into regulation based on the Nature Conservation Act in June 2013 (the resolution was passed by parliament that year according to the Master Plan), until the Minister of the Environment, Sigurður Ingi Jóhannsson, elected to postpone making them official in order to consider a new reservoir proposal from Landsvirkjun.

Based on this new proposal, Sigurður Ingi has drawn up new boundaries for the protected area, which would expand the original nature reservoir, but cover less area than the original boundaries created by the Environment Agency of Iceland. The new suggested boundaries do not extend as far down the Þjórsá river, and therefore would allow Landsvirkjun to build their Norðlingalda Reservoir. Conservationists who oppose this point out that the three-tiered Dynkur waterfall will be destroyed if Landsvirkjun’s reservoir plans go through.

Parsing Facts

This brings us back the alleged “misrepresentations” in the New York Times write-up. Best to go through the Ministry of the Environment’s statement and address their qualms one by one:

“The article in question is full of misrepresentations about Þjórsárver preserve and the government’s intentions regarding its protection and utilisation. For instance, it states that Þjórsárver covers 40% of Iceland, while in fact, it only covers .5% of the country today.”

The first version of the article, since corrected, read as though the Þjórsárver wetlands constituted 40% of Iceland. In reality, it is the highlands that constitute 40% of Iceland’s landmass, and Þjórsárver is only part of this area. Following a call from Árni Finnsson, the chair of INCA who was quoted in the piece, this error was corrected.

“There are no plans to lift the protections currently in place. On the contrary, the Environment and Natural Resources Minister aims to expand the protected area and if that plan goes through, it’ll be an expansion of about 1,500 square kilometers, or about 1.5 % of the total area of Iceland.”

It is true that Minister of the Environment Sigurður Ingi Jóhannsson has not suggested that the current protections—namely, the preserve that was established in the ‘80s—be altered. Nevertheless, it is also misleading to suggest that he personally “aims to expand the protected area,” as the expansion plans were basically mandated by the findings of the Master Plan. Moreover, he elected not to approve the Environment Agency’s expanded boundaries, but rather to propose new boundaries which would create a smaller protected area than was intended.

So no, Sigurður Ingi is not cutting back on “current protections,” but that’s only because he refused to approve the protections that were supposed to be in place already.

“Therefore, it is clear that there will be a substantial expansion of the protected area under discussion. The New York Times asserting that protections on Þjórsárver will be lifted in order to enable hydroelectric power development is both paradoxical and wrong.”

What we’re seeing the Ministry of the Environment do here is a neat little bit of semantic parsing. The NYT article states that after spending decades protecting the wetlands, “the government announced plans to revoke protections, allowing for the construction of hydropower plants.” This is a carefully qualified statement, and might accurately refer to any of several ministerial initiatives, from Sigurður Ingi’s redrawing of the Þjórsárver protected area boundaries, to his recent proposal to repeal the law on nature conservation (60/2013). This law was approved by Alþingi and was set to go into effect on April 1, 2014. It included specific protections for natural phenomena, such as lava formations and wetlands. In November, Sigurður Ingi introduced a bill to repeal the nature conservation law, although this has yet to be voted on by parliament.

So, no, the New York Times article was not “paradoxical and wrong.” It was, unfortunately, quite correct.

A Land Beyond

Although debates over Þjórsárver and development proposals in the Icelandic highlands have been well covered and discussed in detail by the Icelandic media, conservation issues around this area have not, thus far, made many headlines internationally. So it is noteworthy that an outlet such as The New York Times chose to highlight these issues on a more prominent stage, especially given that Iceland’s breathtaking landscapes are often a driving force supporting its tourism industry. As Árni Finnsson wonders, “Who goes to Iceland to see power plants and power lines?”

While an over-saturation of tourists in fragile natural environments can pose its own, very real, threat to nature reserves and natural sites like Þjórsárver, tourism can still have a positive influence on conservation issues, such as, Árni recalls, when a greater interest in whale watching led to more effective challenges to Icelandic whaling. “It takes many millions to recover a loss of reputation,” says Árni Finnsson, speaking about Iceland’s image as a country whose nature is its biggest selling point. “It’s a huge resource, but it is so easy to destroy it.”

It was, in fact, specifically the threat of development that made this particular site stand out to Danielle Pergament. “I think people—over here [in the US] anyway—are well aware of the natural beauty in Iceland. But not many people know that the wetlands are under threat, that there is a chance that the famous landscape may be developed. I was shocked to learn about it myself. That is why I wanted to write about it.”

The question remains, however, if the attention drawn to Þjórsárver’s tenuous position will actually generate much new support. After all, in declining to publicly “correct” the New York Times, the Ministry effectively contained the debate to an Icelandic-speaking audience here in Iceland. And anyway, even if thousands of tourists become suddenly impassioned by the cause of the Icelandic wetlands, the area may remain inaccessible to many of them. “The Þjórsárver wetlands are like an El Dorado, a land beyond,” says Árni Finnsson. “They aren’t really suitable for tourism, or not for many tourists, at least. Maybe a few very keen, very well-trained hikers.”

At the end of the day, then, if the choice is made to protect Þjórsárver, it will have to be for less tangible reasons than the possible dollars generated by tourists, or international pressure. It has to come from within.

But first, let’s get the facts straight.

Originally published in Grapevine.is Feb. 10.

Read more:

Minister Of Environment Would Support Sacrificing Waterfalls For Reservoir

Proceeding With Caution (Svandís Svavarsdóttir, member of the Left Green Party, on the balance beween the nature’s value for the energy industry or tourism and its categorial value)

Peaceful Environmental Protest Following Arrest

Bjork will play a concert in protest at the Icelandic government’s proposed changes to conservation laws.

The Icelandic singer tops the bill at the event, which will take place on March 18 at the Harpa Concert Hall in Reykjavik, Iceland. Artists appearing include Lykke Li, Patti Smith, Mammút (pictured below), Highlands, Of Monsters And Men, Samaris and Retro Stefson.

The concert is organised in conjunction with the Iceland Nature Conservation Association (INCA), Landvernd, the Icelandic Environment Association and director Darren Aronofsky, whose film Noah was shot on location in Iceland in 2012 and will premiere at Sambíóin Egilshöll Cinema on the same afternoon.

Collectively operating under the name Stopp!, the group aims to encourage the Icelandic authorities to protect Iceland’s natural environment and impose controls on the damming of glacial rivers and harnessing of geothermal energy, in light of new legislation, reports RUV.

This project was introduced at a press conference at Harpa on the 3^rd of March 2014. Björk and Darren Aronofsky participated in the press conference.

The artists will donate their time and the net income will go to INCA and Landvernd.

The following statement lists the group’s demands:

Stop – Guard the Garden!

All over the world too much of priceless nature has been sacrificed for development, often falsely labeled as sustainable. Rain forests have been cut, waterfalls dammed, land eroded, lakes and oceans polluted, earth’s climate altered and the oceans are now rapidly getting more and more acidic.

In Iceland, the Karahnjukar Power Plant has become the symbol for the destruction which threatens human existence on this earth.

It is our duty to protect Icelandic nature and leave it to future generations, undamaged. The Icelandic highlands, Europe’s largest remaining wilderness – where nature is still largely untouched by man, is not just a refuge and treasure which we inherited and will inherit. The highlands belong to the world as a whole. Nowhere else can we find another Lake Myvatn, Thjorsarver Wetlands, Sprengisandur, Skaftafell or Lake Langisjor.

We demand that Thjorsarver Wetlands, the wilderness west of Thjorsa River and the waterfalls downstream will be protected for all future to come. We strongly protest plans by the Minister for the Environment and Resources to change the demarcation line for the extended nature reserve in the Thjorsarver Wetlands. By doing so, the minister creates a space for a new dam at the outskirts of the area. The way in which the minister interprets the law in order to justify that all nature and/or potential power plants are at stake in each and every new phase of the Master Plan for Conservation and Utilization of Nature Areas is an attack on Icelandic nature and not likely to stand in a court of law. [We have engaged a law firm and we are threatening lawsuit if the Minister goes ahead with his plan]

We now have a unique opportunity to turn the highlands into a national park by bill of law to be adopted by the parliament. Thereby the highlands as a whole will be subject to one administrative unit and clearly defined geographically. Thus all plans for power lines, road construction and/or other man made structures which will fragment valuable landscapes of the highlands will belong to history.

We strongly caution against any plans to construct a geothermal power plant at or near Lake Myvatn. The Bjarnarflag Power Plant is not worth the risk. Lake Myvatn is absolutely unique in this world. Hence, we have a great responsibility for its protection.

We demand that the nature of Reykjanes Peninsula will be protected by establishing a volcanic national park and that all power lines will be put underground.

We find it urgent that the government will secure funds for conservation by hiring land wardens and will protect valuable nature areas against the ever growing pressure of mass tourism.

In particular we protest against the attack on nature conservationists, where unprecedented (sic. S.I. editor) and brutal conduct by the police as well as charges pressed against those who want to protect the Galgahraun Lava, was cruel and unnecessary. We remind that the right of the public to protest nature damage everywhere, worldwide, is a basic premise for the success of securing future human existence on this earth.

We demand that the proposed bill of law repealing the new nature protection laws be withdrawn and that the new laws should take effect, as stipulated, on April 1.

By Julia Vol

Links:
http://grapevine.is/Home/ReadArticle/Minister-Of-Environment-Wont-Sign-O…
http://heartoficeland.org/
http://grapevine.is/Home/ReadArticle/Environmental-Minister-To-Change-Pr…
http://grapevine.is/Home/ReadArticle/Minister-Of-Environment-Would-Suppo…
http://thepalebluedot.me/2013/10/21/passion-for-lava/
http://grapevine.is/Home/ReadArticle/Ministers-Dad-And-Uncles-Profit-Fro…
http://visir.is/myndband-af-handtoku-omars-ragnarssonar/article/20131310…
http://grapevine.is/News/ReadArticle/Charges-Filed-Against-Galgahraun-Pr…
http://grapevine.is/Author/ReadArticle/27-Increase-In-Tourism-This-Year
http://grapevine.is/Author/ReadArticle/Travellers-Take-Their-Toll-On-Tou…
http://grapevine.is/Home/ReadArticle/Hotels-Motels-Holiday-Inns
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/01/10/travel/2014-places-to-go.html
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/jun/19/iceland-fin-whale-hun…
http://grapevine.is/Home/ReadArticle/City-Hall-Wants-Answers-On-Whale-Wa…
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/jan/08/icelandic-whale-beer-…
http://grapevine.is/Features/ReadArticle/A-Look-In-The–Rearview-Mirror-

First published in Grapevine. Based on a 2010 article entitled “Í landi hinna klikkuðu karlmanna.” (“In the Land of the Mad Men”). Translated in part by Haukur S. Magnússon.

After the election, we see the old parties of economic mass destruction are coming back to power. Giving enormous promises of easy money to be wrestled from evil vulture funds, debt relief and tax reduction, The Progressive Party doubled in size after a few years of hardship. There is a jolly good feeling between the two young new leaders of a brave new Iceland, and when a radio host called them up and offered to play them a request, they asked for Duran Duran’s ‘Wild Boys.’ I Googled the lyrics, not quite remembering the lines, and got a nice chill down my back:

Wild boys fallen far from glory
Reckless and so hungered
On the razors edge you trail
Because there’s murder by the roadside
In a sore afraid new world

They tried to break us,
Looks like they’ll try again

Sounds quite grim. This, coupled with the new government’s announcement that it would be effectively dismantling the Ministry for the Environment and Natural Resources and that there will be no Minister for the Environment, gave me a strange flashback feeling. I decided to revisit the state of mind that we used to call normal in 2006. When the economic policy, the energy policy, the expansion of our towns, the mortgages on our homes—almost all aspects of our daily life had become totally mad. This is not my own diagnosis; if you search the homepage of the IMF for the phrase “Collective Madness,” you’ll find this:

“’Iceland, in the decade and a half leading up to the crisis, was an example of collective madness,’ said Willem Buiter, chief economist at Citigroup, a remark that elicited spontaneous applause from the more than 300 participants, many of them Icelandic policymakers, academics, and members of the public.”

In our daily lives, we usually sense what is normal and what is over the top. Sometimes the discourse will blind us; PR and propaganda can create a kind of newspeak. It can be a good exercise to try to talk about things in a foreign language, to view them in a new light. As an Icelander, you could for instance try to tell someone from another country that Iceland’s government sold one state bank and received payment in the form of a loan from another state bank—and vice versa. That the state banks were thereby handed to men that were closely connected to the then-reigning political parties. The manager of one of the parties became head of one of the banks’ board of directors, while the other party’s former Minister of Trade belonged to the group that was given the other bank. That man had access to every bit of inside information about the bank’s standing.

In the meantime, this former Minister of Trade became Central Bank Manager. He went to the US and made Alcoa an offer that the company could not refuse. He had thus set in motion the largest-scale construction project in Icelandic history, greatly increasing economic activity in Iceland—a grand boon for the bank he just finished selling to himself.

If you tell this story in a foreign language, people shake their heads. They gape in disbelief. They use words like “corruption” and “mafia.” They exclaim, full of disbelief and even disappointment, “no, not in Scandinavia!”

THE ACCEPTED INSANITY

It is insane to expand a banking system by tenfold in eight years. We know that now. It isn’t technically possible to grow all the knowledge and experience needed to build up and manage such a contraption in such a short time. Not even by shoving an entire generation through business school. It is impossible.

But the megalomania was not just confined to the banking sector. Energy production in Iceland was doubled from 2002–2007, when the huge Kárahnjúkar dam was built in the eastern part of the highlands—to serve one single Alcoa smelting plant. The energy it produces, about 650MW annually, is enough to power a city of one million people. Doubling the energy production in a developed country over a five-year period is not only unheard of, but it would also be considered ridiculous in all of our neighbouring nations. Most industrialised states increase their energy production by around 2–3% annually. Doubling it would be unthinkable. It has been proven again and again that gargantuan investments generally destroy more than they create.

