Iceland: A 100% renewables example in the modern era

Photo: IT CAN BE DONE!Iceland produces 100% of its electricity through renewable resources. Sure, not all of us are sitting on top of a geothermal hotspot, but every nation has its own abundant resources.BTW, Icelanders did not bail out their bankers who had overleveraged their balance sheets and had, as Paul Krugman wrote, "in effect hijacked (the country) by a combination of free-market ideology and crony capitalism.....the benefits of the financial bubble went overwhelmingly to a small minority at the top of the income distribution." Well, the top bankers were arrested and sentenced to jail, while the banks were broken up and capital controls put in place. Lo and behold, Iceland's economy is on the mend.You decide whether there is a connection between energy and economy, or whether it's merely a coincidence.http://reneweconomy.com.au/2012/iceland-a-100-renewables-example-in-the-modern-era-56428?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=iceland-a-100-renewables-example-in-the-modern-era-56428 http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/06/30/the-icelandic-post-crisis-miracle/http://www.washingtonsblog.com/2011/11/key-lesson-from-iceland-crisis-let-banks-fail.htmlhttp://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/08/world/europe/icelands-economy-is-mending-amid-europes-malaise.htmlImage credit: Earth - The Operator's Manual{M}

November 7, 2012, reneweconomy.com.au | “Iceland’s famous for its breathtaking scenery, its geysers, its Blue Lagoon–and for sitting astride the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Among energy wonks, Iceland is also well known for using its abundant renewable energy, and especially for tapping the volcanic roots of the island in developing its geothermal resources.”

“IT CAN BE DONE!
Iceland produces 100% of its electricity through renewable resources. Sure, not all of us are sitting on top of a geothermal hotspot, but every nation has its own abundant resources.

Image credit: Earth – The Operator’s Manual”
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Sweden Imports Trash from Norway for Heat and Electricity

October 25, 2012, www.nydailynews.com | “Sweden is apparently way too good at recycling.  In a country where only 4 percent of waste goes to landfills, officials have had to start importing trash so they can keep making heat and electricity. The Scandinavian country runs a wildly successful waste-to-energy program, generating 20 percent of the nation’s district heating and generating electricity for a quarter-million homes.”

Maryska Azzena shared a photo to GoodNews FortheEarth‘s timeline.
Sweden recycles so well that it has run out of garbage and now must import garbage from Norway to fuel its energy programs
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Solar-powered ‘supertrees’ breathe life into Singapore’s urban oasis

Photo: The man-made mechanical forest consists of 18 supertrees that act as vertical gardens, generating solar power, acting as air venting ducts for nearby conservatories, and collecting rainwater. To generate electricity, 11 of the supertrees are fitted with solar photovoltaic systems that convert sunlight into energy, which provides lighting and aids water technology within the conservatories below. (NOW OPEN TO PUBLIC)  READ MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2012/06/08/world/asia/singapore-supertrees-gardens-bay/index.html?iid=article_sidebarThe heat island effect occurs in cityscapes characterized by pavement, asphalt, and concrete—all materials that can absorb warmth. The annual mean temperature of a city with one million people or more can be up to 5.4°F (3°C) warmer than surrounding rural areas, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The effects cascade as summertime peak energy demands rise along with air conditioning costs and greenhouse gas emissions.

June 8, 2012 www.cnn.com | “Singapore’s latest development will finally blossom later this month, with an imposing canopy of artificial trees up to 50 meters high towering over a vast urban oasis.”

The man-made mechanical forest consists of 18 supertrees that act as vertical gardens, generating solar power, acting as air venting ducts for nearby conservatories, and collecting rainwater. To generate electricity, 11 of the supertrees are fitted with solar photovoltaic systems that convert sunlight into energy, which provides lighting and aids water technology within the conservatories below. (NOW OPEN TO PUBLIC) READ MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2012/06/08/world/asia/singapore-supertrees-gardens-bay/index.html?iid=article_sidebar
The heat island effect occurs in cityscapes characterized by pavement, asphalt, and concrete—all materials that can absorb warmth. The annual mean temperature of a city with one million people or more can be up to 5.4°F (3°C) warmer than surrounding rural areas, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The effects cascade as summertime peak energy demands rise along with air conditioning costs and greenhouse gas emissions.

Wind, Solar, Hydro Benefit from Inter-American Development Bank Policy Shift

March 20, 2012, www.ens-newswire.com | “The Inter-American Development Bank’s annual meeting in Montevideo, which concluded Monday, bank officials said that for 2012, the bank expects to approve more than $700 million in long-term financing for private sector renewable energy projects, particularly wind, solar and hydropower plants. ”

“~ for 2012, the bank expects to approve more than $700 million in long-term financing for private sector renewable energy projects, particularly wind, solar and hydropower plants.”
Comments:
    • GoodNews FortheEarth‎”MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay, March 20, 2012 (ENS) – The Inter-American Development Bank is ramping up its investments in private sector renewable energy and energy efficiency projects in Latin America and the Caribbean.”

Germany Embarks on Historic Alternative Energy Push

March 19, 2012, www.commondreams.org – Spurred by a public outcry following the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan, Germany’s Prime Minister, Angela Merkel, announced last year that Germany would phase out all of its nuclear power plants. Now, with a looming 20% energy gap to fill, the European nation plans to follow on its early leadership in the green energy sector with an unprecedented investment in alternative and renewable sources, including wind and solar.
The program will cost 200 billion euros ($263 billion), about 8 percent of the country’s gross domestic product in 2011, according to the DIW economic institute in Berlin. And Bloomberg News reports that, “Not since the allies leveled Germany in World War II has Europe’s biggest economy undertaken a reconstruction of its energy market on this scale.”
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GoodNews FortheEarth‎~ “QUOTATIONS from several key sources”

94% Renewable Electricity By 2017 Is Goal For Nicaragua

January 6, 2012, cleantechnica.com | “Nicaragua has one of the most aggressive renewable energy goals in the world — it intends to have 94% of its electricity come from renewable energy by 2017.”

Nicaragua is not only aiming for an impressive 94% renewable energy goal within 4 years, it’s also aiming to make a point. For the 2nd poorest nation in South America, renewable energy is not only possible, but economically viable.
http://cleantechnica.com/2013/01/06/94-renewable-energy-by-2017-is-goal-for-nicaragua/
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Renewable power trumps fossil fuels for first time in power plant investments

www.latimes.com, Renewable energy is surpassing fossil fuels for the first time in new power-plant investments, shaking off financial crisis setbacks and an impasse at the UN global warming talks.  December 5, 2011
 Submitted by Polly Howells,  Comment by Robert Brothers    ‎~ INVESTORS IN NEW POWER-PLANTS GET SMART! this means that people are finally seeing that what is good for the Earth is also a good investment