Week 7

Welcome to week 7 of my blog! This week I decided to switch gears from looking at sustainability efforts within the US, to looking at Icelandic practices. While Iceland’s geology has played a significant role in its sustainability efforts, the country has also implemented policies and initiatives to promote other sustainable practices. For example, Iceland has implemented a carbon tax, which places a fee on carbon emissions to encourage companies and individuals to reduce their carbon footprint. The country has also invested in green public transportation and has implemented a plan to transition to electric vehicles by use of their hydrogen economy. One company pioneering this mission is Islensk Nyorka who are researching and developing technology to effectively make use of hydrogen in transportation. They, for example, are working on developing more hydrogen vehicle refueling stations in order to lessen pollution from transportation.

Essentially, Iceland’s unique geology has allowed it to develop sustainable practices that have reduced its carbon footprint and strengthened its economy. While the US has a long way to go in terms of adopting sustainable practices, there are opportunities to learn from Iceland’s example and make progress towards a more sustainable future.