In Iceland, however, the goal was to double the nation’s energy production AGAIN by building aluminium smelters in Helguvík, Húsavík and enlarging the Straumsvík smelter by more than threefold. The period of insanity was to be succeeded by a total and complete madness. This was to be funded by 4–5 billion dollar 100% loans to Icelandic energy companies from foreign banks. Nearly 20,000 dollars for every single Icelander—every loan directly connected to aluminium prices and secret energy prices. The media reported this as your everyday act of government job-creation. It was regarded extremist to ask critical questions. Many regarded it unthinkable for the survival of the nation NOT to do this.

Now we know that we did not only sacrifice our nature for the economy, we sacrificed nature and the economy. Again, we do not have to seek out the websites of activists or environmental groups for this information. We just go to the IMF reports:

“Executive Directors observed that the Icelandic economy is at a difficult turning point. The long economic expansion, initiated by aluminium sector investments, sustained by a boom in private consumption, and fuelled by ready access to external financing, contributed to a build-up of macroeconomic imbalances and financial vulnerabilities.”

COCAINE IN THE HOT WATER?

The madness made itself clear in the business of geothermal energy, making itself known in the form of financial troubles and enormous debt of the energy companies. The geothermal field had enjoyed an even and stable development since it got started in the early twentieth century. During the great depression, the City of Reykjavík created the world’s largest geothermal heating system by pumping hot ground water into the homes in the city. Later they started producing a small amount of electricity by harnessing steam through turbines. But one day it seemed as if someone drilled into a cocaine vein. Out of the twenty high temperature geothermal areas in Iceland, plans suddenly emerged to harness sixteen right away, all for the sake of the aluminium industry. The energy companies applied for permits to do research drilling in most of the remaining ones. In an instant, the field went from a very slow, conservative development to becoming a geothermal wild west.

In the south, a major development of all the geothermal areas from the Reykjanes Peninsula to Þingvellir was planned—a chain of power plants in pristine and delicate areas—to serve a Century Aluminium smelter in Helguvík. But the geothermal plants would not have sufficed—the remaining power would be squeezed from hydro electricity in the Þjórsá river—potentially threatening the greatest stock of North Atlantic Salmon in Iceland—and up in the highlands—threatening the Pink-footed Geese of Þjórsárver.

So what was referred to as “moderate development” when the parties of The Wild Boys were last in charge of our energy sector? Their plans went like this: A new Alcoa smelter in the east, a new Alcoa smelter in Húsavík, a new Rio Tinto Straumsvík smelter beside the old one, an expansion of the Century smelter in Hvalfjörður and a new Century smelter in Helguvík. Amounting to a total of 1.4 million tons of aluminium. Each one of them needing energy that could serve one million people in their daily lives. Each one of them demanding sacrifice of great natural wonders, wild rivers and pristine geothermal areas.

How did they fare? The Alcoa Smelter in the East has been built, with the destruction of two glacial rivers, Lagarfljót and 50 km2 of highland beauty. The expansion of the Rio Tinto smelter was stopped and the Húsavík smelter did not go through, however, a skeleton of the Helguvík smelter is currently rising—with no power in sight.

The Alcoa smelter in the north would have required all the harnessable power in the northern part of Iceland, only excluding Jökulsá á Fjöllum. Close to Mývatn, we have the Krafla geothermal area. After a long and often struggling forty-year development period, the available power from the area reached about 60 MW. Now, the goal was suddenly to quadruple the area’s energy production—expanding it by 150 MW in just a few years, and harnessing the beautiful Þeistareykir area to its utmost capacity—up to 200 MW. They also had their eyes set on Bjarnarflag and Gjástykki, delicate areas that should be regarded as national heritage sites. All this was to serve a new Alcoa factory they wanted to build close to Húsavík, the famous whale watching and fishing village in North Iceland. Having done all that, however, the energy production would still not reach the 600 MW that Alcoa really needed—the harnessing of two more glacial rivers would have been necessary: Skjálfandafljót with the waterfall Aldeyjarfoss and the glacial rivers running from Hofsjökull.

The interesting thing is not how crazy this seems in hindsight, how extreme, how mad this reality was — but that outsiders did not see this plan as collective madness. The scheme was praised in international media as being a progressive plan for “clean” energy, and we still have members of parliament that regret that this did not happen. And the fact that our labour unions and politicians have referred to this when they say that “nothing is happening” in terms of business and job creation in Iceland. Or that they refer to this when they say “we have still only harnessed X% of our energy.” They are talking about this as a normal feasible future state of Iceland.

Why are people so crazy? Is it or was it a good idea to indebt the nation by a total of 5 billion dollars to place two Alcoa smelting plants in the same constituency? To surround the Faxaflói bay, where 70% of Iceland’s population resides, with three smelters? The answer is simple: The mad men still think so. One of the new Independence Party MPs, Brynjar Níelsson, has no regrets for the death of the river Lagarfljót in service of Alcoa. He said it was apparent that protectionists loved a few fish more than they did people.

But you can still ask like a fool: Did Iceland really have enough accumulated knowledge and manpower to multiply all our energy companies in the space of ten years? Was there never a doubt in the geologist’s mind when he found himself in a magical place such as the Torfajökull area above Landmannalaugar, Kerlingarfjöll or the steam areas around Reykjavík? Did they really want to do drill, pipe and harness EVERYTHING, right away? And do it all for the sake of a single industry—the aluminium industry. Did it have to be the role of a marginalised group of a few activists to use their spare time to criticise this?

OF “REYKJAVÍK” KNOWLEDGE

I was once at a meeting in Húsavík, where I screened my film, ‘Dreamland.’ At that meeting, the local geothermal plant manager claimed he could easily harness 1,000 MW out of geothermal areas north of Mývatn. I asked if it wasn’t correct that scientists are concerned about overexploitation of the country’s geothermal areas. The scientists’ criticisms were quickly blown off the table as “Reykjavík knowledge,” and in that instant every alarm bell went off.

Now we understand that power is not as plenty as the hype promised, and now most Icelanders understand that energy production on the banks of Lake Mývatn in Bjarnarflag might just jeopardise the ecosystem in that wonderful lake. But you wonder if the people developing our most delicate areas possess good enough judgement to work close to natural wonders. It seems like they are ready to take the risk, to see what happens.

I found an interview with the aforementioned plant manager from 2002. At that time, he had drilled a big hole for 170 million ISK because a Russian company potentially wanted to build an aluminium oxide factory and a giant aluminium plant in Húsavík.

If one sets aside minor ethical facts, such as the Russian aluminium industry being run by the mafia at that time, one is still left to ponder the fact that almost no industry in the world produces as much and as toxic waste as aluminium oxide production (or alumina, as it is called). Those that followed the horrible events when a red slush toxic lake in Hungary broke should know what comes with an alumina refinery. But this local hard-working man had spent more than one and a half million dollars looking into the feasibility of such a plant in Húsavík. Things have been so good here that people think they are untouchable.

Even though the companies engage in malevolent practices in other countries, they would never do that here. Sure.

THE HOLY LOCAL

It seems that for some reason the most unbelievable hogwash gets promulgated without any critical thought. We enter a boom after boom and never learn from mistakes. We can look further back in history to see how madness is mixed up with ambition, how extreme and unrealistic views of the future are presented and taken seriously.

In an edition of Morgunblaðið from March 1987, one can read a prediction of the impending evolution of local fur farming until 1996. At that time, thirty fur farms were operated in Iceland. Morgunblaðið cites a report that predicts Iceland will foster 600 mink farms by 1996. They assume a twenty-fold growth in ten years, as if nothing were more natural. A month later, this optimistic story ran: “The mink stock will double this year.” Only three years later, in April of 1990, we find this dramatic headline in a copy of Morgunblaðið: “Fur farming: The industry is on its last legs. Many farmers on the edge of despair.”

In this country everything is considered normal if a “local” wants it. Nothing in Iceland is as crazy as the holy local is when he wants a smelter or an oil refinery, no matter how large or out of proportion. He has the sacred right to that, especially if he uses “job creation” as an argument. Numbers that would be considered sizeable in large nation’s economic statistics, energy resources and infrastructure that are earmarked by the world’s superpowers as being “strategically important” are subject to “the will of the locals.” The nation’s energy resources and nature are in the hands of a smattering of district councils that have no staff and no expertise while the majority of Icelanders that reside in the capital area seem by default “local” to nowhere.

So, the locals of the east destroyed their highlands, the locals of the south want to dam the wonders of the Skaftá area, the lower part of the Þjórsá river and the locals of the southwest are ready to harness almost every single geothermal area. And this seems to be a global problem—rural communities losing their youth and talents to the cities of the world are willing to sell off their forests, their mountains, their rivers and valleys for some hope of development and a future.

It is strange to see that one of the major driving forces behind this development resides within our labour leaders, who have been demanding extreme leverage and risk on behalf of public energy companies. If there should be a hesitation in the risk taking, the responsible parties are “dragging their feet.” The labour unions’ “stability agreement” with the former government entails that “every obstacle be removed” that somehow hinders the proposed Helguvík aluminium plant. It is exactly this kind of thinking that lead to almost 200 foreign workers being left disabled and unemployable as a result of working on building the Kárahnjúkar dam. Conditions of workers were severely compromised to make the dam construction process cheap enough. Every obstacle was removed to provide Alcoa with energy prices that save them 200 million USD annually. That amounts to the combined yearly wages of more than 10,000 teachers.

The noble cause of creating jobs becomes quite grim if it involves harming the work capacity of so many. The PR people talk about a ‘multiplication effect’ of every job in a smelter—but wouldn’t it be polite to subtract the disabled workers? People will go so far to satisfy their prince charming that they behave like the ugly stepsister in the fairy tale, cutting their toes off to fit the glass shoe.

HOUSE OF CARDS

The Helguvík aluminium smelter close to Keflavík Airport is a symbol of how poorly run Iceland can be; the Helguvík aluminium smelter is already being built, even though nobody knows where we can scramble together its required 600 MW of energy. The Helguvík smelter is a symbol of how weak the nation’s administration can be, of how shattered professionalism and long-term thinking can become, and how the media all but encourages unlawful activities in their headlines, if job creation is at stake. They started to build the smelter without access to power sources, and without the necessary power lines planned or agreed upon by landowners.

Why start building, then? Because in 2006, the Wild Boys were in power, showing their ambition and “competence” by signing long term sales agreements for cheap energy before the energy sites had been researched, planned or developed. Now Reykjavík Energy and HS Orka are bound by agreements that neither company wants to fulfil due to foreseeable losses from selling the energy below its production costs.

The sharks were very aware that they were taking advantage of a country with mad politicians in a rare period in our history. When they were willing to sell almost everything, anything, anywhere to anyone. In a remarkable investor report called: “Harnessing unlimited power and profit from the world’s most progressive energy program,” an analyst made this great comment:

“It works out great for Iceland, too. It is very cheap for Iceland to deliver power to Century. The Icelandic power companies will make extraordinary profits on that power if aluminium prices stay strong. And if aluminium prices weaken, Iceland is not biting the hand that feeds it.”

This is how politicians build an elaborate house of cards that combine risk, debt and commitment that collapses if only one of the cards falls. Thus, the hands of future city governments have been tied and an insane construction binge in important areas has been commenced, all to benefit one company that’s lacking most of the needed permits.

Could anyone recount the details of the Century Aluminium Helguvík Smelter project at an international conference without being booed off the stage as a fraud? At an aluminium conference, however, such a man would actually bring more lust than an exotic dancer.

Despite being in the hands of extreme capitalists, the labour movement has not called for professionalism or long-term thinking in energy affairs. It simply demands that “every obstacle be removed.” Get the trucks rolling immediately.

In 2006 we were in the middle of a revolution, but the Wild Boys did not call themselves “The Aluminium Revolutionary Front”—they defined themselves as the norm, even though their scale was insane. If they were criticised, they started thinking of themselves as persecuted. Warlords are always persecuted moderates when they’re merely conquering neighbouring nations in the name of peace.

THE CORE OF THE PROBLEM

Throughout the years, polls have shown that a large part of Icelandic males aged 40–70 have been in favour of the collective insanity seen in the energy policy of 2006. The biggest problem seems to be with male voters of The Independence Party, where a vast majority has even considered the most extreme energy policy as the sole basis for the continued survival of Icelanders. That explains the great emotional attachment they have to dams and smelters. To secure their survival, the majority of them wants to cut back on our environmental regulations, and they have no standards whatsoever on the ethical background of the corporations coming to Iceland.

Therein lies Iceland’s most serious political ill. If everything were normal, our males would be conservative, moderate, aversive to risk, frugal, orderly and even a bit boring. This is an important group of people in every society. It contains a lot of average household fathers; it contains pillars of society, company directors, influentials, MPs and even journalists and editors. These are men that have the power to define what is normal and what is abnormal and/or excessive.

OF RESPONSIBLE PUNKS AND SURREALISTS

It is harmful for communities when a critical mass of their important males starts adhering to revolutionary and completely reckless ideas, adopting a blind belief in them. This group is not fit for governing anything while the situation lasts, and it is therefore no coincidence that the city of Reykjavík is now governed by the punkers and surrealists of the Best Party. A moderate mixture of surrealism and punk rock is a down to Earth, conservative and responsible policy when compared to the delusions and anarchy of the crazed men. They have proved very moderate and responsible, and have now moved the policy of Reykjavík Energy, Reykjavík’s energy company, into a more sustainable and modest direction. And the Left Green Social Democrat government did the same with Landsvirkjun, the national energy company.

