The Iceland government in co-operation with Alcoa are currently undertaking a massive hydro-electric power project which will involve damming many of the county's rivers. The power generated with be used for smelting aluminium in a new Alcoa plant.
Please see these websites:
http://www.savingiceland.org/node/1...
http://www.alcoa.com/iceland/en/hom...
Prior to reading this question, were you aware that this project is taking place?
If you did know, where did you hear about it?
If you didn't, do you think the media in your country should have reported it?
Now you know about it, what are you going to do?
2006-10-07 20:18:02 · 5 answers · asked by 13caesars 4 in Environment
Iceland currently generates about 20% of its income exporting aluminum. It is the second largest industry in Iceland behind fishing. Iceland is currently near the brink of an economic collapse due to deficit spending. Energy is probably one of the greatest natural resources that Iceland has, and making aluminum requires lots of energy. Iceland is presently the only western country that produces all of its own electricity from natural renewable resources (zero CO2 emissions), and 90% of all heating in Iceland is from geothermal power. Currently 65% of all the electricity produced in Iceland is used to refine aluminum.
Iceland's economy:
http://www.economist.com/markets/indicators/displaystory.cfm?story_id=7837714
Most of the aluminum is currently made with geothermal power. This is probably one of the most environmentally sound methods of making aluminum that exists. It is much better than how they do it in Texas, burning strip-mined lignite coal, which is low grade and dirty, in a plant that has been exempted from compliance with US EPA air standards. It is true that there are plans to build hydroelectric dams, however those are much more environmentally sound than the alternative coal-burning sources of energy. Would you prefer to strip-mine the entire state of Wyoming (which is larger than Iceland) in the quest for coal? Do you prefer huge greenhouse gas emissions to the use of renewable energy because it involves flooding scarcely vegetated volcanic terrains?
I agree that hydroelectric is not as good an alternative as using geothermal power,and I would prefer to see Iceland doing even more to develop their geothermal resources, but you must consider the alternatives. Short of eliminating the use of aluminum, there isn't much that can be done. In any case, Iceland has considered exporting electricity to Europe, perhaps in some other form, and is likely to utilize the resource even if it is not used for aluminum refining.
I have been following this project for a long time. I read the Economist. I'd be happier if the major media in the US reported on the dirty coal-fired aluminum smelters that strip mine coal, and have drained entire aquifers in Texas. I salute Iceland for pursuing clean energy.
Here is another side to the story:
http://www.lv.is/files/2003_2_6_Platts.THi.doc
2006-10-13 14:55:48 · answer #1 · answered by carbonates 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Unnecessary. If they want to power the smelters, they are one of the few countries that can take advantage of the technology that I developed for composite ice wind lenses to generate lots of electricity. Iceland is a windy place and the glacier would allow win lenses to be stable all year round. Wind lenses act to concentrate the power of the wind to a point where a turbine is placed and electricity is generated. Iceland could generate all the electricity for the smelters and more with wind lenses. It would also cost a lot less. In time, Iceland will regret the money it spent building the dams as there are cheaper ways to power the smelters.
2006-10-08 08:55:01 · answer #2 · answered by david s 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I am not sure what the problems are with hydroelectric power once the reservoir is full the normal flow of water will resume albeit going through the turbines and a lake will have been created what is wrong with that?
2006-10-15 10:06:56 · answer #3 · answered by bo nidle 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
1st. vote politicians out asap. 2nd. get private detective to get all dirt on people that let this go on even when it had'nt put to a vote
by the people, i'll bet there is plenty of dirty doings by them. 3rd.
get a computer hacker and start reading their email, and have them start messing up their messages. 4th. get enviromentalist
involved.
2006-10-15 15:31:09 · answer #4 · answered by arlene 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
i will look it up
2006-10-07 20:19:57 · answer #5 · answered by rose_merrick 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