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May 22 2007
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The surface of Hálslón, the reservoir by Kárahnjúkar dams in Iceland’s eastern highlands, is constantly rising, swallowing nests and eggs laid by geese. The area is the nesting ground for greylag geese amongst numerous other species of rare and endangered birds. At least 500 greylag nests are thought to be at risk.
According to newspaper Morgunbladid, the birds have not yet realized the changes of their summer habitat, which happened when the glacial river Jökulsá á Dal was blocked last autumn to create Kárahnjúkar dam and Hálslón reservoir. This is to provide energy for an ALCOA owned aluminium smelter in nearby fjord, Reydarfjördur.
A protected area, Kringilsárrani, is also being partly drowned and devastated in full by the project. It is the calving ground of a third of Iceland’s reindeer population, which will be displaced.
The Kárahnjúkar area is the most densely vegetated area north of Vatnajökull, the world’s largest non-arctic glacier. Sixty major waterfalls are being destroyed and innumerable unique geological formations drowned, along with the just recently discovered ancient ruins of Reykjasel, about the most important archaeological find in Icelandic history.
The Kárhnjúkar project entails blocking the silt emissions of two massive glacial rivers, Jökulsá á Dal and Jökulsá í Fljótsdal. This will result in the receding of the combined delta of the two rivers. This will destroy a unique nature habitat in the delta and cause the loss of one of Iceland’s major seal colonies.
The Kárahnjúkar dams are situated on a cluster of active geological fissures. The government withheld geological reports from parliament when voting on the dams took place.
Campos Novos, a dam in Brazil of similar design, cracked in June 2006. Yet, Campos Novos was built on stable ground. Leading Icelandic geologists to consider the Kárahnjúkar dams a major threat to the local population.
The project was opposed by the Icelandic National Planning Agency due to too much irreversible environmental impact and insufficient evidence for the economic benefits of the project. The verdict of the NPA was overruled by the Minister of the Environment, Siv Fridleifsdóttir.
It is typical for the dishonest methods of the National Power Company (Landsvirkjun) that they pretend that the EIA they present on their Kárahnjúkar website is anything other than their own slanted PR job. You can read the real thing here: ‘Conclusion of the Environmental Impact Assessment of the Kárahnjúkar Project’ -
The Icelandic National Planning Agency
It is expected that the inundation will be complete in the autumn of 2007. The water levels of the reservoir will fluctuate and the dry dusty silt banks will cause dust storms that will affect the vegetation of over 3000 sq km. It has been estimated that the reservoir will silt up in as little as 40-80 years, leaving a desert where there was one of the most biologically diverse regions of the Icelandic highlands.
So much for the claims of Landsvirkjun and ALCOA that this provides “renewable” and “sustainable” energy!
ALCOA may think that they will get away with this vandalising of the Icelandic environment and that they can force their presence upon Iceland, against the will of half the nation. They are wrong.
ALCOA are not likely to be forgiven for Kárahnjúkar. Through this project ALCOA have gained many new enemies, both Icelandic and international. In due time these are sure to make ALCOA pay a heavy price for this ecocide.
For the ecological impact of hydropower reservoirs and glacial rivers see the following articles:
‘Hydropower Disaster for Global Warming’ by Jaap Krater
‘Glacial Rivers Reduce Pollution on Earth’ by Gudmundur Páll Ólafsson
Hydroelectric Power’s Dirty Secret Revealed
For other articles about the environmental impact of the Kárahnjúkar dams see ‘Destroyed Areas’
During a meeting today with the Pará State Secretary of the Environment, Valmir Gabriel Ortega, the State and Federal Public Prosecutors Offices requested cancellation of the environmental license granted to Alcoa to mine bauxite in the municipality of Juruti. In an exclusive interview with the Amazonia website, the coordinator of the State Public Prosecutors Office (MPE) Environmental Center, Prosecutor Raimundo Moraes, explained that the decision to request suspension aims at averting a violent reaction by the local population, which wants the company to leave at any cost, and also to conduct a rigorous review of the license.
Although mining operations are only scheduled to begin in 2008, during public hearings held on May 2nd and 3rd, the community claims that it is already suffering impacts from construction of lodgings for employees of the multinational, a port and a road.