Those that are worst off in this group of mad men share a mutual admiration for Einar Benediktsson (1863-1945). The Icelandic National Myth is perhaps best embodied in the figure Einar Ben, our poet of progress. His most recent biography gives a good picture of the kind of man he was and the impulses that motivated his actions:

What drives Einar Benediktsson on to undertake this long journey […] is his unshakeable belief in his own abilities to be of use to his impoverished fatherland in countries abroad. His dream is to furnish the money that will transform Iceland into a modern country, with towns, factories, railways, roads, harbours and large-scale farms. He carries nothing with him except his belief in himself…

Einar Benediktsson had great dreams for the future of Iceland, replete with hydroelectric dams, factories and railways. While his generation on both sides of the Atlantic saw their dreams become a reality, and sometimes a nightmare, Einar was to be disappointed in all his great hopes and ambitions. Henry Ford was born a year before Einar Benediktsson, and Sam Eyde, the founder of Norway’s Norsk Hydro was born three years after him. But Iceland failed to industrialize in the way Einar envisaged. Whether Iceland was fortunate or unfortunate to have missed out on the Industrial Revolution is something we can argue over. But the failure of Einar’s dreams left an unfilled space in the Icelandic soul. Iceland’s wealth came from fishing, but Einar’s ideas still hovered in the air, leaving a sense of a task left unfulfilled—the unfinished Icelandic dream. The Americans could move on from Ford to Gates. The Icelanders were still lacking a Ford.

One of the first bubbles in Iceland happened when businesspeople travelled the country buying rights to harness waterfalls in the beginning of the 20th century. Einar Ben had the Norwegian engineer Sætersemoen draw up a row of power plants spanning the entirety of Þjórsá. The drawings of the proposed power plants look magnificent and enticing and would without doubt be considered among Iceland’s most beautiful buildings had they been constructed. But how realistic were the plans? They had planned for harnessing Þjórsá to produce 600–800 MW—in 1918, nota bene. This does not include the rest of the water rights these men had secured for themselves, including Dettifoss and Gullfoss. In comparison one could note that today, one hundred years later, the City of Reykjavík uses 200 MW—on Christmas Eve, with every electric appliance running at full steam.

What did Einar plan on doing with all this energy in 1918? Aluminium production was barely on the horizon as a feasible industry, and televisions and freezers were but distant dreams. What were they planning to do with all the power? Produce fertiliser? The Gufunes fertiliser plant used around 20 MW when it was running at its peak. Who was to use all the energy and pay for the series of power plants? The answer is likely simple: No one. No one in the world could have found use for this energy.

Of course Einar could easily have harnessed a small stream to light up a small village, maybe even a cowshed or two. But there is no glory in that. The act would not appease the deranged men’s need for conquest and magnitude. There’s much more spunk, gusto and vigour in lining all of Þjórsá with power plants, even if the energy produced is way beyond what the nation can use one hundred years later. To this day, a lot of people think that Iceland’s government at that time was backwards, afraid of foreigners and somehow prevented the founding of a great and profitable company and “foreign investment.” But it’s enough to look at the numbers to see that the whole thing was a sham.

It’s so weird to think that, ever since, a certain group of Icelandic males have harboured a strange sort of national grief. It’s as if Einar’s unrealistic ideas have been haunting later generations of Icelanders. Not as fantasy, but as real, attainable goals or lost opportunities: “The dreams of our turn of the century poets have finally come true.” Remarked former PM Geir Haarde as he signed a deal with Alcoa in 2002. Yes, finally, the nation was dragged into a century old illusion.

THE MAD MEN VS. THE WISE GIRLS

The mob seems tolerate nothing worse than young, educated women who that use words like “professional” or “process.” Even if aluminium production in Iceland has been tripled over the last ten years, a lot of the crazy guys think that Iceland’s economic problems stem first and foremost from a lack of aluminium smelters.

Supporters of a new Century Aluminium smelter in Helguvík spent millions in advertisements campaigning against departing Minister for the Environment Svandís Svavarsdóttir, who delayed the building process with demands of a sober overview of the energy demand and environmental impact. The blogosphere went wild when Left-Green MP Kolbrún Halldórsdóttir spoke up against deep-sea oil drilling in Icelandic waters. One sensed a lynch mob in the making as former-Minister for the Environment Þórunn Sveinbjarnardóttir met with locals in Húsavík advocating for a full environmental impact assessment for a new Alcoa smelter—the audience was only lacking the pitchforks. The decline of The Independence Party is very evident in the fact that Katrín Fjeldsted lost her seat in parliament. She is a well-educated, intelligent and logical doctor and the only party MP who questioned the insanity. Every obstacle shall be pushed out of the way.

Icelanders harvest 1% of the world’s fish. We receive more tourists per capita than most nations. Iceland has harnessed five times the amount of energy that the nation needs to function, and we currently operate three aluminium smelters. But we have ALREADY harnessed five times more energy than our neighbouring countries. We are already an energy superpower—if everything were normal, such an investment should yield a fair bit of profit to the nation, if we don’t blow the proceeds and resources in another round of debt. But the discourse is so crazy. People act as if “NOTHING IS PERMITTED” when the energy production is already five times more than the nation can consume. Of the energy we produce, 90% already goes to smelters.

We already have everything a modern society needs. We just need to tend to what we have already built, to reap some profit from the power plants we have already constructed and take better care of what we’re currently fishing. People get insecure when interest groups moan: “Who will support us in the future?!?” as if Iceland is a country without foundations. The fear that is purposely spread is resulting in Iceland acting like a man that demands radiotherapy, chemotherapy and surgery to fix his headache. The truth is that the treatment will never cure him—but it might kill him. He will in the best-case scenario grow addicted to the drugs.

THEY TRIED TO BREAK US…

We are a small community and we need peace and room to work. That Björk should need to take time off work to fight the insanity is just a small example of the disturbance that thousands of Icelanders suffer every day because of this crazy nonsense. Living here will become unbearable if something like the reckless policy from 2006 goes full speed again. It is maddening that we cannot seem to leave our most beautiful areas alone. We are a small community where co-dependency is the norm and people are polite.

The new leaders are young and nice guys; Sigmundur Davíð loves old buildings and has good ideas for city planning. But behind them is a crowd of mad men, “fallen far from glory, reckless and so hungered.” Were four years from power enough to sober up the mentality in terms of the energy policy? What will come out of the “rethinking” of the Energy Master Plan? Will we be strapped up into another rollercoaster, just to take another ride of boom and bust? “They tried to break us. Will they try again?”

The Energy Master Plan is a framework programme, meant to result in a long term agreement upon the exploitation and protection of Iceland’s glacial rivers and geothermal areas. Its making, which since 1999 has been in the hands of special steering committiees, established by the two above-mentioned ministries, reached a critical status in July this year when its second phase was finished and presented to the ministers who in mid August presented their proposition for a parliamentary resolution. Before it will be discussed in parliament the proposition will be open to comments and criticism from the public, as well as interested parties, energy and aluminium companies on the one hand, environmentalists on the other.

Twenty-Seven Energy Options Put on Hold

The proposition lists natural areas into three categories; protection, exploitation and hold. The last-mentioned includes areas that, according to the steering groups and ministers, have not undergone enough research for a decision to be made upon weather to protect or exploit them. Included in this category are, among other, the glacial rivers in fjord Skagafjörður as well as other rivers such as Skjálfandafljót, Hvítá, Hólmsá and Farið by lake Hagavatn in the south-west highlands. Also geothermal areas such as Trölladyngja and Austurengjar in Krýsuvík and certain areas around mount Hengill where the heavily indebted Reykjavík Energy (OR) already operates Hellisheiðarvirkjun, a sulphur polluting geothermal power plant. The 27 areas of the waiting category will be revised in five years, given that satisfactory studies have been made at that time.

Þjórsárver Wetlands to be Saved

Delightfully, the protection category features the uppermost part of river Þjórsá where Landsvirkjun wants to construct Norðlingaölduveita, a dam that would destroy the Ramsar listed Þjórsárver wetlands. River Jökulsá á Fjöllum, which has been seen as an energy potential for a new Alcoa aluminium smelter in Bakki, is also listed protected. The same applies for certain parts of river Tungná, in which Landsvirkjun is already building the Búðarháls dam that will provide energy for increased production in Rio Tinto Alcan’s aluminium smelter in Straumsvík.

The protection category also features geothermal areas such as the ones around Brennisteinsfjöll mountains on the Reykjanes peninsula, as well as Gjástykki, close to volcano Krafla and lake Mývatn. The same goes for the Grændalur valley and Bitra, which are located close to the small town of Hveragerði and have been particularily desirable in the eyes of energy companies. Bitra was saved by a local campaign in 2008 whereas Grændalur was recently threatened when Iceland’s National Energy Authority allowed a company called RARIK to operate test drilling in the valley, in complete contravention of previous rulings by the Ministries of Industry and of Environment.

Krýsuvík, Þeistareykir and Þjórsá to be Destroyed

The exploitation list features geothermal areas Þeystareykir, Bjarnarflag and Krafla in the north of Iceland, as well as Hágöngur in the mid-highlands west to glacier Vatnajökull. Also certain parts of the area around mount Hengill and finally geothermal spots in Reykjanes, Krýsuvík and Svartsengi, all three on the Reykjanes peninsula. Rivers Hvalá, Blanda and Köldukvísl are then all categorised as exploitable. And most critically the Energy Master Plan proposition allows for Landsvirkjun’s construction of three dams in the lower part of river Þjórsá.

Environmentalists Threefold Response

The most common response from environmentalist so far has been threefold. Firstly there generally satisfied by the protection of areas such as the Gjástykki, Jökulsá á Fjöllum and Grændalur, let alone the Þjórsárver wetlands. Shortly after the publication’s release, Iceland Nature Conservation Association (INCA) stated that, if approved by parliament, the Master Plan will mark the end of environmentalists’ forty years long struggle to save Þjórsárver from destruction. Though listed by the international Ramsar Convention on Wetlands due to its unique ecosystem, the wetlands have been on Landsvirkjun’s drawing table as a potential for construct a large reservoir, meant to produce energy for a planned expansion of Rio Tinto Alcan’s aluminium smelter in Hafnarfjörður, which was later thrown off in a local referendum. The plan has always been met with fierce opposition, no matter of Landsvirkjun’s repeated attempts to get it through by proposing a smaller dam and reservoir.

Secondly environmentalists are critical of the fact how many invaluable areas, such river Skjálfandafljót, are kept on hold instead of simply been categorised protected. Thirdly there is a clear opposition to the planned exploitation of certain wonders of nature, one example being the geothermal areas on the Reykjanes peninsula. Ellert Grétarsson, a photographer who has documented these areas extensively (his photos are here aside), fears that the drilling in Krýsuvík – covering between five and eight thousand square meters of land – will simply kill the area. And as a matter, says Ellert, the whole Reykjanes peninsula will be riddled with energy construction. Hjörleifur Guttormsson, former Left Green MP and a genuine environmentalists, shares Ellert’s worries and has asked for an integral study of Reykjanes before any decisions are made.

Þjórsá, the Bone of Contention

As as mentioned before the biggest concern regards Þjórsá, which has for a long time been the bone of contention between the two clashing arrays fighting for or against nature conservation. The struggle over Þjórsá has been especially tough, actually to such an extent that the government can be reputed to stand or fall with that conflict in particular. Guðfríður Lilja Grétarsdóttir, MP for the Left Greens, demonstrated, during parliamentary debate last April, her full opposition to the construction of dams in Þjórsá. At that point, three Left Green MPs, who up until then had been increasingly critical of the government and its lack of left-leaning policies, had just recently departed from the party, leaving the government with only one person’s majority in parliament. And as most members of the social-democratic People’s Alliance (Samfylkingin), which makes up the government along with the Left Greens, have not shown a sign of objection to the damming of Þjórsá, it wouldn’t be surprising if the river will be up for a heavy debate in parliament.

In fact it is more than sure that Þjórsá will be among the main matters of argument in parliament. The right wing Independence Party, which was in in power from and is largely responsible for the neo-liberalisation and heavy-industrialisation of Iceland, has always been one of the driving motors behind Landsvirkjun’s plans to dam Þjórsá. When the Master Plan’s proposition was presented in August, Ragnheiður Elín Árnadóttir, a MP of the party, called for the immediate starting of construction in Þjórsá. She also said she grieved the long period of which the project has been stuck within bureaucracy, referring to the attempts of Svandís Svavarsdóttir, current Minister of Environment, to halt the construction of one of the three proposed dams by refusing to include the dam, Urriðafossvirkjun, in a land-use plans for the parishes of Flóahreppur and Skeiða- and Gnúpverjahreppur (rural districts along Þjórsá) made by them at the request of Landsvirkjun.

Three Dams: Threat to Society and Ecology

The conflict in parliament mirrors the actual conflict in the Þjórsá region where locals have for a long time fought over the river’s fate. There Landsvirkjun hasn’t only used bribes in its attempt to get its plans through local administration, but also threatened farmers whose lands are at stake will the dams be built, by stating that if the farmers do not negotiate with the Landsvirkjun, the company will attempt for a land expropriation. This conduct has created a complete split within the local community, clearly demonstrated in last March when young locals from the region published a statement, in which they demanded a permanent halt to all plans of damming Þjórsá – thereby an end to the social conflict associated.

As a matter of fact two members of the Master Plan’s steering committee recently stated, when interviewed on state radio station RÚV, that due to the serious lack of studies regarding the social impacts of the planned Þjórsá dams, those plans should without any doubt have been put on hold. This is exactly what Guðmundur Hörður Guðmundsson, chairman of environmentalist organization Landvernd, said in last July following the publication of the Energy Master Plan’s second phase report.

Þjórsá’s position in the Master Plan proposition, yet shouldn’t be of any surprise. In the second phase report the three planned dams are not considered to be a great threat to the ecology of Þjórsá and its surroundings – contrary to the opinion of environmentalists who have voiced their worries concerning the dams’ impacts, for instance on the river’s salmon stock. Orri Vigfússon, chairman of the North Atlantic Salmon Fund (NASF), recently stated that “never before in the history of Iceland has there occurred such an attack on a sensitive area of wild salmon.” As is considered that the salmon’s spawning and breeding grounds are mosty located above waterfall Urriðafoss, where one of the three dams is planned to be built, Orri believes that the stock of salmon and salmon trout are likely to vanish.

