8 minute read
GO LOCAL FOR LOW CARBON
Pullovers hand-knitted by the villagers of Stöðvarfjörður
Here in the east camp in Stöðvarfjörður, nature stretches for miles. Indeed, the village is relatively small, with a population reaching with difficulty 200 inhabitants. But this does not mean that there is nothing to do. In this village, there is a small store that sells handmade products. You can find pullovers, gloves, scarves, hats, and other hand-knitted products made by local people or food products made from plants directly picked in the hills such as tea, jam, honey, or therapeutic products. The project is run by about 30 people, all from this village, who give their time and energy to make unique and local products.
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This kind of store is not something specific to this village, says one of the managers. Small handmade boutiques are part of the Icelandic culture. It is not unusual to find them in other Icelandic villages. According to the manager, making her products is something very important: «it gives me a lot, when I give people gifts, I like to make them myself». What motivated the opening of this shop was especially the idea to open a space for tourists, to allow them to discover a nice activity in Stöðvarfjörður. Indeed, tourist activity cannot be neglected, since almost one million visitors come to Iceland every year. Opening this type of store allows foreigners to consume responsibly, be environmentally friendly, and discover typical products of the region.
Pullovers hand-knitted by the villagers of Stöðvarfjörður
Although Iceland tries to reduce its import rate as much as possible, by privileging local products like the small shop of handmade products, the export rate is a bit higher. Indeed, Iceland gains three places on the rankings and is, therefore, in the 30th place of the most exporting European countries. If some food is difficult to grow on the island, others are available in large quantities as fish for example which represents more than 60% of exports. Finally, when we talk about the environment, we must keep in mind that producing locally has a cost and the solution to this cost can sometimes be found in the export.
Then it perfectly demonstrates the importance of producing and consuming locally. Beyond the desire to offer a place of discovery to tourists, it also promotes the short circuit. The advantage of this one is that it allows to avoid the addition of preservatives or any other food additive as well as to reduce the rate of importation. Although, the importation of horticultural products remains present in Iceland due to the cold temperatures and the grounds that are not propitious to the growth of certain food. Some exotic fruits and vegetables such as bananas can still be grown in greenhouses heated by geothermal energy. But, we still notice that Iceland tries to detach itself as much as it can from the importation, particularly concerning food. Indeed, Iceland occupies only the 33rd place on the list of European importing countries. Then we can give an example of the determination not to import food products since 2009. Following the financial crisis of 2008, the last McDonald’s closed its doors because of the import prices of the ingredients to leave a place to Metro. A new fast-food chain that uses local products to produce burgers. Finally, handmade and local are the key words of Icelandic culture. The island is close to its land and likes to use its resources. Therefore, we can say that it is concerned about its environment and that it loves its culture.
Jennifer LEJOLY
The crater of Krafla
Effects of Eyjafjallajökull’s eruption in 2010
The eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in 2010 made daily life stand still in large parts of the earth, especially in Europe. But the eruption had larger effects than the visible changes.
Eyjafjallajökull is a 1660 meters high icecapped stratovolcano located on the southcentral coast of Iceland. It had been dormant for nearly 200 years when the eruption began on the evening of 20th March 2010. The eruption was small-scale with negligible ash production, it ceased on 12th April but only two days later, on 14th April, an explosive subglacial eruption started in the caldera beneath the Eyjafjallajökull ice cap where profuse quantities of fine-grained silicic ash were produced. The strong northwesterly Passat winds over Iceland at that time carried
the ash southeastward into the crowded airspace of the United Kingdom, continental Europe, and even western Asia where it caused a major disruption to air traffic in northern Europe. Airports for example Spain and Morocco had some short closures due to ash also being advected into their air spaces. It was declared the biggest aerial shutdown in Europe since World War II. The plume reached a height of nine and a half km on the first day, later five to seven kilometers. Also, the plume was very active with explosions and lightning.