Moraes said, “the impacts are so obvious that Alcoa has not denied any of them. Alcoa said it was correcting the problems and recognized that it does not enjoy good relations with the community”. Moraes, however, stated that the problems run deep and will not be set straight with just repairs.Impacts One of the main complaints raised at the hearings is contamination of the waters in rivers that flow through the town.
Technical studies detected the presence of feces coliforms in Jará Lake, which supplies water to the municipality, and data from the municipal health department show that cases of viral hepatitis, caused by ingesting water contaminated by human feces, jumped from 26 in 2006 to 121 in the first four months of this year. The community accuses Alcoa of not performing proper treatment on sewage from the lodging of its employees. Moreover, Incra representatives present at the meetings presented pictures and other documents that prove that the company is conducting deforestation in areas not authorized inside the Juruti Velho and Socó Agro-extractivist Settlement Projects.
Another complaint is the increased expenses of public agencies, which are faced with increased demands for health, education and infrastructure. “If, after the review is conducted, Alcoa can act correctly, alright, otherwise it would be best for them to leave, as we do not need to bear these costs. It is unfair that they keep the riches produced here and we keep the burdens”, says Moraes.
The prosecutor believes that the population has shown its lack of trust in the company and accuses the multinational of trying to upset the hearings. “They tried to co-opt leaders, offering 10 jobs to each community”.
License
The preliminary license for installation of the Alcoa plant was granted by the State Environmental Council (Coema) in 2005. At the time, the representative of the State Public Prosecutors Office (MPE) voted against the authorization. Soon afterward, the agency, together with the Federal Public Prosecutors Office (MPF), filed a class action suit petitioning for the suspension of the company’s activities in the region.
The hearings this week were attended by the coordinator of the MPE Environmental Center, Prosecutor Raimundo Moraes and Federal Attorney Daniel César Azeredo Avelino, who commands the (Federal Public Prosecutors Office (MPF) in Santarém. Members from both agencies also visited the affected locations.
By Renata Gaspar
Link: http://www.amazonia.org.br
11 May 2007
Nú verður gengið til kosninga á morgun(í dag) og í því tilefni er rétt að minna fólk á þá lýðræðislegu ábyrgð sem hver og einn ber. Andstæðingar stóriðjustefnu gengu í gær niður Laugarveginn og á kosningaskrifstofur núverandi ríkisstjórnar til að minna á stefnu sem hún hefur staðið fyrir síðastliðin ár hvað varðar náttúruspjöll og stóriðjuframkvæmdir á íslandi. Ekki selja atkvæði þitt fyrir græna frostpinna, barmerki og pulsur. Ekki falla fyrir innantómum loforðum framtíðarinnar, ekki smitast af afstöðuleysi neysluhyggjunnar . Fortíðin sýnir greinilega hvaða hugarfar og stefnu þessir flokkar standa fyrir. Gerðu skynsemisgyðjuna glaða! Taktu skynsama afstöðu MEÐ framtíðinni.
Iceland Review
05/09/2007
Applicant for public prosecutor withdraws application
Jóhannes Rúnar Jóhannsson, one of five applicants for public prosecutor, has withdrawn his application primarily because he believes Minister of Justice Björn Bjarnason has already reserved the position for someone else.
According to Fréttabladid, the minister had told applicants he would announce his decision last Friday, but on Friday he said his decision would be delayed.
“If you ask me, my feeling is that the position has already been assigned,” Jóhannsson said, explaining he suspected the current deputy police chief in the capital region, Jón H. B. Snorrason, would be the next public prosecutor.
Bjarnason denied the position had been reserved for anyone. “I told applicants they could expect a decision before or after last weekend. Then one of the applicants withdrew his application and that made matters more complicated.”
Bjarnason would not reveal when he would reach his final decision, but said it may have to wait until after the elections on Saturday.
Fréttabladid was unsuccessful in reaching Snorrason.
May 09 2007
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Update: ALCAN prefered murderous Rio Tinto. So now its ALCAN – Rio Tinto. Nice addition to the corporate criminals that the Icelandic government like to wag their tails to. This indicates the true nature of Icelandic politics.