Energy Companies Unsatisfied as Expected

As one could have imagined, Icelandic energy companies and other adherents of large-scale power production for heavy industry, are everything else than happy about the Master Plan’s proposition. Following its release Eiríkur Hjálmarsson, Public Relation manager of Reykjavík Energy, opposed the protection of Bitra on the ground that the company has already harmed the area with three examination boreholes, roads and electricity lines – but most importantly, spent 785 million ISK on the project. As reported earlier this year by Anna Andersen, journalist at the Reykjavík Grapevine, the foolhardy business operations of Reykavík Energy during the last decade or so – including large-scale geothermal projects associated with heavy industry – have brought the publicly owned company a debt of 233 billion ISK (2 billion USD or 1.4 billion Euros). Despite this financial collapse the company still advocates for the continuation of the agenda that brought it down.

Other energy companies have responded similarly, mostly complaining about the amount of areas listed as protected or on hold. Landsvikjun’s director Hörður Árnason has said that compared to the second phase report, the parliament proposition suggest that way too many energy options are put on hold. Another company, Suðurorka, owned by Alterra Power (former Magma Energy) and Íslensk Orkuvirkjun, had planned to construct a dam, called Búlandsvirkjun, in river Skaftá – a plan that the proposition puts on hold. The company argues that few energy options have been studied as thoroughly and while the studies might have been done – and might be thorough – not everybody agrees with the company on the impacts. Farmers in the area have opposed the project as some of their most important grasslands will be drowned under the dam’s reservoir.

Energy company RARIK will, due to the Master Plan, loose its grip on geothermal areas in Grændalur valley, as well as rivers in Skagafjörður and Hólmsá river – projects that the company claims to have invested in with 300 million ISK. Using the same monetary argument, HS Orka, also owned by Alterra Power, has been vocal about its 700 million ISK investment into their proposed, but now delayed if not entirely halted, geothermal plants in Trölladyngja. Finally representatives from Reykjahlíð, a small town that holds the good part of Gjástykki’s property rights, have stated that if the area will be protected, billions of ISK will be demanded as compensation.

The Predominant Strategy

Those arguments do in fact manifest the predominant strategy of those involved in the heavy industrialization of Iceland. Instead of waiting for all necessary contracts to been signed, all needed permissions to be granted, and all required energy to be ensured, the energy and aluminium companies have simply started major construction immediately when only one or a few permissions have been granted. And when criticised, not to mention when forced to stop, they have stated that because these projects have been announced and vast amounts of money put into them, they should be allowed to continue. If needed, they have also pointed out that because the natural areas at stake have already been harmed (by themselves), there is “no point” in preserving them.

One example would be Helguvík, where a framework for a proposed Century Aluminum smelter has already been built but hardly any construction has taken place there for two year. With every day that passes it becomes clear that not only has the company failed to ensure the energy needed to operate the smelter, but also that the energy simply doesn’t exist.

Geologist Sigmundur Einarsson has, for the last years, pointed this out and stated that the amount of energy needed for the Helguvík smelter cannot be found and harnessed on Reykjanes, like stated by the parties involved. For instance he believes that no more than 120 MWe can be harnessed in Krýsuvík, contrary to the official numbers of 480 MWe, and has repeatedly demanded answers from the authorities about where from the rest of the energy is supposed to come. Just as Saving Iceland’s questions about the whereabouts of energy for Alcoa’s planned smelter in Bakki, Sigmundur’s questions have never been answered, but he claims the Energy Master Plan proofs his theory.

Yet Another Three Kárahnjúkar Dams!

Environmentalists have reacted to the energy companies’ complaints and asked how on earth the companies can still pretended to be unsatisfied. As pointed out by Landvernd, these company’s are about be granted permission to harness energy equivalent of three Kárahnjúkar dams. From 2004 to 2009, Iceland’s energy production duplicated, largely with the construction of Kárahnjúkar dam, and is currently 16,900 gigawatt-hours. If the Energy Master Plan will be accepted as proposed, the energy companies will be able to duplicate the production again in few years, says Guðmundur Hörður, chairman of Landvernd, and continues:

The increase of public electricity usage is about 50 gigawatt-hours per year. The expansion entailed in the proposition would thus sustain that particular public increase for the next 265 years! If this will be the conclusion, the energy companies can be very satisfied. Still they send their agents onto the media, in order to cry and complain. That doesn’t give a good hint for a settlement.

Other environmentalists, Ómar Ragnarsson for instance, have mentioned that the whole discourse surrounding the Energy Master Plan portrays a false image. While the plan regards Iceland’s each and every hydro and geothermal area, potential for exploitation, the areas that have already been harnessed are kept outside of the discourse. Ómar says that it is simply false to state that “only twenty-two areas” have been categorised exploitable, as twenty-eight large power plants have already been built in Iceland. That means that out of the ninety-seven considered in the Master Plan, fifty have already been or will be utilised. In addition to the twenty-seven areas put on hold, another thirty-two have yet not been categorised by the steering committees, which makes the current proportion of protected areas even lower.

Ómar has also pointed out mismatches within the proposition. One example regards geothermal area Gjástykki that is listed as protected, as it is “a part of Krafla’s volcanic system, which has a protection value on a worldwide scale,” like stated in the proposition. But according to Ómar this will depend entirely on definitions. As an energy option, Vítismór, which is a part of Krafla’s volcanic system and is an inseparable part of the Gjástykki-Leirhnjúkur area, is currently listed as an addition to the Krafla power plant and would thus, regardless of its position within the Master Plan, be available for exploitation.

Limnology (or freshwater science) professor Gísli Már Gíslason upholds Ómar’s argument and has stated that half of Iceland’s “profitable hydro power” has already been utilised. One of those rivers is Jökulsá á Dal, harmed by the infamous Kárahnjúkar dam, which in order to be built required disallowing the protection of Kringilsárrani, an extremely important grassland for reindeer. This is not a unique incident as, for instance, the three dams in river Láxá are also manifestations of hydro power plants built in protected areas.

The Coming Struggle

Notably by the above-listed contradictions, which though demonstrate only a small part of the debate about the Energy Master Plan so far, the coming struggle about the fate of Iceland’s nature is going to be harsh and heavy. Armed with the rhetoric of economic crisis, unemployment etc., those in favour of heavy industry – in other words a big part of parliament, the energy companies, the Associations of Industry and Employers, the country’s biggest trade unions, and most recently Samál, a joint association of aluminium producers in Iceland – use literally every opportunity to push for the further development of industry, especially aluminium. In order for that development to occur, the country’s glacial rivers and geothermal areas have to be exploited on a mass scale.

Environmentalists, on the other hand, need to sharpen their knives and both ask and answer a great amount of questions. What, if any, are the actual benefits of heavy industry and its parallel large-scale energy production? And what are its impacts on Iceland’s society and ecosystems? No less importantly, what are its global impacts such as on the atmosphere or bauxite communities in India, Guinea, Hungary and Jamaica? How has it affected the economy and what are its contributions to the current economic situation? What are the impacts of the building of big dams and geothermal power-plants, fuelled by extremely high loans, bringing a temporary pump into the economy that inevitably leads to the demand for another shot? And what is the value of nature per se?

Only by answering all of these and many more questions, one can honestly try to answer the one fundamental question regarding the Energy Master Plan: What actual need is there for yet another three Kárahnjúkar dams, or in fact just a single more power plant?

One of the association’s primary criticisms is directed towards the fact that a particular committee, nominated to sort the areas in question into three different categories: protection, hold and utilization – did not include a single representative from environmentalist organizations. Whereas representatives from the energy and tourism industries, as well as the ministries of environment and industry, had seats on the committee. The viewpoint of nature conservation has thus no spokesperson in the working progress, states a press release from INCA.

On the website of the Framework Programme (translated as the ‘Icelandic Master Plan for Hydro and Geothermal Energy Resources’) it is stated that “Iceland has been blessed with extensive resources of renewable hydro and geothermal energy” , of which “only a portion […] has as yet been harnessed”. The further development of energy production in Iceland, according to the website, “will be a challenging task, as user interests, other than those concerned solely with energy, will have to be taken into account.” And it continues:

Policy decisions on land use can have a significant, profound, and prolonged impact on nature, regional development, tourism and outdoor activities, employment, and on society at large. Carefully thought-out decision making will minimise the risk of mistakes and shortsighted undertakings, and enhance co-operation among all partners affected by the decisions taken.

This process was initiated by the Government of Iceland in 1999, with the aim of developing a Master Plan for Hydro and Geothermal Energy Resources. The process has been formulated on a scientific and impartial basis – not dominated by narrow and biased interests – and is open to democratic public involvement and scrutiny.

By eliminating the environmentalist perspective from the above-mentioned committee, the framework programme is obviously not an example of “co-operation among all partners affected by the decisions taken.” Likewise, the manifested aim to “minimise the risk of mistakes and short sighted undertakings” is clearly not being practised.

The Icelandic Nature Conservation Association points out the fact that though the current government has now operated for two years it still remains a mystery what kind of a “settlement” the government wants to seek in harmony with the Framework Programme’s results. Like Saving Iceland has pointed out, Landsvirkjun (Iceland’s National Energy Company), adopting Orwellian Newspeak, plans to force a “national consensus” in favour of  the construction of 14 new power-plants in the next 15 years – mainly to meet the aluminium industry’s demands for increased energy for aluminium smelters in Iceland.

In their statement, INCA also highlights that the energy industry’s representatives in the aforementioned committee still push hard on preventing the enlargement of the RAMSAR listed Þjórsárver wetlands reserve, in order to be able to build the infamous Norðlingaölduveita hydro-utility. The same agents also work hard on getting access to the geothermal areas around the Torfajökull glacier and Kerlingarfjöll mountains, by fighting against these areas being categorized as protected. All of these areas were found highly valuable by a professional group consisting of biologists, botanists, geophysicists, aquatic ecologists, geochemists, archaeologists and geologists, to name a few of them, who were employed to evaluate the impacts of particular exploitation options on landscape, earth formation, vegetation, animal life and archaeological relics. According to these results INCA demands that these areas will immediately be categorized as protected, as well as other areas like river Jökulsá á Fjöllum, the glacial rivers in Skagafjörður and the areas around Skaftá and Tungnaá rivers and Langisjór lake, which were also found highly valuable by the group of professionals.

Since the work on the framework programme started more than a decade ago, energy production in Iceland has more than doubled. Despite the controversy of this development, manifested in an increased public opposition towards heavy industry and large-scale energy production, the plan is still to duplicate the current production – the plans of private and municipal owned energy companies not included.

Incidentally, in spite of promising to do so, the Icelandic government has still not ratified the Aarhus Convention Agreement which according to Kofi A. Annan, former Secretary-General of the United Nations:

… is by far the most impressive elaboration of principle 10 of the Rio Declaration, which stresses the need for citizen’s participation in environmental issues and for access to information on the environment held by public authorities. As such it is the most ambitious venture in the area of ‘ environmental democracy’ so far undertaken under the auspices of the United Nations.

It seems democracy does not come easy to Icelandic governments.

Map of the Intended Energy Master Plan for Iceland Phase 1 as publicised by the Ministry of Industry in 2003.

Both of the above photos are from the geothermal area around Kerlingarfjöll mountains, south west of Hofsjökull glacier.

Of course the governmental opposition parties and their usual gang of industrial lobbyists are furious over the ruling, and critisice it heavily, displaying reactions the environmental minister described as being similar to allergic reactions. Amongst other things they accuse her of hindering those who are trying to build up work in the energy and industry sectors and blocking the creation of new jobs in a country they claim is ravaged by unemployment (approximately 8,6% at last count).

The ruling as such is according to national law, but the critic against it in mainstream medias has mostly revolved around the fact that third-party involvement in land-use planning is a “grown custom” in Iceland, and therefore the minister is supposedly in breach of the rule of equality the authorities are sworn to. This could well be true, but shouldn’t the focus rather be on the fact that bribery and bullying your will through with money is, according to the opposition, a “grown custom” in the country. Didn’t people demand that a new government should abolish corruption in all layers of the community. It’s absurd to see this kind of backlash when someone tries taking corruption by the horns in light of the events after the crash of the national economy. If this ruling isn’t followed through that just goes to show that rich companies and individuals can still bribe and bully their way to permissions to plunder and ruin the pristine wilderness of the island for a few more dimes in their own pockets.

Landsvirkjun started designing the lower Þjórsá River dams eleven years ago, and six years ago the project got approved by the Planning Institute and the minister of environment at the time. The company has spent 3,7 billion ISKR on the planning process as of yet and is in discussions with foreign companies about eventual usages of the energy from the dams. Hörður Arnarson, the new president of Landsvirkjun after Friðrik Sophuson’s retirement from the company, claims the ruling of the minister will delay their negotiations with foreign investors because of the uncertanity that the ruling causes the project, but he sounds quite positive that it will not stop the project from going through. With so much money already being pumped into it, there’s not much hope for Landsvirkjun to back down from it without getting their investment back, which will mean the total destruction of Þjórsárver.

One of the companies relying on the energy from lower Þjórsá River is Rio Tinto Alcan, but they want to enlarge their smelter in Straumsvík and increase capacity, demandin over 1000Gwh pr. year on top of the almost 3.000Gwh they’re currently buying.

By Miriam Rose

The economic issues currently causing mass demonstrations in Iceland have a less publicised ecological cousin, and one which the IMF has recently identified as part of the economic collapse. In 1995 the Ministry of Industry and Landsvirkjun, the national power company, began to advertise Iceland’s huge hydropower and geothermal energy potential. In a brochure titled “Lowest energy prices!!” they offered the cheapest, most hard working and healthiest labour force in the world, the cleanest air and purest water – as well as the cheapest energy and “a minimum of environmental red tape” to some of the world’s most well known polluting industries and corporations (such as Rio Tinto and Alcoa). This campaigning has led to the development of an ‘Energy Master Plan’ aimed at damming almost all of the major glacial rivers in Iceland, and exploiting all of the geothermal energy, for the power intensive aluminium industry. The loans taken by the Icelandic state to build large scale energy projects, and the minimal payback they have received from the industry, has been a considerable contributing factor to the economic crisis, while at the same time creating a European ecological crisis that is little heard of.

