here is my contrast assignment - Iceland vs US energy policy

The United States has been on a big energy gulping, SUV driving, non-conserving, luxury cruise. Like an Ocean Liner magnificent in its grandeur and isolation we sail along oblivious to the stark reality that the oil we rely on is going to – possibly during our lifetime – run out. Notoriously the U.S. has spurned any coordinated alternative energy policy, ignored world efforts to curb greenhouse gasses and further alienated the international community by going to war with Iraq. Iceland on the other hand, has promised to come off fossil fuel completely in 40 years. This includes cars, trucks and their extensive fishing fleet – everything. The key to this energy revolution for Iceland is hydrogen.

Iceland is a homogeneous culture situated on a volcanic island just south of the polar circle. Vikings settled the country in the 9th century. The religion is Lutheran, the politics are center right and the economic system is staunchly capitalistic. Their energy systems are largely municipally owned. At the beginning of the 20th century Iceland was a poor country almost completely dependent on the fishing industry for its wealth and coal and oil for its heat and electricity. Iceland turned around financially during the Second World War due its strategic location for attacking Nazis and stalking Soviets. The U.S. and its allies used Iceland as a Navy Base and money started flowing in. The United States under the Marshall Plan built one of the first large hydroelectric plants in Iceland to provide power to Reykjavik. Iceland did not widely develop its geothermal energy for home heating until the energy crisis of the 1970s.

Ninety nine percent of Iceland’s electricity now comes from Hydropower. Hydroelectricity is produced from harnessing the power of flowing water. Logistically it usually involves the damming of a river, which is almost always controversial. Icelanders are presently only using 15% of the hydropower they have available to them. They intend to exploit more of this resource to make hydrogen fuel cells. Iceland could become the world’s first exporter of non-fossil fuel energy.

Icelanders use geothermal power to heat most of their homes. Geothermal power comes from hot volcanic vents. In places where the crust of the earth is thin it is possible to drill down and use heat from the magma. Iceland is right on the Mid-Atlantic rift which is pulling apart, thinning the crust and creating volcanoes and hot vents in the process. Even in these “ideal” conditions it required a lot of effort and experimentation to get geothermal power to work. It has paid off in less pollution and a higher standard of living for Icelanders. Geothermal energy can be used for electricity but Icelanders just use it to heat their homes. Engineers in Iceland point out that geothermal power is not strictly renewable because vents exploited for that use do cool off.

Iceland has learned from and made good use of assistance from the U.S for its start in Hydropower. They have used their unique geology for geothermal heat. Without a national focused effort Iceland would still be using coal and oil for heat and power. Now by switching to hydrogen this little engine has the potential to change the world.

Hydrogen fuel cells are more like a battery then like an engine or a generator. Unlike any other energy source it is completely non-polluting. The only exhaust is water. It is super efficient, providing portable clean power much longer than any other method. If the means of power generation are non-polluting and renewable then this could change everything. The U.S. and the world now possess a means to store solar and wind power for those windless nights. Iceland has the unique luxury of 85% of its potential hydropower to put to the task. Iceland has a governmental commitment to using excess hydroelectric power to create the world’s first hydrogen economy.

There is much disagreement on the practical application of Hydrogen fuel cells and the timeline for their widespread use. The first hurdle is storage. Hydrogen is the lightest element and leaks are an issue. The containers for storing the gas are very large. Hydrogen can be put into liquid form, to make the tanks smaller, but it must be kept at a super cold temperature. Smart, earnest and committed people honestly disagree on the best methods and expectations. We have a long way to go, but only our planet is at stake.

The United States is a vast non-homogeneous culture comprising many different climates and infrastructure challenges. Almost two thirds of the U.S. power companies are publicly traded, beholden to stockholders. The United States started as an agrarian society, using horses and wood for sources of transport and warmth. Wood also powered the railroads until westward expansion after the civil war prompted the use of coal. Energy consumption centered on coal until after World War II, then oil started to dominate. The United States had a flirtation with energy conservation and renewable as well as Nuclear Power during the first Oil Crisis of the 1970s.

It’s easy to just blast the United States’ energy policy as wasteful and harmful however human beings will use what Mother Nature has given the land and Mother Nature gave the United States tons and tons of coal, heavily worked oil and gas reserves, wind and sun. Oil, Natural Gas and Coal are the methods by which the United States obtains 80 percent of its power. It is simply the cheapest and easiest way to get power at the present time. It’s also a well-documented source of pollution and greenhouse gases.

Oil and coal have given the United States impressive economic, cultural and military advantages in the last century. Most experts agree that a mix of approaches is needed to get the U.S. off fossil fuel. What are lacking are the motivation and the will. Ironically, the Bush administration may give the U.S. the motivation it needs, high oil and gas prices, for energy conservation and development of alternate fuels. The biggest barrier to the adoption of solar energy is the fact that the cost per watt is higher then energy obtained the conventional way.

Many experts are touting the potential of wind energy as a significant source of power. North Dakota wind alone could supply the U.S. with 20 percent of its total power needs. With a combination of conservation, wind and the development of solar we could be well on our way in a short time.

Hydrogen generation in the U.S. is centered on splitting hydrogen from Natural Gas and using nuclear power to make the fuel cells. Private and publicly held companies are interested in developing hydrogen; however no one wants to be the first to build the infrastructure. Many in the U.S. look to the market to drive innovation, however changing to a non­fossil fuel energy economy, is as large of an undertaking as putting a man on the moon or invading another country, it will require a federal effort. The United States will have its first practical experience with a hydrogen economy at the NATO base in Iceland The U.S. has a lot to be proud of in the realm of innovation and achievement in the last century. The U.S. cannot continue to cruise along and expect everything to just work out. Pressure must be applied to overcome the political barriers to the best energy policy.

It may seem that Iceland has the better bargain with all its waterpower and volcanoes; however it’s safe to assume that they would love to have our resources. The solution, like so many worthy goals requires creativity, will and more than one approach. Many point to a future where the grid is interconnected and the power flows in more then one direction from many micro producers. More like the Internet and less like the phone company. It is my fervent wish that we could steer this luxury liner clear of the icy shoals of economic collapse and environmental degradation before it’s too late.