Geothermal and Hydropower Energy in Iceland || Iceland Series (part 2)

Hi Everyone!

If you saw part one to the new Iceland mini series, you may know that I recently went to Iceland, and I wanted to share a little about my trip and the country as a whole. Today I wanted to discuss geothermal and hydropower energy sources, as they are such an important energy sources in Iceland.

Disclaimer: I am not an expert, and this post was written from research I have done as well as my own experiences and things I witnessed during my recent trip to Iceland.

Iceland's unique formation and geology, as it is on the Mid-Atlantic ridge and is over a volcanic hotspot, makes it a perfect place to harness geothermal energy. Due to this source, Iceland is more energy independent from other countries, as it can produce a lot of energy without resources from other countries. This means that prices are also lower for Icelandic people, especially when it comes to heating their homes. This is something the tour guide on our trip told us about, and it was really interesting to hear from someone actually living in Iceland, and hear his experiences.

If Iceland was only to use geothermal energy, infrastructure would be an issue as many homes and small communities are completely isolated and very spread out, as I found out when I went there. There were so many lost little farmhouses and small clusters of houses in the middle of nowhere, and getting geothermal energy to them all would require a lot of infrastructure.

There is also a health implication. In Reykjavik, Hydrogen sulfide emitted from two nearby geothermal power plants has had a negative impact on residents' health. This is a negative of geothermal energy, and may impact how beneficial it actually is to use these sources.

However, Iceland also has a lot of possibility for hydropower, as it has many rivers, lakes and waterfalls. This has become another important source of renewable energy in Iceland. There are also, of course, issues with the use of hydropower.

In 2021, there were droughts in Iceland, leading to a shortage of water and the hydropower industry suffered greatly. This therefore caused a blip in electricity production, and overall this is an issue with the hydropower industry which is becoming increasingly apparent as we experience more droughts, and not only in Iceland.

The UNEP says in this article, that ...

Today, nearly 100 percent of Iceland's electricity comes from renewable sources, a transformation that has helped make its 366,000 people some of the wealthiest in Europe.

This is such a huge achievement. I did some other research and not all sources seemed to agree about exactly how much of Iceland's energy is renewable. It ranges between 75% and 100%, but even 75% percent is still amazing.

I really believe that each country needs to find the renewable resources that match their country, and for Iceland it makes so much sense to use primarily geothermal and hydropower sources.

I hope this has been interesting for you, and that you will consider visiting Iceland someday - it's such a beautiful country!!

Your Green World Blog Team💚

Sources:
https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/iceland-world-leader-clean-energy-supports-africas-push-geothermal-power
https://www.government.is/topics/business-and-industry/energy/
https://ourworldindata.org/energy/country/iceland
https://www.un.org/en/chronicle/article/icelands-sustainable-energy-story-model-world

Image: This image is owned by a blog editor.

Comments

10 Animals on the edge of extinction, You did not know about no.1 - Yangtze Finless Porpoise

The first animal of this series is the Yangtze finless porpoise, a dolphin living in fresh water in southern China in the Yangtze river. It is one of the very few dolphins living in fresh water and the only species left in the Yangtze river. Unfortunately, the porpoise is facing extinction. What is it? The Yangtze finless porpoise is a dolphin species living in the Yangtze River in southern China. It is one of the very few dolphin species that live in freshwater, and the only one that survived in the Yangtze river after the Baiji Dolphin was declared functionally extinct in 2006. It characteristically is about 2 meters long, has no fins -as the name suggests- and no beak. Its mouth however is curved upwards like a smile, giving the Porpoise and cute and friendly face. It feeds on small fish, crustaceans and molluscs. Sadly, the Yangtze finless Porpoise is considered "critically endangered" as there are only about 1000 of them left. Why i...

Why Didn't People Act Sooner On The Climate Crisis?

Hi Everyone! Welcome back to Green World, where today I wanted to talk about why people didn't act sooner about the climate crisis , when we have known about this issue for decades. I asked myself this too, and it wasn't until I read the chapter about it in Greta Thunberg's book that I started to understand the reasons behind why action was not taken sooner, and why this crisis has been allowed to escalate as far as it has. As someone who has only been on the planet for 14 years, a part of me does resent people around long before I was for not having acted on an issue that they knew would continue to affect people around the world. They knew it was not an issue that would go away, so why didn't they act, when it was easier to do so? Changing our now very ingrained habits is so difficult, whereas fifty years ago, ways of life could have been more easily influenced. Well, there are a few reasons why action was not taken to combat cl...

Beavers and their dams: what effects do they have?

Hi everyone, Today we're talking about beavers and their effects on the surrounding ecosystems and environments. 'Beaver' referres to two species in the genus Castor . They are found in North America, Europe and Asia and are the largest rodents in those places and the second largest rodents in the world. Beavers grow up to 80 cm long with a flat, paddle-shaped tail up to 45 cm. They have a small head, large incisor teeth and fur lined lips to avoid inhaling water while cutting and transporting branches underwater. They weigh 16-30kg and are nocturnal. Beavers live in streams, rivers, marshes, ponds and lakes where they construct dams. These have earned them the title 'ecosystem engineers' but we'll talk about that later. The dams are constructed with branches, sticks and rocks. They create a calm pool with a higher water level on one side. Beavers make their homes (lodges) in these calm pools. Beaver dams are both have bot...