The Largest Wilderness in Europe
I first visited Iceland in 2006 and spent a week with activists from the environmental campaign Saving Iceland, a network of individuals from around Europe and Iceland who decry the fragmentation of Europe’s largest wilderness in favour of heavy industry. From these informed and passionate folk I learned of the 690 MW Kárahnjúkar dam complex being built in the untouched Eastern Central Highlands to power one Alcoa aluminium smelter in a small fishing village called Reydarfjörður. The dams formed the largest hydro-power complex in Europe, and were set to drown 57 km² of beautiful and virtually unstudied wilderness, the most fertile area in the surrounding highlands. Ultimately it would affect 3% of Iceland’s landmass with soil erosion and river silt deprivation. They also explained how materials in the glacial silt transported to the oceans bonds with atmospheric CO₂, sinking carbon. The damming of Iceland’s glacial rivers not only decreases food supply for fish stocks in the North Atlantic, but also negatively impacts oceanic carbon absorption, a significant climatic effect. After taking part in demonstrations at the construction site of the Alcoa smelter (being built by famous Iraq war profiteers Bechtel), I went to see the area for myself.

Travelling alone on foot in this vast and threatening landscape was one of the most incredible and spiritual experiences of my life. I walked along the deep canyon of the crashing glacial river set to be dammed, as ravens soared above me and a sound like falling rocks echoed from distant mountains. I slept in grassy valleys and bathed in a warm waterfall which ran from a nearby hot spring as reindeer galloped in the distance. The midnight sun showed me the way to Snæfell mountain, from the top of which I could see from the Vatnajokull ice cap all the way to the dam construction site; across wetlands, black sand deserts and shadowy mountains. By the next year the dam’s reservoir would stretch across this whole area. I felt small and vulnerable and had a sense of the immense power of nature, and the even greater power of mankind to choose whether to preserve or to irreversibly destroy it.

Since then critiques of the completed Kárahnjúkar project have made it increasingly unpopular with the Icelandic public, who have become sceptical about the secretive nature of energy deals and the damage to nature. As a result, Landsvírkjun and the heavy industry lobby are now focussing on geothermal power which has a more benign reputation. Ultimately, it is proposed that all of the economically feasible hot spring areas in Iceland will be exploited for industrial use, including a number of sites located in Iceland’s central highlands, the beautiful heart of Iceland’s undisturbed wilderness. Landsvirkjun, without any irony, has termed Iceland ‘the Kuwait of the North’.

The following section challenges some of the myths about ‘green’ geothermal energy.

Renewable
Geothermal energy is created when boreholes are drilled into hot subsurface rock areas or aquifers, and turbines are powered by the emitted steam. They only have a sustainable production level if the surface discharge of heat is balanced by heat and fluid recharge within the reservoir (as occurs at undisturbed hot springs), but this is generally not sufficient for exploiting economically. The Geyser hot springs at Calistoga, USA experienced a 150% decrease in production over ten years, due to rapid exploitation to meet economic requirements, and there have been many similar cases. Geothermal boreholes in Iceland are usually modelled for only 30 years of productionⁱ.

Carbon-neutral
The concentration of carbon dioxide present in geothermal steam is a reflection of the chemical make up of the underground reservoir and is distinct to each area. The 400 MW of boreholes planned for another Alcoa smelter in the north of Iceland will release 1300 tonnes CO₂ per MWⁱⁱ. An average gas powered plant would produce only slightly more, 1595 tonne per MWⁱⁱⁱ. The total of 520,000 tonnes CO₂ for these fields alone is almost as much as what is produced by all of road transport in Iceland^iv.

Minimal environmental impact
Geothermal power accounts for 79% of Iceland’s H₂S and SO₂ emissions^v. In 2008, sulphur pollution from the Hellisheiði power station, 30 km away, was reported to be turning lamposts and jewelry in Reykjavík black, as a record number of objections was filed to two more large geothermal plants in the same area, which would have produced more sulphur and carbon emissions than the planned smelter they were supposed to power, and plans were put on hold.
Geothermal areas such as Hellisheiði are globally rare, very beautiful and scientifically interesting. Icelandic geothermal areas are characterised by colourful striking landscapes, hot springs, lavas and glaciers, and are biologically and geologically endemic to the country. Irreversible disturbance to these wild areas for power plants includes roads, powerlines, heavy lorries and loud drilling equipment.

Wishful green thinking?
In the desperate search for plausible alternatives to our fossil fuel economy, a number of well known British greens have been advocating a ‘European Grid’ energy future, in which Icelandic large scale hydro and geothermal power, and Saharan solar, are transferred by underwater cable to Britain and Europe^vi. It is quite understandable that such schemes look appealing, but it is also essential to have a realistic analysis of the impacts caused by these so-called sustainable technologies before we accept them as a panacea to our fossil fuel sickness.

The technological or pragmatic environmentalism in favour of super grids comes down to a proposal to sacrifice unique ecological areas for the greater good of living a resource-intensive life style ‘sustainably’. In contrast, for anyone who identifies with a natural area, it is easy to understand why it has a value of its own. This value can be seen as far greater than that of any of our possessions; it is in a sense, invaluable.

What can perhaps be concluded from this Icelandic green energy case study is that application of a technology that has been thought of as renewable, climate-friendly and low-impact, on the large scale that is associated with fossil fuels, makes it a lot like the technology it was supposed to replace. It has certainly been argued that technological systems tend to reproduce themselves independent of the specific technologies^{vii viii}. Simply applying a different technology to address issues that are not entirely technological, is not addressing the problem of our consumptive lifestyles. But it can irrevocably end the existence of a place that is not like any other.

References:

i E.g. VGK (2005), Environmental Impact Assesment for Helisheidarvirkjun [online]. URL http://www.vgk.is/hs/Skjol/UES/SH_matsskyrsla.pdf [Accessed August 15, 2007].
ii Sigurðardóttir, R. Unpublished. Energy good and green. In: Bæ bæ Ísland (bye bye Iceland), to be published by the University of Akureyri and Akureyri Art Museum.
The data in this study is arrived at by calculation of the figures in site surveys for the Krafla, Bjarnarflag and Þeistareykir geothermal plants.
Sigurðardóttir has experienced threats and harassment by Landsvirkjun, the national power company, since 2000. In that year, she concluded the formal environmental impact assessment for a proposed large dam, Þjórsárver, a Ramsar treaty area, by stating there were significant, irreversible environmental impacts. The national power company did not pay her and refused to publish the report. Since then Sigurðardóttir has been refused all Icelandic government commissions. Since then, practically all EIAs for geothermal and hydro plants and smelters have been commissioned to the companies HRV and VGK, construction engineers rather than ecological consultancies and “the leading project management and consulting engineering companies within the primary aluminum production sector” (HRV. 2008. Primary aluminium production [online]. URL http://www.hrv.is/hrv/Info/PrimaryAluminumProduction/ [Accessed 13-12-2008]).
iii US Govt. Energy Information Administration. 2008. Voluntary reporting of greenhouse gases program. [online]. URL http://www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/1605/coefficients.html [Accessed 13-12-2008].
iv Ministry of the Environment, Iceland (2006). Iceland’s Fourth National Communication on Climate Change. http://unfccc.int/resource/docs/natc/islnc4.pdf [Accessed August 15, 2007].
v Statistics Iceland. 2007. Emission of sulphur dioxides (SO2) by source 1990-2006 [online]. URL http://www.statice.is/Statistics/Geography-and-environment/Gas-emission [Accessed 12/12/2008]
vi E.g. Monbiot, G. (2008). Build a Europe-wide ‘super grid’ [online]. URL http://e-day.org.uk/solutions/charities/14536/george-monbiot–build-a-europewide-super-grid.thtml [Accessed 13-12-2008].
vii E.g. Mander, J. 1992. In the absence of the sacred. Sierra Club, San Francisco, CA.
viii Krater, J. 2007. Duurzame technologie, een contradictie? Buiten de Orde, zomer 2007.

Þjórsárver are a unique ecosystem characterized by tundra meadows intersected with numerous glacial and spring-fed streams, a large number of pools, ponds, lakes and marshes, and rare permafrost mounds. Iceland’s national energy company, Landsvirkjun wanted to build a 30 meters high dam in the area, creating a 65 km2 big reservoir. The energy was supposed to run the enlargement of Rio Tinto Alcan’s aluminium smelter in Hafnarfjörður, a plan that the majority of the town’s population voted against in a local referendum in 2007. Later Landsvirkjun proposed to lower the planned dam down to 24 meters. Halldórsdóttir’s decision about the protection of Þjórsárver is very important and a big victory for the Icelandic environmental movement.

Iceland’s new minority government, formed by Samfylkingin (the Social Democratic Alliance) and Vinstri Grænir (VG – The Left Greens), has released it’s policy statement for the upcoming 80 days until parliamentary elections will take place in the end of April. The statement states e.g. that “no new plans for aluminium smelters are on the government’s list.” Still Össur Skarphéðinsson, a Samfylkingin MP and the minister of industry since 2007, has said that both Norðurál’s planned 360 thousand ton smelter in Helguvík and Alcoa’s planned smelter in Bakki, Húsavík, do not fall under this statement.

“This particular sentence means that no foreign aluminium company can come and knock on the door of the minister of industry. There will be no new plans about aluminium smelters,” said Skarphéðinsson in an interview with Iceland’s TV station, Channel 2.

Helguvík smelter get’s the government’s “special treatment”
Shortly before the collapse of the former government, Skarphéðinsson signed a investment contract between the government and Norðurál about the Helguvík smelter. Construction of the smelter started this fall but after the collapse of Iceland’s economy in October, Norðurál has had problems with financing the continued construction in Helguvík. The contract is supposed to make it easier for Norðurál to keep on the construction and includes e.g. that Norðurál will never pay higher taxes than at the time the contract was singed; and that the company does not have to pay several official fees that other companies have to pay. A similar contract was made between the government and Alcoa couple of years ago, because of Alcoa’s smelter in Reyðarfjörður.

Kolbrún Halldórsdóttir, minister of enviroment agrees with Skarphéðinsson’s words. “A contract has been signed about Helguvík, which though is still waiting an approval in the parliament. Our evaluation is that this contract is the former government’s work and will therefor most likely not be changed,” she said to Morgunblaðið.

Asked about Alcoa’s planned smelter in Húsavík, Kolbrún says that the memorandum of understanding between the former government and Alcoa will expire in the upcoming fall and that it is not on the new government’s list to renew it. Alcoa has also said that the company is lowering it’s production and new constructions.

Contracts made without proper knowledge about possible energy
Today, the City Council of Reykjavík approved a contract between Norðurál and Orkuveita Reykjavíkur (OR – Reykjavík Energy), about the purchase of energy for the Helguvík smelter. OR is engaged to supply 250 MW to the smelter and plans to produce most of the energy by geothermal power plants in the Hengill area. Most likely it will not be enough, so OR has talked about building a power plant on Bitra, an old plan that was stopped by heavy campaign one and a half year ago, by Hveragerði township, which would be much affected by the construction and loose a treasured hiking area. The energy price is linked with the constantly falling world price of aluminium.

If built, the Helguvík smelter will need at least 625 MW of energy. According to the contract mentioned here above, 375 MW will have to come from Hitaveita Suðurnesja’s (HS) planned geothermal power plants on the Reykjavík peninsula. But HS has already said that the company will not be able to produce all that amount of energy. Ómar Ragnarsson, an active environmentalist, has said that if HS will construct all the needed power plants to produce enough energy for Helguvík, the whole Reykanes geothermal area will dry up in few years. Eight power plants are needed to supply all the needed energy (see more on that issue here).

Svandís Svavarsdóttir, a member of the Left Greens, heavily criticized the contract making today. She highlighted the stupidity of signing the contract when it is still not sure that the necessary energy can be supplied.

Once again completely corrupt contracts are signed concerning the development of the aluminium industry here in Iceland. And now, when in government, the Left Greens seem to be ready to make compromises about their environmental policy. Surely there will be a lot to do for Icelandic environmentalists in the upcoming months.

Protest Outside Iceland’s London Embassy

Today a protest against Iceland’s current persecution of environmental activists was held outside London’s Icelandic Embassy in Sloane Square. The protestors handed in a letter [below] to Sverrir Haukur Gunnlaugsson, Iceland’s ambassador to the UK, which condemns Iceland’s current attempt to deport Miriam Rose, a British citizen. They held a banner which read: Iceland: Police State.

More information regarding Miriam’s deportation can be found here.

Media Reports:
Morgunblaðdið

Letter Handed in to Sverrir Haukur Gunnlaugsson:
“To the Ambassador for Iceland, London.

Regarding the proposed deportation of Miriam Rose

Mr Ambassador,

We wish to express our shock and indignation that the Icelandic state is undertaking deportation proceedings against Miriam Rose, a UK citizen. While we recognize that the final decision on the matter rests with the Immigration Directorate, we feel that the state’s pursuit of this case is indicative of Iceland’s apparent intolerance towards opposition, to the point of persecution.

Far from being a threat to the fundamental values of Icelandic society, Miriam, in common with other foreign environmentalists who have campaigned to save this great European wilderness, has been protesting to protect Iceland’s natural heritage from self-interested corporate exploitation in the form of the aluminium multinationals. The only crime of which she has been convicted is disobedience: civil disobedience has a long and proud history as a morally justified – if not always strictly legal – form of political expression to resist a greater wrong. It certainly does not represent a “sufficiently serious” offense to warrant her expulsion from the country.

The Icelandic state’s repeated attempts to expel Saving Iceland activists, of which this is only the most recent, is compounded by coercive behavior towards Icelanders who make their opposition known. Geophysicist Grímur Björnsson was forbidden from revealing his findings, which were suppressed and kept from parliament because they showed the Karahnjukar dams to be unsafe, while Dr. Ragnhildur Sigurdardottir’s Environmental Impact Assessment on Thjorsarver was first rejected and then (when she had been forced to do it again) falsified; she was not paid for her work. State employed highland wardens found their jobs under threat when they flew their flags at half-mast in protest against the deal between Alcoa and the Icelandic government. This all signifies a lack of respect for freedom of expression as enshrined in the Icelandic constitution.

