Nattura.info is a desire for a renewal in discussion and debate on Icelandic resources; a desire for bridges between different spheres of knowledge, news, composition and productive ideas on self-sustainable evolution, on cluster of start-up companies and other ways than heavy industry
The House of Lögberg, nest to the main building of the University of Iceland. photo: Bergþór.
Tonight at eight fifteen in the University of Iceland, house of Lögberg, room 101, gives Anita Rønne, professor in the university of Copenhagen specialist in natural resourches’ rights… a lecture named “Climate change and energy – The role of renewable energy and how law can advance or impede developments”. Admission is free.
From the Náttúra concert in Reykjavík last summer
An article and a sound-sample on Björk’s Spark work-shop and her aim at innovation and nature conservation in the Netherland’s Radio: http://www.radionetherlands.nl/currentaffairs/region/europe/090213-bjork-iceland
The pond in the center of Reykjavík, where you can sometimes go skating
Dr. Hilmar Malmquist of the Natural History Museum in Kópavogur gave a lecture last Thursday January 22nd at Listaháskóli Islands on the history and water quality status of Tjörnin, the lake at the centre of downtown Reykjavík. The talk, entitled The Reykjavík Pond – A dirty jewel in the capital centrum, detailed the role the pond has played throughout the history of Reykjavík and discussed the results of an environmental assessment study carried out by researchers during the period from May 2007 to April 2008. The lake was found to be significantly impacted by human activity and rated very poorly by EU standards across the majority of the criteria tested, with high levels of nutrients, faecal pollution and lead recorded. The faecal pollution is attributed to droppings from the many birds which feed at the pond in addition to raw sewage entering the lake because of an inadequate sewage system, while the chemical pollution is predominantly due to water run-off from nearby roads. As a result of the pollution, the biodiversity of the pond is significantly diminished, with fish species and plants which are important in maintaining cleanliness no longer present in the lake. Potential solutions for restoring the lake to a more natural state have been presented to the municipal council and will also be investigated by design students at Listaháskóli Islands’ Environmental Health Clinic in the coming weeks.
Hilmar B. Malmquist is a curator of the Natural History Museum of Kopavogur, next to Reykjavik. The picture is from the Museum's web www.natkop.is
On Thursday, January 22nd, Dr. Hilmar J. Malmquist, biologist and curator of the Natural History Museum of Kópavogur, will give a presentation entitled, “The Reyjavík Pond–a dirty jewel in the capital centrum: Environmental assessment and ecological status of the Reykjavik pond for the past 1000 years.” Dr. Malmquist’s talk will be held in conjunction with the Environmental Health Clinic/Reykjavik at Listaháskóli Ísland’s Department of Design and Architecture in room 113, Skipholt 1-5, 101 Reykjavik at 3 pm. In keeping with this project, the talk will be held in English. All are welcome.
Kristine Ann-Sofie Alsly Hansen and Fröy Myrhol, from the UN department of UNRIC, send to Nattura.info some reflections on what individuals can do to try prevent climate changes. Here they discuss the bicycle programs being tried out in Europe, for example in Paris where the bicycles are now over 20.000! Who would have believed that?
Many cities in the world are trying out new transport means to reduce the amount of cars and thereby also pollution; and with great success. With self-service bikes people can save the environment and get fit at the same time.
The Iceland Nature Conservation Association (INCA) was established in May 1997. It is a conservation NGO, with the primary objective of conserving and protecting the wilderness of Iceland. From the outset, INCA’s primary objective was to establish a national park in the highlands, which consititute some 40% of Iceland’s roughly 100.000 sq.km. Vatnajoekull Glacier Park, some 15.000 sq. km. was established in June this year.
INCA has been heavily involved in the public debate on sustainable and wise use of hydroelectric and geothermal resources and emphasizes other resource use such as Nature conservation and tourism.
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Green Energy Made Feasible with Innovations in Geothermal Power Plants by Kaldara Green Energy
A green energy company based in Iceland has made recent advances in geothermal technology that will make it possible to phase out smog-producing coal plants with geothermal power plants (more…)
James Kanter writes on “Björk Wages Battle Against Icelandic Aluminum”
The hugely popular Icelandic singer Björk has gone to battle against another of the island’s big exports – aluminum. Björk says aluminum production is replacing fishing as one of the island’s principal 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.
http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/11/13/bjork-wages-battle-against-icelandic-aluminum/
The Irish Times, has a good article about the conference in Bruxelles the other day, and quotes Björk and Mary Robinson:
“The singer gave an emotional speech about the environmental damage caused in Iceland by aluminium smelters and warned that the financial crisis could prompt politicians to fast-track plans to build more smelters to try to address the rapid economic slowdown. “Usually I don’t notice politics. I live happily in the land of music-making. But I got caught up in it because politicians seem bent on ruining Iceland’s natural environment,” she said.
The abundance of thermal energy in Iceland has enabled it to become a global centre for the aluminium industry, attracting investments from Alcoa and Rio Tinto. The three biggest smelters in Europe are located in the country, which has a population of only 300,000.”
Here is the article in the Irish Times
An article by Mary Robinson, former president of Ireland, Member of the Club of Madrid
and Margot Wallström, Vice President of European Commission but they are part of Road to Copenhagen that organised a Brussel conference the other day, where Björk and Nattura.info were participants. In this article they explain the urgency of taking the Copenhagen meeting in 2009 seriously and prepare it well.
We have around 2850 days, or 97 months to save the planet. That is when we, according to “doomsday climate experts”, will go beyond the climate’s “tipping point”. A point where it is no longer likely that we will stay below the 2C temperature rise threshold. (more…)