Iceland's beauty offers lessons about being kind to the environment
So begins my sagas of Iceland, or Nan’s Tales of Travel.
Iceland is known for its sagas, the stories told over the generations of how their people became to exist on this island, and of the natural wonders and mysteries of their land − volcanos, earthquakes, geysers, thermal baths, steaming ground, trolls, elves and glaciers.
We were unbelievably gifted with outstanding weather, as Iceland is known for very challenging extremes − strong winds, blowing rain, temperatures that can range from freezing to 65 degrees within an hour or two.
But this is not the first saga I will relate, that of weather, northern lights or natural wonders. My first saga is that of plastic bags or the lack of a plastic bag in Iceland. You see, Iceland is an Island country, about the size of Kentucky. It is surrounded by water − Greenland Sea, North Atlantic Ocean and the Norwegian Sea.
The people live along the coast, as the interior of the country is mountainous and volcanic. Iceland has seen a huge increase in tourism since 2012; just before COVID-19 took its toll, Iceland hosted 2.3 million visitors in 2018; as of the 2020 census, Iceland has 366,000 permanent residents. Those numbers are crazy!
Needless to say, tourism (and fishing) is a major economic driver for this country. And why do people visit Iceland? It is a place of unending beauty, mystery and wonder!
And no plastic bags. We have unending natural beauty in North Carolina. We have amazing mountains, soon to be draped in golds, reds and oranges; people will drive along the Blue Ridge Parkway to breathe in the beauty. Why do we continue to trash our own home?
You can start with saying no to plastic shopping bags; they don’t go away even when you put them in the trash. They break down into microplastics that eventually get into our soils and water systems. We have trash on our roadways. Our state is amazingly scenic and worthy of millions of visitors, and yet we are our own worst enemies!
This becomes the individual’s battle. If we all are responsible for our own habits, make your habits environmentally sound. We are watching as our climate changes; we have to do what little we can to be part of the solution; energy consumption, driving, waste in general. All things we can be aware of so as to make adjustments to our world.
Iceland also boasts of the cleanest water in the world; I can attest to the amazing, glacial water − clean, cold and available for free. No plastic water bottles necessary! In fact, they have signs posted next to drinking fountains telling of their great water, and why would folks buy water in a plastic bottle (that can leach back into the water)?
I know, with a country the size of Kentucky, with a population at 366,000 and tourists who are primed to keep this country pristine (which is why they came in the first place), it may be an easier “sell” to keep Iceland clean. But folks, I have to tell you, with all of the waterfalls, the black sand beaches, crashing waves, majestic mountain peaks, roaming sheep, whales and seals, delicious freshly made ice cream, just harvested fish for dinner, we did miss North Carolina.
We have so much to boast about, we are equally but differently scenic, we just need to treat our home as if we were the tourists!
Backyard Compost Workshop
When: 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. or 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 13, 2022
Where: Citizens Resource Center, 1303 Dallas Cherryville Highway, Dallas
Cost: Free
Questions: Contact Nan Kirlin at nan.kirlin@gastongov.com to register.
Nan Kirlin is Gaston County's recycling coordinator.