As representative of your government, we urge you to recognize the poor light this conduct casts on your nation abroad, and hope you will advocate a retraction of Miriam’s deportation and an end to such repressive tactics against the opponents of heavy industry in Iceland.

Yours sincerely,”

Is the Energy on the Doorstep?

By Dr. Ragnhildur Sigurðardóttur

Many things have been said and written about plans for ALCOA´s aluminium plant at Bakki near Húsavík. One after another, important men have praised the idea and by now the only political parties not supporting it are the Iceland Movement and the Left Green party.
The propaganda of the supporters follows these lines: “utilise the national energy potential,” “the people of Húsavík have a right to an aluminium plant,” “the plant will only use energy drawn from the land nearby Húsavík, “damming of Skjálfandafljót and Jökulsá á Fjöllum is nothing but environmental propaganda”, “Geothermal energy has a low environmental impact”, “preparation work has been exceptionally well done.”
But how much truth do those slogans contain? Is there something more that needs to be looked into? Are the people of Húsavík, politicians included pushing the issues forward without really having looked at all the facts?

Procuring energy
When producing 250 thousand tons of aluminium per year, 550MW of capactity is needed producing around 3700 GWhours per year. When signing the agreement to look into a aluminium plant by Húsavík the president of ALCOA announced his plans for right away building a 300 thousand ton aluminium plant (which demands 660MW), but in the end the community should be prepared for demands for a 500 thousand ton plant. According to Alcoa´s site report the company plans to get the energy from:

1) Þeistareykir (80 MW),
2) Krafla I (100 MW),
3) Krafla II (120 MW),
4) Bjarnarflag (80MW),
5) Gjástykki (80 MW)
6) Hrafnabjörg (90 MW).

This means five new energy plants in Suður-Þingeyjarsýsla plus almost doubling of Krafla I. Little research has gone into some of those areas, how much energy they could give is uncertain. The questions that arise are for example:

1. ALCOA includes in their plans all the energy now produced in Krafla, around 60 MW, that energy has already been sold, so somewhere there must be more energy plants or dams needed to fulfill energy needs for the national grid.

2. Where will the energy come from when the aluminium plant will be doubled?

3. Why are supporters of the aluminium plant so certain that Skjálfandafljót with Hrafnabjargafoss and Aldeyjarfoss will not be sacrificed for the plant, even though ALCOA includes Hrafnabjargavirkjun in their site report?

4. Geothermal energy plants have an estimated 30 year lifespan. What happens than? Is the aluminium plant supposed to just pack up and leave?

Energy at the doorstep
For it’s first phase the aluminium plant will have to receive energy though power lines stretching more than 114 km from Mývatnssveit and 64 km extra from Hrafnabjörg. To reach the 300 thousand ton production limit it might be necessary to get energy from Villinganes- and Skatastaðadams, but power lines from them would stretch from Skagafjörður across Eyjafjarðar- and Suður-Þingeyjarcounty all the way to Húsavík – that is if the local people are not willing to sacrifice more of Skjálfandafljót and if Jökulsá á Fjöllum will not be sacrificed. Where the energy for a 500 thousand ton aluminium plant is supposed to come from is not known at all, but must be before the decision to build a aluminium plant is taken.

• Link to the site report from ALCOA.

Is the energy really so green and great?

Water pollution from geothermal energy plants
Among the many things that have been written about pollution from aluminium plants is the cancer-causing PAH chemicals who are carried into nature, plus fluoride, sulphur and CO2 which are pumped into the air. Not so much has come forth about the impact from the energy plants themselves. Apart from the obvious impact on land, as the people in the south of Iceland have experienced with the work at Hellisheiði, the biggest polluters from geothermal plants are noise, exhaust fumes and run-off water. In geothermal run-off water the biggest polluters are hydrogen sulphite, arsenic, boron, mercury and other metals like led, cadmium, iron, zink and manganese but lithium, ammoniac and aluminium are sometimes also present in harmful amounts. From this list it is arsenic which is the biggest worry in run-off water by lake Mývatn since it is poisonous and dangerous to life. It is vital to look into whether a fivefold increase of energy production in the Mývatn county will damage the biosphere in and around the lake, but the environmental impact of all the plans has not been estimated as a whole.

Production of greenhouse and other gases
According to the estimate reports for Krafla and Bjarnarflag it is expected that 1300 tons of CO2 and 108 tons of hydrogen sulphide (H2S) will be let into the atmosphere for each MW produced by the plants. On a limited area and close to the populated area of Reykjahlíð, 390 thousand tons of CO2 and more than 32 thousand tons of H2S per year will be released into the atmosphere. Hydrogen sulphite is a poisonous gas, it´s strength in the atmosphere at workplaces in Iceland may not be above 10 ppm on a 8 hour workday. On top of this comes the production from from Þeistareykjar and Gjástykki. Given the same premises and based on Alcoa´s site report which includes a 90 MW hydropower dam in Skjálfandafljót, the probable amount of CO2 exhaustion will be 600 thousand tons a year, which is about the same amount as all transport in Iceland produces. For comparison, the aluminium plant itself will exhaust about 375 thousand tons a year. If energy will be provided only with geothermal energy the CO2 exhaust will be close to fifty percent more in providing energy for the plant than the plant itself will exhaust. In my opinion it is time that we Icelanders face the fact that maybe our green energy isn´t so green after all.

The effect on Mývatn county
The face of the province, which is supposed to be protected under nature preservation laws, will change considerably to the northeast when all work on site has been carried out. Some of the most popular hiking paths will be significantly disrupted. Blows of steam will take over the horizon with pipelines and concrete dominating the area. Since about 32 thousand tons of hydrogen sulphite will enter the atmosphere around the most populated area each year, I feel that the residents of the Mývatn county deserve that a thorough investigation into the possibility of the amount of the substance exceeding health limits. This must be investigated before it is “too late” to go back. It is predictable that the fight to preserve the nature of Mývatnssveit, which has been going on for nearly 40 years, will harden again. The comparison to the struggle to preserve Þjórsárver is striking.

I hope that most people take a stand based on real facts, whether they see those ideas about aluminium plants as a well thought out environmentally friendly action which will please and benefit all who live in this part of the land. To me the words and propaganda of supporters of the aluminium plans raise many questions. When does propaganda become truth and when does imagery become reality?

The smelter, which lies in the vicinity of Hafnarfjordur, in Straumsvik, currently has a capacity of being able to produce 180,000 metric tonnes of aluminium per year (mtpy.) Alcan wishes to turn this into an unbelievably massive 460,000 mtpy smelter.

Iceland’s current largest smelter asside from this, being built in Reydarfjordur, can produce a gigantic 322,000 mtpy of aluminium and is to be powered by damming the Central-Eastern of Icelands: the infamous Karahnjukar project.

If the smelter in Hafnarfjordur is to be enlarged then we will be facing the destruction of Iceland’s Central Southern Highlands – Langisjor, Kerlingarfjoll, Thjorsarver, the nether region of Thjorsa not to mention the geothermal fields in Reykjanes and so much more.

To anyone who has the opportunity to vote in this referendum, please vote to keep Iceland a wild and green masterpiece.

 

Otaheite

 

He announced that instead he would build the gas powered Aloca smelter off the shore of the fishing village of Otaheite, near La Brea, further north up the Cedros Peninsula coastal line. Over one-houndred families in Otaheite depend on fish and shrimp catches for their livelihoods, and are devastated by the Christmas news to pollute the tropical Oropouche Lagoon. The process of Aluminium smelting releases toxins that will poison local sea life, as well as the thirty types of birds that reside in this ecosystem.

The Trinidad Express reports that fishermen in Otaheite harbour threatened to use violence against any attempt to evict them. Other locals stated that that they would file legal action against any attempts to industrialise their village.(1)

Judy McLean, a member of the residents’ association who attended two meetings last year with a State representative trying to sell the Otaheite Offshore Estate idea commented:

“No one was pleased when we heard this. We are all against it,” She said Manning’s announcement on Christmas Eve “shows he doesn’t give a damn about the spirit of Christmas… To lay this on people at this time of the year is not the Christian thing to do. And he calls himself a born-again,”

Resisdents in Chatam and Cap de Ville are celebrating today. This is a major victory for local residents and the global anti-smelter movement – after all the battle to save Chatam has been won.

Vice-president of the Cap De Ville/Chatham Environmental Protection Group, Ricky Undheim, said to the Trinidad Express, “This is one of the happiest days of my life. But we are disappointed that he would continue aluminium plants in La Brea and Otaheite. So we will continue the struggle.”

David Miller, who is involved with an Iceland focused anti-smelter campaign called Saving Iceland who recently organised a joint “funeral march” in London for Trinidad (2) and Iceland commented:

“From Otaheite and La Brea in Trinidad, to Kashipur in India, to Húsavik, Þjórsárver and the many other aluminium projects planned for Iceland, the aluminium industry is intent on destroying local habitats and ecosystems in spite of local resistance, just to make a buck. There is a fast growing peoples movement that is not prepared to stand by and let this happen. We shall be converging in Iceland on the 6th of July 2007.

(1) http://www.trinidadexpress.com/index.pl/…
 http://www.trinidadexpress.com/index.pl/…

(2) 27/10/2006, /?p=585

UPDATE
March 2007

Tjórsárver are certainly not safe yet. Since the below was written the Conservatives have taken over the majority in Reykjavík City Council. They hurriedly sold the council’s 45% share in Landsvirkjun to the State. Since that Landsvirkjun have announced that they want to go ahead with destroying Thjórsárver. However, they first want to make three dams in the lower part of the river of Thjórsá. This is also opposed by many people, including locals. Work on the three dams is due to start in the autumn of 2007. They are to provide energy for the enlarged ALCAN factory at Straumsvík in Hafnarfjörður. The people of Hafnarfjörður will vote in a referendum on this enlargement 31 March. It seems the inhabitants of Hafnarfjördur hold the fate of Thjórsá, Langisjór and Thjórsárver in their hands. If they vote in favour of ALCAN the rest of the Icelandic nation and the international community will have to step in.

February 2006

As a response to the recent rise in greater awarenes of environmental issues in Iceland, which is a direct result of our struggle in 2005, Reykjavík City council (who owns 45% of Landsvirkjun) finally ruled in January 2006 that they oppose any further destruction of the Thjórsárver wetlands. This has forced ALCAN to relinquish their claims on energy from Thjórsárver and Landsvirkjun to “put aside” their plans for the Ramsar listed site.

This is a great victory for environmentalists and shows that our struggle is already having desired results. But the licence of Landsvirkjun to tamper with Thjórsárver remains to be revoked by parliament. The cancelation of the Nordlingaöldu project (Thjórsárver) also puts other areas in greater danger. This may be the case with one of Europe’s most beautiful lakes, Langisjór and the geothermal areas all over Iceland. “The monster must be fed.”

Older intro:

The Thjórsárver wetlands are under imminent threat by the National Power Company’s (Landsvirkjun) ‘Nordlingaalda Diversion’ which is to fuel the ambitions of Century Aluminum Company (Nordural) and ALCAN to expand their factories in the fjord of Hvalfjörður and at Straumsvik, both near Reykjavík. Century also aim to build a new smelter in Helguvík (near Keflavík international airport.) Local people have opposed the ‘Nordlingalda Diversion’ for many years but have been deprived of the right to make the final decision on the issue. This power lies now with the Minister of the Environment. So far her stand has been in keeping with the government’s ruthless drive towards heavy industrialisation. Thjórsárver are bound to become the next great battlefield between environmental concerns and power abusing short term greed.

From INCA:

The Thjórsárver wetlands of central Iceland are a unique ecosystem. Bounded by the Hofsjökull glacier to the north and by volcanic deserts to the east, south and west, these lush wetlands are characterized by tundra meadows intersected with numerous glacial and spring-fed streams, a large number of pools, ponds, lakes and marshes, and rare permafrost mounds. Covering some 120km2, they are an important oasis in an area with very little or no plant cover.

The area is a hotspot for biodiversity. BirdLife International have recognized the Thjórsárver wetlands as an Important Bird Area, primarily because of its importance for the Pink-footed Goose (Anser brachyrynchus). With 6–10,000 breeding pairs, the Thjórsárver wetlands support one of the largest breeding colonies of these birds in the world, and provide a moulting site after their summer migration. The wetlands are also an important breeding area for other tundra birds, including the Purple Sandpiper (Calidris maritima) and Red-necked Phalarope (Phalaropus lobatus). Indeed, the wetlands probably have more breeding birds than any other area in the central highlands. In addition, the wetlands have more vascular plant and moss flora than any other area in the otherwise barren central highlands. The lichen flora of the permafrost mounds (palsas) is also diverse and includes some rare species.

The wetlands are also a hotspot for controversy, which has erupted once again. The issue is whether the building of reservoirs and other infrastructure for hydroelectric power development within the wetlands should go ahead.

The Thjórsá River is vital not only to the Thjórsárver wetlands, but also to Iceland’s hydroelectric industry. Together with its tributaries, the river generates most of the electricity produced by the country. This electricity is used for domestic purposes as well as for energy-intensive industries such as aluminium smelting.

Proposals to flood the Thjórsárver wetlands as part of further hydroelectric developments go back more than 30 years. In the 1960s, Landsvirkjun, Iceland’s national power company, announced plans to construct a 200km2 reservoir that would have inundated almost all of the wetlands, including the breeding grounds of the Pink-footed Goose. In response to public opposition, the project was abandoned in 1981 and the Icelandic government established the Thjórsárver Nature Reserve in part of the wetlands.

This protection is not absolute however. A provision was included that still allows Landsvirkjun to build a dam in the area, provided that the project is found acceptable by the government’s Nature Conservation Agency and provided that scientific research shows that the dam will not harm the wetlands.

Accordingly, Landsvirkjun proposed a 30m-high dam with a smaller reservoir covering some 65km2. Facing mounting criticism from both scientists and the local population, Landsvirkjun lowered its ambitions again, and is now proposing a 24m-high dam with a 32.5km2 reservoir.