7 May 2007
Alcoa have announced plans to take over Canadian aluminium company Alcan, both companies own infamous smelters in Iceland: Alcoa in Reydarfjördur, Eastfjords, and Alcan in Hafnarfjördur, near Reykjavík.
An informal takeover offer amounts to nearly USD 33 billion (EUR 24 billion).
Bank of America recently upgraded its estimation of Alcan’s shares from USD 62 (EUR 46) to USD 82 (EUR 61) per share. Financial experts believe other aluminium companies may want to invest in Alcan as well.
Alcoa and Alcan have discussed cooperation for nearly two years, which has not been successful, thus Alcoa is planning a takeover.
According to information from Alcan in Iceland, the news about the takeover came as a surprise.
There have been persistent rumours that Rio Tinto is planning a hostile takeover of Alcoa.
Iceland Review
05/23/2007
Alcan rejects Alcoa’s takeover offer
Canadian aluminum company Alcan rejected the takeover offer from US aluminum company Alcoa yesterday. Alcoa is the mother company of the smelter in Reydarfjördur, east Iceland, while Alcan operates the smelter near Reykjavík.
Alcoa’s takeover offer for Alcan’s entire share capital was USD 33 billion (EUR 25 billion). Had Alcan accepted the offer, Alcoa would have become the world’s largest aluminum conglomerate, Morgunbladid reports.
According to a statement from Alcan, the company’s board was unanimous in their decision not to accept Alcoa’s offer. Alcan CEO Yves Fortier said the offer had not reflected the company’s value or potential growth.
Alcoa CEO Alain Belda said the offer had been made following two years of discussion between the management of the two companies. Belda said both companies would profit from a merger.
http://www.icelandreview.com/icelandrevi…
UPDATE: Voters booted Bjartmarz out of Icelandic politics in the general elections 12 May. But her track record is ugly and Icelandic nature will be smarting for a long time after her dark reign as Minister of the Environment. One of her final crimes against nature was to OK, against all scientific advise, a disastrous road scheme by lake Thingvallavatn in the Thingvellir National Park. This area is on the UNESCO World Heritage list for it’s unique nature. The plan is to build a motorway through the Gjábakka area, much too close to the lake. This road must be resisted and stopped.
Iceland Review
05/02/2007
Lesson #7232: Nothing Unusual about Political Corruption
Last month it was revealed that a 21-year-old woman from Guatemala was granted citizenship directly from the Icelandic parliament after having lived in Iceland for only 15 months on a student visa.
What’s more, the woman’s registered address is at the residence of Jónína Bjartmarz, a high-ranking MP in the Progressive Party and Minister of the Environment. Upon closer investigation is was uncovered that the woman is in fact the girlfriend of Bjartmarz’s son and that Bjartmarz herself was listed as the woman’s representative for immigration purposes. Welcome to the wild rollercoaster of Icelandic politics. Buckle up because clearly someone has greased these gears of bureaucracy and we may all soon be thrown from the tracks.
Because this case smacks of corruption, the media and private citizens alike have repeatedly demanded an explanation for why the woman was granted Icelandic citizenship, when the law stipulates that foreigners must be domiciled for seven years in the country before they are eligible to apply.
Time and again Jónína Bjartmarz, and two of the members from the parliamentary committee that grants citizenship, Bjarni Benediktsson and Gudrún Ögmundsdóttir, have used the same defense: “There was nothing unusual about the handling of this case.”
If only I had known it was so easy to get citizenship.
As a foreigner living in Iceland, the last four and half years of my existence have been dedicated to learning what it means to be a member of this society. I spent three years at the University of Iceland to get my degree in Icelandic for foreign students. I’ve built up a circle of Icelandic friends who support me in my life and respect me as a peer. I’ve worked here as a humble janitor at a shopping center, and then as a translator in the opulent office of a bank CEO.
Like Lucia Celeste Molina Sierra, the woman who was mysteriously granted citizenship after 15 months, I’ve had the great privilege of falling in love with an Icelander. But I’ve also read Halldór Laxness’s books and Jónas Hallgrímsson’s poetry. Additionally, I’ve learned that to make good uppstúfur sauce for plokkfiskur you have to stir it continuously so it doesn’t get lumpy, that the best time for camping is the first weekend in July, that the word for cow is declined kýr-kú-kú-kýr, and that the Icelandic people are some of the most fair-minded people in the world, or so I thought.
