31 December 2007, Grjótháls

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30

This is a quote by Krater, J., Rose, M., Anslow, M, found on the website of ‘Saving Iceland’. The article shows that geothermal power in Iceland is big business, especially in times when big companies are looking for possibilities to reduce their CO2 emission. The geothermal power in Iceland is seen as the perfect clean energy source but there are some problems. The boiling water that comes out of geothermal boreholes is extremely useful while it spins turbines and heats buildings. After that, however, it becomes a waste product. Laced with various and sometimes toxic compounds from deep within the bedrock, the water is either pumped back into the borehole – which can lead to geological instability – or is pumped untreated into streams and lakes. The second problem is that Heavy industry (the aluminium smelters) and hydrogen production are competing for some of the same natural resources; environmentalists want to be sure that unsightly dams don’t damage Iceland’s countryside.

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29 December 2007, Nauthólsvík

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29

This is a quote from Keith Hayward, who originally comes from the Uk but moved to Iceland in June 2006. On his blog ‘Iceland – Life on the Rock…, he talks about his daily experiences in Iceland. We found this quote in a post from 14th of June that is called ‘Nesting Season’. Keith Hayward says: “I was a little annoyed my one particular tourist yesterday who, wearing coloured waterproof and with map in hand, decided it would be a good idea to stand right next to the nest and take photos of the birds. How he failed to see that they were distressed I don’t know. It amazes me how people who presumably come here to enjoy the nature are sometimes so ignorant about what they are doing. He was there the whole time it took me to get past the airport to work – at least 10 mins – and was still there when I lost sight of him.”

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27 December 2007, Laufásvegur

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25

This is a quote of Ingunn Mency at the forum of Topix. She responded to an African American lady who felt often mistreated in Iceland. Ingunn Mency and her black husband lived in Iceland from 2001 to 2004 and she found out that a lot of the people do not understand the black culture but they are not rude or hateful. The excuse for the ignorance of the Icelandic people is the fact that Icelanders have only been dealing with different cultures and races for little over 20 years.

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27 December 2007, Háteigsvegur

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26

This is a quote of Einar Eldur, a fairly well known name in some international Black Metal circles. The article reflects on the reasons why Black Metal never became a big subculture in Iceland. The most important reason according to some experts is that nobody cares about Satan in Iceland. In other words Icelandic people don’t really care about religion, even though almost anyone is a member of the State Church.

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26 December 2007, Frakkastígur

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24

This is a quote from Thorsteinn Hjartarson, principal of a school in Reykjavik. He has decided to send all his teachers to a course on how to teach multicultural classes, as more than one of every four pupils in the school has a foreign background. Furthermore he says: “It is challenging when many different cultural backgrounds meet, but part of the course [for teachers] is to encourage a positive attitude so that we can make use of the experience and knowledge of these different groups.”

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26 December 2007, Bergþórugata

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23

In may 2007, the city government planned to construct a new parking building nearby an elementary school in the area of the Hallgrímskirkja church. The parents of the children in the school say the planned parking building may increase traffic in the area and put their children at risk. This is a quote from the head of the parents’ organization, Íris Arnthórsdóttir.

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25 December 2007, Hverfisgata

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22

This is a quote of Bjarni Brynjólfsson, Editor of Iceland review. The publication ‘Icepick’ of photographer Thórdís Claessen about streetart in Reykjavik, triggered him to criticize graffiti. In his opinion graffiti nowadays is “utterly senseless and seems to have no value at all.” Brynjólfsson is convinced that its increase is caused by the bad state of the buildings in the city centre. He wonders why the city government can’t pass laws that obligate property owners to maintain their buildings.

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25 December 2007, Kalkofnsvegi

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21

This quote is from Ludvik Eliasson, an economist at ‘Landsbanki’  ,the Central bank of Iceland. At the beginning of November, Iceland’s central bank unexpectedly raised its benchmark interest rate to a record 13.75 percent as the lowest unemployment rate in almost two decades and climbing house prices keep inflation above the target. “No one was forecasting a rise in rates,” said Jon Bentsson, an economist at Glitnir Bank hf. A 33 percent cut in Iceland’s cod quota, the country’s biggest export, delays in production at a new aluminum smelter and a rally in the krona this year may prevent the current account gap narrowing as fast as forecast, keeping up pressure on interest rates.

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23 December 2007, Skúlagata

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“Criminals are better armed than what they used to and we have to review how to prepare police officers for a changed reality.” This is a quote of Sveinn Ingiberg Magnússon, head of the National Association of Police Officers in Iceland. The National Commissioner of the Icelandic Police is trying out stun guns that can send electric waves up to 10 meters. The electric waves disturb the target’s muscle and nerve system so he or she collapses to the ground. Sveinn Ingiberg Magnússon said he would be pleased if police officers in Iceland would be permitted to use stun guns.

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