To move the dam project forward, on 30 April the utility released a new Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report. Landsvirkjun argues that its current development plans will affect only a minor part of the wetlands’ vegetated area, and that this is the most economical hydroelectric development scheme available if the company is to provide energy for an expanding aluminium smelter close to the country’s capital, Reykjavik.

But conservation groups such as Birdlife International and the Iceland Nature Conservation Association are concerned by the loss of habitat for the Pink-footed Goose that the flooding will cause. In addition, there are fears that the reservoir will cause desertification as a consequence of erosion from riverbanks and changes in ground-water level. The latter could also affect the fine balance between permafrost and tundra vegetation in this area. In addition, although Landsvirkjun is trying to sell the project as renewable energy, scientists estimate that approximately one third of the water volume in the reservoir will be lost in little more than half a century due to sedimentation.

The public too are not happy with the proposal to flood the Thjórsárver wetlands. Public awareness and support for conservation has increased in the 21 years since the wetlands were protected, and last year the local population adopted a unanimous resolution against hydroelectric development in the wetlands.

The irony is that the Icelandic government itself also recognizes the importance of the wetlands. In 1990, the government added a 37,500ha area to the List of Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar List). This listing obliges the government to maintain the ecological character of the Thjórsárver wetlands — seemingly at odds with the plans of its own power company to flood the area.

Environmental groups believe there are alternatives to further hydropower developments that could be used for the aluminium smelter, such as harnessing Iceland’s geothermal energy. Indeed, the Ministry of Industry has explored possibilities for providing energy from other sources, and according to press reports from May last year, alternatives are available.

For the dam to go ahead, the project must be accepted by the Nature Conservation Agency, local authorities, and the State Planning Agency. As things stand, it appears the first two groups will not accept the project. Following submissions from the public, the State Planning Agency will rule on the EIA in early July. This ruling can be either for or against the project. At present it is not clear what will happen if the State Planning Agency rules for the project without the support of the Nature Conservation Agency and local authorities. However, given the uniqueness of the area as well as its international importance, many in Iceland are hoping that their government will take measures to prevent any damage to the Thjórsárver wetlands.

Further information:

The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands
Adopted in the Iranian city of Ramsar in 1971, the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands is an intergovernmental treaty that provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources. The convention is the only global environmental treaty dealing with a particular ecosystem. There are presently 131 Contracting Parties to the Convention, with 1150 wetland sites, totaling 96.3 million hectares, designated for inclusion in the Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance.

BirdLife International
BirdLife International is a partnership of non-governmental conservation organisations with a special focus on birds who, together, are the leading authority on the status of birds, their habitats and the issues and problems affecting bird life. One of the most important element of their programme is the identification and protection of Important Bird Areas (IBAs) which represent outstanding ornithological importance. BirdLife International is represented by the Icelandic Society for Protection of Birds (ISPB) in Iceland.

Half of the Icelandic population is unhappy with how the government and the public addresses environmental issues according to a new Gallup poll as reported by the Icelandic Broadcasting System, RÚV.

Women are more likely to be dissatisfied than men, and people living in the urban South West are less content with the state of environmental issues than the rural population.

There is also considerable opposition to the proposed dam at Nordlingaalda, the so-called Nordlingaölduveita. It is to serve hydroelectric power production in power stations in Thjórsá. 65% of the population are against the proposed dam; 72% of the university educated population, 70% of women and 60% of males oppose it.

Nordlingaölduveita has met with considerable criticism because of its impact on the wilderness south of the glacier Hofsjökull where many species of birds, including pinkfooted geese, nest in the summer.

Almost 6,000 people partied in protest against the devastation of Iceland’s wildernesses on January the 7th.

The lineup included KK, Björk and Zeena, Múm, Sigur Rós, Magga Stína, Rass and Dr. Spock, Damien Rice, Mugison, Lisa Hannigan, Hjálmar, Ghostigital, Damon Albarn (from Blur), Ham, and Egó. Performance artists and film-makers were also among the nearly two hundred artists that contributed to the event.

In an interview with the British newspaper The Guardian (13 Feb ’06), Björk had this to say about politics and the dam:

“In elections in Iceland I have always been an abstainer. It seems like politics is such a small bundle of self-important people, who don’t have much to do with things I’m interested in. Or something. But then, obviously, when you get older you realise that they do have a lot to say, right? Maybe I would just like to think there are other angles than that. For example, I got involved in a concert in Iceland a month ago, which protests (against) building huge dams in the country. Environmental (politics) aren’t any more a left, green, hippy thing. It’s something that concerns everyone, cross-politically. I guess I’m more on that page than party politics.” (Added 13 April 2006)

Click here for photos

Five people locked together using lock-on tubes blocking the only access road and denying entry to vehicles supplying equipment essential in the infrastructure and operation of the ALCAN smelter at Fort William, Scotland. The blockade started at the beginning of the morning shift change and lasted for almost five hours.

 

ALCAN are a target because of their involvement in the destruction of the beautiful Icelandic wilderness. They are specifically supporting construction of new dams at Langisjór and Thjorsarver which are to power expansion of their existing plant at Straumsvík, just outside Reykjavik. Great areas of wilderness will be destroyed and the subsequent environmental damage and ecological instability will be beyond measure.

Five people were arrested and have been charged with Breach of the Peace.

Press statement:
“Our protest is designed to express our opposition to the proposed expansion of the aluminium smelters at Straumsvík (ALCAN) and Grundartangi (Century), as well as the construction of an anode factory at Katanes (R&D Carbon) and yet another Century smelter at Helguvik. We find it wholly unacceptable that the Faxaflói bay should become the most highly polluted area in Northern Europe, yet this is what will happen if these plans go ahead.

The additional sacrifices of Iceland’s most precious natural jewels, the Ramsar protected wetlands of Thjorsarver and one of Europe’s most beautiful lakes, Langisjor, to facilitate the expansions of the ALCAN and Century smelters are completely unacceptable.

We also wish to show our solidarity with the people who have suffered from ALCAN’s immoral and inhuman working practices around the world; from the workers at Straumsvík who have contacted us to describe their unacceptable working conditions and the abuse of employees’ rights, to the inhabitants of the Kashipur district of India who have been fighting for twelve years against a planned bauxite mine and ALCAN aluminium plant which will force at least 20,000 people to leave their farm lands and will pollute their water supply ( see www.saanet.org ), not forgetting the residents of Hafnarfjördur in Iceland who are demanding a local referendum on the expansion of the ALCAN plant.

We urge the Icelandic press to better inform themselves about the environmental impact of the planned build-up of heavy industry around Faxaflói bay, and equally about the record and working practices of the foreign companies that the Icelandic government continues to eulogize and acclaim as the saviors of Iceland.”

 

On ALCAN see:

Down with ALCAN!

Alcan’t – The struggle against Alcan in India

www.kashipur.info

ALCAN CSR Profile 2005 pdf – Can ALCAN claim to be the Best? It’s Corporate and Social Responsibility in Question

This time around Reykjavík was host to an International Conference on Anode Rodding Plants for Primary Aluminium Smelters. At the conference, which was largely funded by Icelandic tax payers’ money, Iceland was yet again being offered up for sale as a cheap country for aluminium smelting, while undesirable points of view were unwelcome.

On the morning of 21 September delegates woke up to a noisy bunch of protestors standing outside the Hotel Nordica blowing whistles and horns and banging away on pots and drums, just to remind the delegates and their hosts that there is active and unfailing resistance to the systematic destruction of Icelandic nature and the increase in pollution of our environment.

Same day in the late afternoon the representatives of the most polluting industry in the world were treated with champagne and canapés at the Reykjavík Municipality. At the same time an International Transport week was being celebrated in Reykjavík; its stated purpose was “to raise awareness among the public on the necessity of reducing pollution caused by traffic”. Greenhouse gas emissions from the ALCOA smelter in Reyðarfjörður will be equal to that of 172.000 cars; the entire car-fleet of Iceland!

Together with NatureWatch and youngsters of Ungrót, Saving Iceland organized another noise protest outside the Municipality as the mayor welcomed delegates of the conference. A heavy police presence was deemed necessary to protect the polluting fat cats while they sipped champagne and listened to fawning speeches of Icelandic dignitaries. For two hours environmentalists put on street performances and vigorously banged on their drums. A large window on the side of the building gave the delegates a good view of the crowd and their banners.

The protestors were content with their ample supplies of green skyr (Icelandic dairy product very useful for splashing on poisoners of the earth!) and in the spirit of sharing offered the delegates to have some on their way out from the mayor’s visit. This generosity caused unexplained tremors amongst the cops and delegates alike. Perhaps bad memories from last June had something to do with it…

A 14 year old protestor was arrested for
mooning at the aluminium sophisticates!

23 September

Delegates of the conference visited the aluminium smelters at Straumsvík and Grundartangi. Saving Iceland went to the ALCAN factory to warn them what aluminium smelting can do to their health.

To indicate solidarity with the people who have suffered from ALCAN’s immoral and inhuman working practices around the world the protestors sang The Alcan Song:

“It’s ALCAN the Aluminium Man
The Aluminium Man with the Aluminium Plan
For making lots of aluminium
Out of other peoples land!

Will this Man of Aluminium
Realize what he’s done,
Once he’s done what he is about to start?
He’s got aluminium, but he’s got no heart!”

Meanwhile ALCAN’s flag was stamped on, torn and finally burnt.

Yes, there was some dancing too

Two people were illegally arrested for throwing a harmless and perfectly legal smoke-bomb into an open field. One of them was arrested for driving a “stolen” car from the protest, even if the owner of the car gave immediate proof thathe had his permission to drive the car! Both were held for five hours and released without charge.

Below is a statement from the protestors:

“Today delegates of the 3rd International Conference on Anode Rodding Plants for Primary Aluminium Smelters in Reykjavík are due to visit the aluminium smelters at Straumsvík and Grundartangi. Little attention has been paid by the conference to the negative impact and harmful effects to people’s health of aluminium smelting and related types of processing.

At this conference, which is partly funded by Icelandic tax payers’ money, the Technological Institute of Iceland, City of Reykjavík, the Ministry of Industry, Icelandair and the National Power Company, Landsvirkjun are among the sponsors and participants, Iceland is yet again being offered up for sale as a cheap country to smelt aluminium, while undesirable points of view are unwelcome.

We wish to convey the message to the conference guests that there is active opposition in this country to the further build-up of heavy industry, and point out the impact that this build-up will have on the local people and on the environment of those of us who live on Faxaflói bay.

Our protest is designed to express our opposition to the proposed expansion of the aluminium smelters at Straumsvík (ALCAN) and Grundartangi (Century), as well as the construction of an anode factory at Katanes (R&D Ltd.) and yet another Century smelter at Helguvik. We find it wholly unacceptable that the Faxaflói bay should become the most highly polluted area in Northern Europe, yet this is what will happen if these plans go ahead.

The additional sacrifices of Iceland’s most precious natural jewels, the Ramsar protected wetlands of Thjorsarver and one of Europe’s most beautiful lakes, Langisjor, to facilitate the expansions of the ALCAN and Century smelters are completely unacceptable.

We also wish to show our solidarity with the people who have suffered from ALCAN’s immoral and inhuman working practices around the world; from the workers at Straumsvík who have contacted us to describe their unacceptable working conditions and the abuse of employees’ rights, to the inhabitants of the Kashipur district of India who have been fighting for twelve years against a planned bauxite mine and ALCAN aluminium plant which will force at least 20,000 people to leave their farm lands and will pollute their water supply (see www.saanet.org), not forgetting the residents of Hafnarfjördur in Iceland who are demanding a local referendum on the expansion of the ALCAN plant.

We urge the press to better inform themselves about the environmental impact of the planned build-up of heavy industry around Faxaflói bay, and equally about the record and working practices of the foreign companies that the Icelandic government continues to eulogize and acclaim as the saviors of Iceland.”

(Needless to say, there are no signs of the Icelandic media picking up the challenge and doing their home work for a change. Icelandic media is under the tight control of the triple headed hydra; The State, the nouveau riche and the bitter old rich. Investigative journalism in the aluminium republic belongs to the past.)

With the growing awareness of climate change, carbon emission restrictions may not be too far off. Because countries that pollute the most may well get the heaviest restrictions, rather than seeking to reduce their emissions many industrial corporations are looking to move operations abroad.
Iceland, despite modern European levels of education, welfare and wealth, has almost no heavy industry. Their carbon rations will be up for grabs. Seeing the extra pollution coming, in 2001 Iceland got a 10% increase on the CO2 limits imposed by the Kyoto treaty. The problem is that the lack of heavy industry means a lack of the major power supply needed for such things. But Iceland has glacial rivers in vast areas unpopulated by humans; land for hydroelectric dams that can be seen as carbon-neutral.

So Alcoa, the world’s largest aluminium company, approached the Icelandic government with a view to building an enormous aluminium smelter there, and the government readily agreed.

Alcoa proposed the Kárahnjúkar Hydropower Project. In the east of the country on one of the largest pristine wild landscapes left in Europe, they are to build a colossal project of dams, pipelines, and tunnels, diverting two of Icelandï’s largest glacial rivers and a dozen other clear-water rivers into a reservoir.

At 190m high and 730m wide, Kárahnjúkar will be the tallest rock-and-gravel dam in Europe. Together with two smaller dams, it will create the Hálslón reservoir, submerging 57 sq km of glacial river valley in the process.

Itï’s not just the submerged land that will be obliterated, but the land beyond the dam will be deprived of its water. This is intact wilderness, the oldest surviving areas of Icelandï’s original vegetation. Around 380 square miles will be directly affected, with a far larger area secondarily impacted.

And thatï’s before we mention the pollution the smelter will put into the air, the groundwater and pump out to sea.

Silting of the dams will start as soon as the reservoir is filled. Collected there, when the water level seasonally falls the exposed silt will dry out. The strong winds in the area will carry substantial quantities of dust over great distances, damaging the delicate plant life and in turn the fauna that feed on it.

That silt would otherwise have flowed down to the Herardsfloi delta as it does today, forming banks that are home to a sizeable seal population and a moulting ground for geese. Instead, these banks will erode and take the habitat away.