I reject these politicians’ half-hearted explanation that “there was nothing unusual about the handling of this case.” The very purpose of referring applications rejected by the Directorate of Immigration to the parliament is when there is something outstanding about the application—when there are mitigating factors at hand. Because of these extenuating circumstances, the parliament, in its infinite wisdom, sees fit to grant an outsider the highest honor he or she can receive: to hear “you are one of us.”
But there clearly was something special about this application. The applicant’s mother-in-law is Jónína Bjartmarz, and the mitigating factors are political corruption and the misuse of power.
If there was some viable reason that Lucia Celeste Molina Sierra was made an Icelander after only 15 months, then the nation, and the rest of us apparent fools who consider citizenship a privilege worth years of effort, deserve a proper explanation.
Of course, I can always just chalk this up to another lesson in Icelandic life:
that because my mother-in-law is a working woman from Ísafjördur, who sends me homemade fishballs and knits me scarves – who tries her hardest to make feel loved and at home on foreign ground, that because she is not a high-ranking MP, whose whim becomes the law of the land, I am less deserving of being a part of this country.
Lesson learned.
JM – jonas at icelandreview.com
Iceland Review
05/03/2007
Lawyer: No other examples of citizenship issued in ten days
According to Margrét Steinarsdóttir, a lawyer at the Intercultural Center in Reykjavík (Althjódahús), there has never been a case of a person being granted Icelandic citizenship in only ten days, as in the case of a woman recently granted citizenship, who has close ties to the Minister for the Environment.
The woman from Central America had lived in Iceland for 15 months on a student visa before she was granted citizenship. Her permanent address is registered at the home of Jónína Bjartmarz, Iceland’s Minister for the Environment, who is her boyfriend’s mother. Ruv.is reports.
Usually foreign citizens are required to have lived in Iceland for seven years before they apply for citizenship. As the woman had only lived in the country for one and a half years, she had to apply for an exemption directly from the parliament’s General Committee.
According to ruv.is, the reason for her application was constrictions on the ability to travel. The woman, who is to begin her studies in the UK, would have had to renew her residence permit for Iceland every time she traveled from Britain to Iceland.
Apparently only ten days passed from the time the Ministry of Justice received the woman’s application until she was granted citizenship from the parliament’s General Committee.
On the website of Iceland’s Directorate of Immigration it is stated that the average processing time for an application for citizenship is five to 12 months.
According to the Icelandic parliament, 45 individuals were granted citizenship due to an exemption from conditions for citizenship in the last parliamentary session, eight of whom had lived in Iceland for less than two years.
Most applicants had personal or family-related reasons for applying for an exemption, some were granted citizenship because of their potential contribution to Icelandic society, others because of humanitarian reasons. Only five mentioned constrictions on the ability to travel.
Bjartmarz claimed in an interview on RÚV news program Kastljós on Friday that she had nothing to do with her son’s girlfriend being granted Icelandic citizenship.
Iceland Review
04/27/2007
Girlfriend of minister’s son granted citizenship
Iceland’s parliament agreed to grant a woman from Central America Icelandic citizenship one month ago after only 15 months in the country on a student visa. The woman apparently has close ties to Jónína Bjartmarz, Iceland’s Minister of the Environment.
According to RÚV, the woman in question, who is in her early twenties, has a registered address at the Minister’s residence and is her son’s girlfriend.
In a television interview with three members of the parliament’s General Committee, the body granting citizenship, it was made know that the woman’s situation was very different from the situation of the other 17 applicants, who were granted citizenship at the same time.
They had been living in Iceland for many years, but without having their permanent residence registered in Iceland, suffered from illnesses, or were the children of Icelandic citizens. There were 38 applicants in total, but 20 were rejected by the committee.
The members of the committee would not comment on why the woman from Central America was granted citizenship after only 15 months in the country.
The Directorate of Immigration was opposed to granting the woman citizenship. The general rule for granting citizenships is that applicants must have had a permanent residency in Iceland for seven years, though there are some exceptions to that rule, including cases as listed above.