Environmental Consciousness: a Way of Life

Downtown Reykjavik

From the moment we set eyes upon Iceland it was clear that the people placed a high value upon the land that they live on. Just looking at the edge of the island from the plane, there was more vegetation than pavement. As we moved in closer to the landing strip, we could see clustered cities - even these views were intertwined with ribbons of foliage. We learned quickly that the geography of the land is tightly intertwined with everyday life in all places except for the busiest streets in the heart of the city. Even the town square in Reykjavík has a large patch of grass with chairs set out to lay in the sun for public use. Every front and back yard has splashes of color from rich flower beds planted along the edge of every property line. Our own flats at the University of Iceland have miniature green roofs on lower sections of the roof. The more suburban streets have beautiful rock fences low enough to the ground to accentuate the growth of bushes and flowers that spill into neighboring yards and walkways. In the layout of the city there is careful consideration to live with nature, not to cast it aside. This reflects the cultural attitude that seems always to be mindful of overarching environmental issues.

Our building, complete with a green roof

This eco-friendly mindset was apparent as soon as we got on the plane to head overseas. We were asked to save our beverage glasses if we requested a drink refill from the flight attendants to minimize our production of waste. Here in Iceland, customers in stores are always charged for plastic bags. Even though the charge is relatively minimal, it still is enough to encourage people to bring their own bags. Every time that we are checking out at a store, the cashier asks us if we really want a bag, as if the expectation is that we will not. To my surprise, a Simpson’s comic book I found at the grocery store even discussed environmental issues in the first few frames, with a concern for recycling old electronics. Even the washing machines are much smaller than the ones that we are used to, using less water per load of clothes. We also drive by a hydrogen fueling station daily, something we would never see in the United States. It is inspiring how committed Icelandic culture is to living with a minimal impact on their ecosystem. Though it is not perfect, it shows how well working together (and responsible environmental policies and cultural practices) can change the harmful effects that people can have on the world around them.