Over several centuries, the dams will silt up completely, becoming full and unusable within 400 years.

The mix of latitude and geothermal activity makes Iceland an ecologically unique place. Glaciers and volcanoes on the same land. Whilst most of the seismic activity is west of the dam site, the prospect of a large seismic event rupturing the dam cannot be discounted.

The government has issued carefully worded statements saying that the risks are very small on the basis of known data. The amount of known data has been made deliberately small; a nearby volcano has had no hazard evaluation done on it, and the only good reason to be deduced is that the government donï’t want the wrong answer.

Itï’s an opinion held by those who know most about the subject. Former director of the Nordic Volcanological Institute Guðmundur E Sigvaldason has criticised the governmentï’s wilful paucity of information, adding, ï’The observed heavy fracturing of the crust at the dam site combined with ongoing crustal deformation due to fluctuations in glacier loading is a serious matter of concern for the proposed projectï’.

Aside of the dangers and environmental loss, the Icelandic people get none of the power generated, it will be solely for the use of the Alcoa aluminium smelter.

Such a scheme is so obviously crazy that it was rejected by the Iceland Planning Agency in August 2001, citing ï’substantial, irreversible negative environmental impactï’.

Iceland has a population of under 300,000 – around the same as Bradford or Cardiff ï’ and with barely 60 MPs making up the parliament itï’s not difficult for vested interests to hold power and correspondingly corrupt decisions to be made.

The appeal against the projectï’s rejection went to the Environment Minister, Siv Fridleifsdottir, who duly overturned it for no good reason in December 2001. The smelter is on. Construction has already started. Hillsides are already being blown up.

Alcoa claims the new smelter will be super-green. Funny, then, that they got the Environment Ministry to give them permission to emit 12kg of sulphur dioxide (SO2) per tonne of aluminium produced, when the World Bank says 1kg is reasonable for a modern smelter.

When a minerals firm refers to a desire to ï’play a sustainable roleï’ ï’ as Alcoaï’s Hrönn Pétursdóttir does ï’ you know youï’re being greenwashed.

The area of the Kárahnjúkar project is not a popular tourist destination. Indeed, there are no roads on much of it, and Alcoa have said the dam project could provide access roads for a possible national park (carefully mapped to avoid the area Alcoa want to use). Itï’s precisely this absence of humanity that gives the area its enormous ecological value. The tourism touted by Alcoa and the Icelandic government as mitigation is actually a furthering of the damage humans will inflict on the area. We have to learn to stop valuing the natural world in terms of its usefulness to humans.

But at least national park status would protect land from future industrialisation, right? There is no reason to think so. The Kárahnjúkar project will submerge about a third of the Kringilsarrani environmentally protected area. Environment Minister Fridleifsdottir has justified it by explaining that ï’protectedï’ did not mean ï’for ever protectedï’.

What is the meaning of environmental protection if it is only protected until wanted by an American industrial corporation?

Alcoa and the Icelandic government claim the impact on ecosystems wonï’t be so great. When faced with the fact that theyï’re affecting reindeer calving grounds, they suggest that perhaps the reindeer will find somewhere else. Part of the solution theyï’re implementing is a cull of a third of the reindeer in order to offset the problems of reduced feeding areas.

Any talk from Alcoa about the environmental soundness of their plans is exposed as guff when you consider that the same money put into aluminium recycling would mean the same output and far greater emission reductions. The only difference comes in less profitability.

They see possible fossil-fuel rationing or taxing in the pipeline, so theyï’re just moving to where the electricity is cheaper. Itï’s nothing to do with environmental concerns at all.

CO2 is only a bit player here. Aluminium smelting produces serious quantities of tetra-fluoromethane and hexa-fluoromethane which are literally thousands of times more powerful in producing the greenhouse effect.

We need to be finding ways to scale back our consumption, not just move it around the world. The climate doesnï’t give a damn where we emit CO2 and other greenhouse gases, only that we do it at all. Even if we find power supplies that use less fossil fuel, we are still burning, polluting, transporting. Industrialisation itself needs to be scaled back.

This should be clearer in Iceland than anywhere else, which already shows dramatic evidence of climate change. Glaciers are in retreat, and at the present rate will be completely gone within 300 years.

Italian construction company Impregilo won the contract to build the dams, primarily on the grounds that they made the cheapest offer, the only bidder to bid below the consultantï’s estimate. That fact in itself speaks volumes about any mitigation of environmental damage they might splash out on.

Impregilo was a contractor on the Yacyreta dam in Argentina. That project cost billions more than had been planned, in no small part due to financial corruption. Impregilo was also part of the consortium that would have built the notorious Ilusu Dam in Turkey before that was stopped by a concerted global campaign. In Iceland, Impregilo have subsequently had over a thousand exemptions written into their contract to avoid a vast range of liabilities.

The Icelandic government and their power company Landsvirkjun have engaged in a sustained publicity campaign for the projects, not just in terms of promoting it but also in smearing those who oppose it.

Environmental consultant Dr Ragnhildur Sigurdarsdottir was commissioned to write a on the Thjorsa hydropower project. ï’I was asked to falsify my report to justify the larger-scale power plans Landsvirkjun wanted,’ she said. ‘When I refused, it was altered anyway.ï’ When she made this public, all other jobs she had lined up were cancelled.

Landsvirkjunï’s managing director Fridrik Sophusson dismisses Sigurdarsdottirï’s allegations with the curiously uncontradictory word ï’unsubstantiatedï’.

Even if the smelter were to be built, it could be powered by a smaller dam and geothermal energy. But Siggurdur Arnalds, the projectï’s PR man, says that making the dam any smaller would be ï’a waste of our national resourcesï’.

The Icelandic government has underwritten the loans for the project, and so Barclays arranged the final $400m loan required by Landsvirkjun in July 2003. This happened despite the fact that a month earlier Barclays had signed up to ï’Equator Principlesï’ which were to guarantee ï’sound environmental management practices as a financing prerequisiteï’.

In a globalised freemarket, the prices on which the whole project was calculated will change. The profits envisioned depend upon a consistently high price for aluminium. If it falls, itï’s the Icelandic taxpayer whoï’ll get the bill, effectively paying for the destruction of their own country.

The smelter will create about 600 jobs. Not a lot and, in a country with only 3% unemployment, hardly something thatï’s desperately needed. It will, however, be a major exporter, it will generate some income for those with a stake. Many of those will be Alcoaï’s employees abroad. As with most foreign investment, it will act to siphon money away more than bring it in.

Furthermore, the aluminium will be exported unworked; this means the real money will be made elsewhere. The use of it, the bit that adds value, will happen abroad. Iceland will be the equivalent of underpaid cocoa farmers, suppliers of essential raw material but the money is made by the rich-nation chocolate companies that turn it into finished products. The profits will go home to Alcoaï’s American boardroom.

This is about the Icelandic governmentï’s image, the desire to be seen as a world player and using the hydroelectric potential as the springboard. The only real benefits for anyone will be in the form of corporate profits. Itï’s no more than a way for the rich to become richer at the expense of the environment.

There is depopulation occurring in the eastern highlands, but a smelter is not going to change that. Icelandï’s low unemployment and enormous middle class (some 80% of the population) mean that such jobs are not going to appeal. The two smelters already working in Iceland are staffed using a lot of foreign labour. Likewise, the construction work on the project is being undertaken with the use of foreign workers.

The Kárahnjúkar project divides the Icelandic population, with about half in favour and half against. The issue is arousing passions and garnering attention like no other.

Campaigning group Saving Iceland has worked on many fronts, and this summer has been running SOS Iceland, a camp on land due to be drowned, where protests are planned and co-ordinated. Activists from all over Europe have been visiting, many passing on skills learned on previous protests elsewhere. On 19th July, the first political blocade in Icelandï’s history took place. Vehicles going to work at the dam were locked on to and work on the dam was halted. The police had to make up a word for ï’lock-onï’ on the spot!

The camp issued a press statement:

From the Narmada Dams in India to the proposed Ilisu Dam in Turkey, the story is one of big business and oppressive government. The struggle to save our planet, like the struggle against inhumanity, is global, so we have to be too. Weï’re here to prevent the Kárahnjúkar Dam project from destroying Western Europeï’s last great wilderness.

The industrialisation of Icelandï’s natural resources will not only devastate vast landscapes of great natural beauty and scientific importance, but impair species such as reindeer, seals and fish, and the already endangered pink-footed goose and several other bird species. Through this mindless vandalism against nature, the Icelandic tourist industry will also be affected and the health and quality of life of the Icelandic people.

This industrialisation will bring pollution such as Iceland has not seen before. Sulphur dioxide, nitrogen, and many other chemicals used to process aluminium, are all products of the unnecessary and short-sighted profit-driven environmental barbarism of the aluminium industry. Under the burden of Kárahnjúkar, only one of many dams planned, rivers will choke, and people will choke.

If this dam goes ahead, it will pave the way for similar dams of glacial rivers all over the Icelandic highlands; Thjórsárver (protected by the international treaty of Ramsar), Langisjór (one of Europeï’s most beautiful lakes), the rivers in the Skagafjördur region and Skjálfandafljót. All just to generate energy for aluminium corporations. If this will be allowed to happen Iceland will face the same sad fate as other global communities, which have suffered under similar projects.

The camp has cost a lot of money to put on, and many activists have run up debts for it. Donations can be made online at the Saving Iceland website.

There is still a lot to play for. Despite the damage of construction, the major impact will be when the waters are diverted and dammed. Until that point, there is a lot of reason to protest.

Also, as the SOS Iceland statement says, there are plans in the pipeline for more industrial damming projects in Iceland. If this one proves too be too costly, financially and/or politically, then others will not go ahead.

Icelandic concern for the opinions of foreigners has a large part to play here. Aside from appeals to sense, to have concerns other than short term financial gains for the very rich, there is a way to appeal to those who do only care about money. Tourism is Icelandï’s second biggest industry, and itï’s largely based on that eco-angle; the geological weirdness, the unspoiltness. To build the dams is to tarnish that image and so have a detrimental effect on an industry far more important to Iceland than aluminium.

If those further dams are stopped then thereï’s a broader global knock-on push against such schemes. Whereas if the dams go ahead, thereï’s gathering momentum to keep on with our overconsuming ecocidal ways, merely changing the source of our energy.

Outside pressure is starting to show. Environment Minister Fridleifsdottir has started to refuse interviews with foreign media. It seems that, as a physiotherapist with no qualification or experience in environmental concerns, she fears well-informed questions.

The 10th World Aluminium Conference was held in Reykjavik in June. During a seminar with the oxymoronic title ‘An Approach to Sustainability For A Greenfield Aluminium Smelter’, activists showered bigwigs from the Kárahnjúkar project with green skyr (a sort of Icelandic runny yogurt) to symbolically throw their greenwash back at them. This marks a new turn in Icelandic politics, as direct action has been previously unknown.

Also in June, the Icelandic High Court ruled that the construction of the Alcoa factory was in breach of Icelandic law without an Environmental Impact Assessment. But a government is a hefty thing to turn around. Construction goes ahead unabated.

Icelandic writer Gudbergur Bergsson says of his compatriots, ï’What they perceive as ‘in’ right now is globalisation, so they want to be part of that. If the international community can show them how truly ridiculous it is to destroy nature, the very thing they love most, for one aluminium smelter, they may start to think for themselves. They might finally have the guts to speak up and tell their dictatorial government how absolutely they have got this wrong. You have to shame us into change.ï’

———

Saving Iceland
Icelandic and foreign activists opposed to the dam – if you want to donate money, these are the people to give it to.

Protests have taken place at Icelandic embassies. People have also written to their Icelandic ambassador. You can do it too!
For the UK;
2A Hans Street, London SW1X 0JE
020-7259-3999.
 icemb.london at utn.stjr.is

For the USA;
1156 15th Street NW, Suite 1200, Washington DC 20005-1704
(202) 265 6653
 icemb.wash at utn.stjr.is

———

Incidentally, if youï’re wondering why youï’ve not heard about this before, it isnï’t only because of Icelandï’s remote location. There has been a peculiar silence from Greenpeace. Whilst WWF and Friends of the Earth have made representations, Greenpeace have said nothing.

Clearly, Greenpeace cannot be unaware of the Kárahnjúkar project. Itï’s just that they are busy ï’offering to help the government promote nature tourism as an alternative to whalingï’. They have a pledge to sign where you say youï’ll visit Iceland if whaling stops. So they encourage the pollution from tourists flying to Iceland and sweep all other concerns, even one as mighty as Kárahnjúkar, under the carpet.

A September 2003 visit to Iceland by the Greenpeace ship Rainbow Warrior met with American diplomats, but didnï’t mention the dam and smelter being built for an American company. They tell their members that the only ecological concern in Iceland is the slaughter of 500 whales. The colossal unnecessary destruction of unique habitat and monstrous pollution is ignored as inconvenient.

Aside of lying by omission, they have lied outright too. Frode Pleym, one of the Rainbow Warrior crew on that mission, said, ï’Iceland is actually a model nation environmentally in many respects, and a strong ally to Greenpeace internationally on several issues – from ocean pollution to fisheries management to climate change – that whaling needs to be seen as the anomaly it is.ï’

Greenpeace members are being deliberately kept away from an important environmental issue that they have the power to affect. I suspect a majority of Greenpeace members ï’ especially those whoï’ve been convinced to sign the pledge – would be shocked to find this out, rightly feeling deceived and betrayed.

Just like the way the National Trust reneged on its ï’for ever for everyoneï’ motto by doing swaps with the government for land on the Newbury Bypass, so with Greenpeaceï’s silence over the Icelandic dams we see those who act in our name prove themselves unworthy.

If ever there was an example of why we shouldnï’t use the unwieldy corporate behemoth scale of working; why trusting others to do your political work for you is a last resort; why we shouldnï’t get dragged into compromise with the ecocidal forces that run the world; this surely is it.

ï’1997-2005ce Head Heritage

 http://www.headheritage.co.uk/uknow/feat…