Bjork Battles Icelandic Aluminum Industry

The hugely popular Icelandic singer Björk has gone into battle with another of the island's big exports - aluminum.

Björk says the aluminum production is replacing fishing as one of the island's principle employers. But she also says the industry is damaging Iceland's precious resources - and in particular its geothermal energy - because so much of that energy is being used so quickly to produce the metal.

Björk is participating of a project called Náttúra that aims to help nurture companies in Iceland that would be, she says, more sustainable and eco-friendly, and that could foster alternative ways to use the island's resources, like geothermal energy. "We need to define what sustainable, green energy means," she said. "Too often these words are abused."

Read the whole story here.

Comments

[Hoosierone]

When Bjork realizes what sustainable, green energy means she will discover that her relentless practice of using aeroplanes which burn fossil fuels and emit greenhouse gases directly into the stratosphere is damaging this planet. Find a place to live and stay there.

[Michael Gene Sullivan - Huffpost Blogger]

Using a computer uses electricity, adding to green house gases, too. Should you find another way to make comments?

This is an old trick of the Reactionaries - imply that unless someone is perfect they need to shut up. The woman is saying that in it's economic crisis Iceland must not sacrifice it's environment. It would be easy to scream jobs and profits, and ignore everything else in a rush to get the country back to the "business as usual" which landed them in the mess they find themselves today.

This is there chance to rebuild their economy in a way that is ecologically responsible, which is what we all say we want to our country. What is the argument against this - besides internet snark?

[CaroleK1970]

excellent point MGS!

[Hoosierone]

Alcoa builds new factories in Iceland because Boeing buys aluminum because Icelandair buys airplanes because people buy airline tickets. Want to keep Iceland natural? Stop flying in airplanes. Seven billion people living like pop stars? oh the humanity

[MarkBellis]

They've been going on about the plants in Iceland for years - Iceland has a lot of surplus electrical capacity - geothermal, hydro and wind - and since most of the country's fragile economy is dependent on fishing, it makes sense to increase aluminum production in order to diversify. Active volcanoes have devastated Iceland in historical times - a few more geothermal plants aren't going to shut down the mid-Atlantic ridge!

[KillTheMessenger]

Actually, Iceland has none of the surplus you claim. They had to engineer hydroelectric power on an enormous scale, sacrificing enormous areas to establish the latest aluminum plants.

[MarkBellis]

I said "capacity" - I meant potential production of electricity, not present day production. Iceland has been planning for a while to lay underwater cable to the European mainland to export their surplus electricity, something that they would hardly do if it couldn't be developed. In any case, the biggest dam now under construction in Iceland will have a reservoir area of about 57 square km and produce 690 MW - not that large compared to ones already built around the world. For example, the Grand Coulee dam in the USA, built in 1942, produces 6809 MW.

[carlgt1]

well for all of the raping of Iceland's resources, they ended up broke! so what the hell was the advantage for the people of Iceland for this big aluminum industry? some jerkoff in China probably owns everything now.

[CVN65]

BobbieD-is it a tropical paradise? Or is it a lump of rock, as my college friends from Reykjavic described it? It is a windy, cold, forbidding place that needs to to whatever it can to generate income so that the residents may live or even flourish. I always love it when someone from the outside tries to tell others how to live- why did Bjork leave?

[BobbieD]

Once it's gone... It's gone. ever been to Iceland? Go before spouting off on what they need to do.

[JScott]

Doesn't she live in the UK now. In a way she's right add in the energy of transporting the bauxite there as well.

[JaneaneTheAcerbicGoblin]

I love Bjork, but I don't know if she knows her home country is broke. I think there are more pressing matters in Iceland.