Lured by Clean Energy, Industry Heads for Iceland (NPR)

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=16836510

In Bali, Indonesia, this week, representatives from most of the world's nations are gathering to discuss how to tackle global warming after the Kyoto agreement expires in 2012.

One country that's ahead of the curve is Iceland. This island in the North Atlantic is the only industrial country in the world that burns practically no fossil fuels to generate electricity or to heat homes and buildings. That's because it has abundant supplies of renewable energy. In fact, Iceland has so much cheap and clean electricity, it's encouraging heavy industry to ship raw materials halfway around the world for processing on this island. Iceland says that could reduce the pollution that contributes to global warming.

Iceland's many volcanoes make Yellowstone National Park look tame. The land is stark but beautiful in an otherworldly way, with barren valleys cradling bubbling mud pots and smelly steam vents. Jagged mountains, dusted with snow, separate the valleys.

Iceland's volcanoes are still very much alive. Among other things, that means this island nation has an abundant energy supply.

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An amazing place. A very advanced society but I have to be honest and say that it would be a very difficult place to live. That being said, Reykjavik is my favorite city ever.