A few weeks ago, I came across an exceedingly unique study abroad experience in Iceland. The program is focused on Iceland’s rich history of implementing renewable energy systems across the country and the effect that geothermal, solar, wind, and hydroelectric energies have had both environmentally and economically across Europe. Having never known that Iceland was a sustainable powerhouse and home to leading experts in the field prior to reading about this travel opportunity through NC State, I decided to further research Iceland’s environmental impact. I was astounded to find that 100% of their energy comes from renewable sources; Their only reliance on fossil fuels is with regard to transportation. Geothermal energy has become largely accessible due to Iceland’s hot springs and volcanic activity, hydroelectric power is facilitated by the melting of glaciers that creates running rivers and streams, and it is noted that there is great potential for increased harnessing of wind energy. More impressively, the drive towards renewables happened rather drastically within a small time frame from collaborative efforts from government officials, local entrepreneurs, municipalities and the general public. After looking into Iceland’s journey towards sustainability within the past couple of decades, I couldn’t seem to fathom not only how they were able to do it, but why other communities with more adequate resources, denser populations and increased financial stability haven’t attempted the same thing? Why can’t the rest of us be as sustainable as Iceland? Are there constraints keeping us from increasing and advocating for renewable energies, or are we simply not trying?
According to UN Chronicle, the five factors that allowed Iceland to implement their sustainability efforts and can be applicable to other communities were establishing cohesion among different areas of society, public engagement on local levels, legal frameworks and government support, long-term planning, and publicly showcasing any successes that arise. While the magazine stresses that every community’s transition will be different, every community does, in fact, have the potential to become more sustainable. In 2016, James Ehrlich proved just that. James Ehrlich is a businessman, entrepreneur and visionary real estate agent who founded ReGen Villages, a concept for societal living focused around regenerative infrastructure, environmentally-sound farming practices and sustainable energies in the form of geothermal, solar and biomass. Ehrlich is not a scientist, engineer or mathematician; He is simply a man with a vision. While he has many critics who call his ideas absurdly utopian, he objects by saying that his idea for ReGen Villages is not a model for perfect living conditions where the objective is for people to get along all of the time– it is merely a way to help our environmental crisis. I believe that if everyone was onboard with Ehrlich’s idea, we would live in a far more innovative, progressive and forward-thinking society that is open to positive change for the greater, environmental good.
So, why do people object to Ehrlich’s ideas of regenerative living and sustainable living given the good it can create? Why have we not transitioned into a society with environmental values parallel to those of a place like Iceland? The way that I perceive our resistance comes back to Wendell Berry’s ideology: Why would you change a system that you perceive as functioning perfectly well? Wendell Berry refused to buy a computer and give into a technological lifestyle because he did not foresee it changing his quality of life. The modern analogy to this stream of thought is that people don’t want to drastically change their way of living by shifting to a full reliance on renewable energy as opposed to fossil fuels because most of us don’t physically see climate change happening; Most of us aren’t able to conceptualize the environmental benefits that such a system would ensure. When we fully understand the effects and the scope of our actions, when we begin to think a bit more like Ehrlich and the people of Iceland, then, perhaps, such a transition will take place.
Articles:
https://unchronicle.un.org/article/iceland-s-sustainable-energy-story-model-world