Diseases created by the eruption
Since the last comparable eruption happened before humans started to make research and record data, many universities have started research to learn more about the health risks associated with volcanic eruptions. The European Society of Pulmonology and the University of Iceland conducted two studies concerning short- and long-term risks. A short-term study was conducted between six and nine months after the eruption. Symptoms of the people living in the affected areas were severe cough, dyspnoea, phlegm, and eye irritation. Regarding the long-term consequences, which appear three to four years after an eruption, asthma, and other pulmonary diseases as well as eczema are clearly above the average. Researchers concluded that living near a volcano after a major eruption increases especially the risk of respiratory diseases.
Along with the physical impact, the psychological one should not be neglected. For the local population, the biggest ash fall to date occurred on April 17. On that day, a rural community south of the volcano was covered in an ash cloud about a kilometer thick, and the air quality was 25 times worse, due to ash as high as ever before. Living in a crisis can cause stress, anxiety, and depression which leads to PTSD.
Besides the rising numbers of chronic and mentally ill people, Iceland’s nature is severely affected as well. Volcanic ash emissions and subsequent aerosol deposition to the ocean’s surface have frequently been implicated as a source of iron and caused changes in the oceanic iron circle. Bioassay experiments conducted with ash collected in the sea under the plume also demonstrated the potential for associated iron release to stimulate phytoplankton growth and nutrient drawdown. Due to the toxicity of iron, fewer phytoplankton grows, and fewer nutrients are available. Researchers conclude it has a significant biological effect due to a general change in biogeochemistry composition, which can change the ecosystem lastingly. Regarding the changes, it can be said that Eyjafjallajökull’s eruption has been one of the most powerful in the latest history. Since 130 active or dormant volcanoes can be found in Iceland, the studies about health risks and natural impacts are not only important but also fundamental for similar future events. With the risks in mind, it is, at least for the population, easier to prevent diseases for example by wearing protective cloth.
Geothermal activity
« Volcanic ash emissions and subsequent aerosol deposition... caused significant changes on the oceanic iron circle »
Merit HAHN Marie MICHELS
A new perspective of
THE HANDPRINT CONCEPT
sustainable development
Speaking about ecology and sustainability, we often concentrate on the negative consequences of our life activity and use the footprint concept. This term consists of two components: the demand and the supply of nature. We view society and its discoveries as a kind of issue, and the environment as a resource depleted by constant consumption.
People need clean water and air, healthy nutrition, and a stable climate for a good life. At the same time, many processes that sustain us (including the supply of goods and services) are becoming simpler, faster, and more accessible, but have a significant and frequently adverse impact on nature.
People’s daily habits, including water and electricity consumption, product choice, garbage sorting, etc., play a significant role in the Life Cycle. But let's imagine a person who knows nothing about climate change, deforestation, species extinction, and global pollution. If they start researching the topic, they will likely find a lot of materials and social campaigns about the footprint and the harm caused by humanity. The result of exploring these issues can be motivating, but sometimes pessimistic calculations and forecasts create an overwhelming and frustrating effect.
The footprint issue has a global scale and largely depends on the decisions of politicians and corporations. Of course, it doesn’t mean that ordinary people aren’t responsible for the state of the environment. For example, researchers from Harvard Extension School (2017) believe that positive changes can be caused by small steps everyone takes in their daily life. From this point of view, we may try to create more handprints intentionally, and not only try to reduce the footprints we leave unavoidably.
TWO TYPES OF HANDPRINTS
The concept of the handprint is comparatively new and doesn’t have a final interpretation. According to the Case Study by G. Norris and A. Phansey (2015), a handprint means positive changes that society makes for the environment. Thus, the researchers identify two ways to leave a handprint: preventing or reducing a negative trace (choosing a reusable bag instead of multiple plastic bags) or creating positive changes that wouldn’t happen themselves (planting trees).
Using the concept of a handprint can help many people move from theoretical thinking to action. It’s psychologically easier to cause small positive changes than to struggle with global negative consequences.
Organizations and countries can also make their «handprints»: invest in environmental development, find more eco-friendly alternatives, etc. But those of us who are not members or leaders of large and influential companies can start with simple and more understandable steps. After all, by studying sustainability issues, we can not only focus on the sense of guilt for exploiting natural resources but also learn to treat the world with gratitude and care.
Margarita ALEEVA
Farm in Brú