Animals 21-25 in our '50 incredible animals' series

Hi Everyone! Here are the next five animals in our current series! We hope you learn something from this. 21. Stick insect Stick insects are masters of disguise. They look like twigs or leaves. This strange appearance makes them hard to spot when stationary. Stick insects are herbivores, feeding on leaves, and can live for up to three years. Their habitat includes most tropical and subtropical regions, but there are a few species that live in temperate areas as well. There are roughly 3 000 different stick insect species! Not much more is known about them, because they are difficult to find. The two main threats to their populations are the pet trade and people killing them so as to frame their carcasses, like butterflies. Their conservation status ranges from critically endangered to least concern - so basically every category that is on the list! 22. Glass frog The glass frog is, well, see through. You can literally ...

08.11.2020 Animal of the week: Dolphins

Hello, This week we are going to talk about dolphins. Habitat Dolphins live in all of the oceans in the world. They also live in big rivers such as the Amazon in Brazil. Different species live in different parts of the world. Some species prefer coastal waters while others spend days at a time out on the high seas. Are dolphins fish or mammals? Although dolphins live in water they are not fish. Here are only two of the main reasons why dolphins aren't fish. Dolphins have lungs, whereas fish have gills. Because dolphins have lungs, they have to come up to the surface every few minutes. Fish are cold-blooded. Dolphins are warm-blooded. Dolphins are related to whales, who are also mammals. Different types There are almost 40 types of dolphin that live in the ocean and 6 types of river dolphins that live in rivers. The biggest type of dolphin is the orca or the killer whale . The smallest type of dolphin is the hector's dolphin. ...

Eco System, Galapagos: Part 2 Evolution

Hello and welcome to our second post in the Galapagos Series. Today we are going to talk about the iconic evolution in the Islands. The evolution on Galapagos is incredible. It was these islands that gave Charles Darwin the idea of Evolution by Natural Selection. He landed on the Galapagos island on September 16th 1835. The Galapagos Islands are home to hundreds of different types of animal. Creatures like the Galapagos penguin swam to the islands. Giant Tortoises and Marine Iguanas were carried to the islands by ocean currents. They can survive for months without food or water. Birds carried seeds to the islands when they stopped for a break. Insects like spiders got blown off branches and landed on the islands. The arrival of pollinators was crucial for plant life and therefore also the entire ecosystem. Carpenter Bees make nests in tree trunks. It is thought that some carpenter bees' nests were carried across the ocean as d...

Amazon Rainforest series - part 2: eco system and food chains

Welcome back to our Amazon mini-series! Today, we're going to talk about the eco system and food chains of the Amazon Rainforest. The eco system is very complex. If you read our last Amazon post you will know the great number of species that call the Amazon Rainforest home. The Amazon Rainforest is a very accurate name for it. Massive amounts of rain fall on the forest every year. Most of that rain is blown in from the Atlantic Ocean. The rest comes from evaporation. The rainforest is known to be full of life. It provides one of the last refuges for jaguars , harpy eagles and pink river dolphins . But the rainforest is home to many more animals than that. Everyone has heard of poison dart frogs right? In fact, the Amazon Rainforest contains 1 in 10 of all known animal species on Earth! That's a lot of animals! The Amazon is home to over 1 000 species of birds, from hummingbirds to eagles. Macaws are probably the most well...

Metamorphosis

Hello! Today we thought it would be good to explain exactly how metamorphosis works. It's a term that we often use when talking about frogs, butterflies or other animals, but we've never actually explained what it is or how it works. What is metamorphosis? Metamorphosis is the term used to describe the changes that some animals undergo when turning into adults. It is a physical change that happens after birth/hatching. There is a brilliant quote from the website a-z animals that I just couldn't put any better: unlike the typical subtle developments in animals, metamorphosis is dramatic. It’s controlled by a release of hormones in the cells. Mammals usually move from adolescence to adulthood and old age gradually, maintaining their form and shape. However, in metamorphosis, an animal moves through those stages and changes from one form or shape to another. How does metamorphosis work? Let's take the classic butterfly example./d...

The life of ... Atlantic salmon

Hello everyone, Today we're talking about Atlantic salmon. Atlantic salmon are found in the north Atlantic and the rivers that flow into it. They can grow up to a meter long and are classified as Least Concern by the IUCN . Atlantic salmon start their lives in rivers. The pea-sized eggs are laid in autumn and hatch in April or May. The tiny salmon are called alevins. They feed on aquatic invertabrates and eventually devolop into parr. Parr are easily recognised by destinictive patterns and markings on their flanks. After up to several years, the parr develop a silvery sheen. These replace those characteristic parr markings. Their bodies change in preparation for the salt water and they are now called smolts. They swim downstream with the current all the way to the ocean. In the deep sea waters, the smolts feed on crustaceans and small fish for 15-50 months. However they are hunted by a number of predators including, sharks, seals and of ...

How much do you know about extinction? | quiz

Hi Everyone! Welcome back to the blog! This week is our last monthly quiz! We'd love to hear which one was your favourite in the comments! We also have a quick online survey for what our monthly post should be next year. We really appreciate any feedback and this is the best way for you to tell us what you want to see us post about and share! From a monthly challenge to an environmental book of the month - we just want to know what you think! 🍂 click here to vote! So, how much do you know about extinction? You may know some from our " animals you don't know are on the edge of extinction " series, or from the news as extinction is such a buzzword. All of these facts are from reliable sources such as National Geographic, as well as the statistics being cross checked with other websites. 1. How many years ago was the most recent mass extinction? a) 44 million b) 55 million c) 66 million 2. How many species could be threatened ...

Green World

Search This Blog