Iceland has energy to spare, and the small country has found a cutting-edge way to reduce its oil dependency. Volcanoes formed the island nation out of ash and lava, and molten rock heats huge underground lakes to the boiling point.
The hot water — energy sizzling beneath the surface — is piped into cities and stored in giant tanks, providing heat for homes, businesses and even swimming pools.
The volcanoes melted ice, which formed rivers. The water runs through turbines, providing virtually all the country’s electricity.
Iceland wants to make a full conversion and plans to modify its cars, buses and trucks to run on renewable energy — with no dependence on oil.
Update: Sweden is moving to rid itself of oil by 2020.
Writing in Swedish publication Dagens Nyheter recently, Minister Sahlin said that Sweden had the chance to be an international model in being the first government to break the dependency on fossil fuels. She claimed that, through a series of carrots and sticks, the country would boost its renewables sector and reach a state of energy self-sufficiency enhancing both an environmental and economic advantage.
“The aim is to break dependence on fossil fuels by 2020. By then no home will need oil for heating. By then no motorist will be obliged to use petrol as the sole option available. By then, there will always be better alternatives to oil.”
We must keep in mind that it is an unusual situation – however we can at least observe and learn.
It is a unique set of circumstances which allow them to do this, but I am happily amazed that they are willing to invest in this alternative.
What are we going to do? How about move there?
Wait! Don’t we have ‘super’ volcano in Yellowstone? Why not use the same technology in iceland for middle America and create ‘super’ energy source….but wait then we’ld have to carve up a National Park 🙁
The fishing ain’t bad either.
Iceland is run by women.
Kinda like my household.
The Big Kahuna said “Mmm… the US has attacked nations for having too much oil, what are we going to do with a country that refuses to buy it?!”
We will probably use their oil and as such we will have an extra 3-6 months before we realize that we can no longer afford the status quo and then perhaps they will be the Asimovian Foundation type land that helps restore some level of civilization.
Unelss of course we keep following our current political process and I bet that Nuclear Winter will make it even less fun for them.
James
It is more of a mind set. The government is of the people and for the people. It is not how rich can they make a few people at the expense of everyone else. Projects like this will benefit many more then it will hurt. Often a government of this type must tax more then the U.S., to support projects like this. The difference is that we might pay 25% of our income in taxes and then another 30% in user fees and hidden taxes. Countries like Iceland pay that all up front.
Cheap electricity, cheap heat, cheap auto fuel, no war.
Now they have Bobby Fischer, as well.
Let’s give three cheers for Iceland.
Now if they would be willing to scale up electrical production beyond their own modest needs, it would be a great investment by one of our electrical suppliers to extend our grid into theirs. Cheap green power in the US and EU would make their tiny island nation a pretty penny.
Geez, McCoy, you left out Miss Universe!!!!
One of the things that struck me most when I lived in Iceland was the beauty of their women…OH, MY GOD!
Must be in the water.
Regarding public spending. Iceland does not have an army. Saves you quite a few bucks to do something useful.
Must point out though that this news hardly made any headlines in Iceland. Either it was more a case of stating the obvious or people don’t actually care what politicians in Iceland say about this since it leaves a lot of room for change in policy along the way.