Comments on: Saving Iceland Shuts Down Geothermal Drilling Work in Hengill

By: Charles Darwin

Charles Darwin — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 08:08:08 +0000

Blasts rock US embassy in Yemen

BBC report – There has been a series of explosions and heavy gunfire close to the US embassy in the Yemeni capital, Sanaa.
Arab media reports say a suspected car bombing was followed by an exchange of gunfire between embassy guards and unidentified attackers.
There are reports of a fire burning outside the embassy compound. There was no immediate word on casualties.
Police are said to have cordoned off the area. There has been no official comment by Yemeni or US officials.
A journalist for the Associated Press, who was at the scene, said the emergency services were at the scene and that hundreds of heavily-armed troops had been deployed around the compound.
The US ordered the evacuation of non-essential personnel from Yemen earlier this year after mortar bombs were fired towards the embassy. They missed but hit a nearby school.
The government of Yemen, which backs America’s “war on terror”, has often blamed al-Qaeda for attacks on Western targets in the country.
US special forces have been helping the government fight the Islamist militants.

By: Sigurður

Sigurður — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 10:27:52 +0000

I have been there before and after. It is a complete disaster. Farms are getting covered in dust when the reservoir levels are low. Lagarfljót has become muddy and brown due to the silt from the dam.

By: Icelandic boy

Icelandic boy — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 15:08:59 +0000

It is not unnecesary if it creates the a healthy form of living, money.
and you had never been at kárahnjukar before the construction was well on the way and really the landscape is fine up there as is the birdlife and ecosystem.

By: Jaap

Jaap — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 12:20:04 +0000

If you look at the power production in Iceland, currently 61% of it goes to heavy industry. That is set to double with the current projects at Helguvik, Straumsvik and Bakki.
There is a big difference between modest utilisation of geothermal power, as Iceland has done in the past, with the massive, large scale landscape and ecosystem destruction that is now going on and which is totally unnecesary.

By: Icelandic boy

Icelandic boy — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 09:01:14 +0000

Geothermal power is the most enviromental friendly form of energy the world has. what do you suggest we do for power. It doesnt blow enough for windmills and the sun doesnt shine enough for solar power.

By: Jaap

Jaap — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 16:52:36 +0000

OR says it hopes to get a new political agreement to open a new private investors fund for Reykjavik Energy Invest’s projects, such as those in Yemen, Djibouti and the Phillipines.
Earlier a similar fund ended in a big row on the use of public funds in high risk projects for private benefit. In the new fund the risks for private investors would not be covered with public money. The board of the new REI investment fund is formed by Kjartan Magnússon, Ásta Þorleifsdóttir and Sigrún Elsa Smáradóttir.

Source: http://www.mbl.is/mm/frettir/innlent/2008/08/16/orkuveitan_afram_i_utras/

So it is now the question whether OR is trying to find private investors willing to finance their questionable operations in Yemen.

By: savitri d

savitri d — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 03:10:42 +0000

Thank you for connecting issues across the globe, making it clear that what happens in Iceland has implications in Yemen and what happens in Yemen matters to Iceland, these massive corporations are intentionally unattached to people, to nations, or to any organizing principals other than profit and growth. They manage to float in an unanchored ether and are never held accountable by regulatory agencies or governments. Until that changes, until their profits no longer supersede all other needs our only hope is brave work like yours. We treasure you! We treasure Iceland! We Treasure the Wilderness and the wildness in our own souls.