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Greetings! 

Welcome to my blog about the GREEN Program - Iceland. I figured you might want some direction about how best to look through all of my crazy adventures!

On the right side of the screen, you will see the Blog Archive. This is a listing of all my posts, starting with the beginning of the trip at the top of the list and ending the conclusion of the trip at the bottom of the list.

Within each post, I included photos of many of the landscapes as well as people I was with. If you click on the photo, you will make it bigger, which improves your viewing experience!

Just a note, this blog is an account of my experiences as a participant in the program. My goal for each post is to be accessible to my audience: 1) to have a brief summary of the day's adventures--where we were and what we were doing--and 2) to include visuals so that the reader can feel incorporated into my travels. I hope to have succeeded in these two avenues.

Enjoy!

Emma

Capstone!

Today was our last day in Iceland. For our culmination of our time here, we presented our capstone projects. I worked with three other girls as a mock non-profit: Global Filtering Solutions (the pun gets me every time). Our company aimed to provide low-cost basic wastewater treatment to various underdeveloped areas via biofiltration. Through the integration of native plants known to have a filtering capacity into the wastewater streams from villages, a cleaner water stream can be produced and enter the watershed with a lesser polluting impact.

The idea for our capstone was inspired by the Eco Machine, developed by Dr. John Todd, which is an ecological, tank-based, water treatment system. This type of water treatment is also being researched at Penn State, which is how some of my group members had heard of it. We scaled our system for a ~3,000 person village in India, and got the price to roughly $2 to $3 per person to cover the capital costs for a treatment canal. Obviously, in 10 days, we could not get the depth of the science and economics that we wished to or that would make our project credible, but it was an interesting start.

It has been an amazing trip, filled with amazing people, sights, and memories. I hope to come back one day!

The "Elves" in our traditional Icelandic sweaters.

Reykjavík from the tower of Hallgrímskirkja.

Fire and Ice, and Biofuels?

Today we were exposed to the fire and ice of Iceland.  Across from a farm stands this Eyjafjallajökull visitor center, where we saw a video on the impacts of the 2010 eruption on local farm life. This eruption is the one that shut down air traffic in Europe for some time. The volcano (a name which stumps newscasters), sits under the icecap in South Iceland. When it erupted, it melted through and caused major flooding in addition to accumulation of ash. The farm that sits at the base of the volcano survived and flourishes in its non-traditional agricultural role.

The farm is one of the first commercial biofuels experiments in Iceland. They grow rapeseed for rapeseed oil, also known as Canola oil. They use the oil for fuel and for consumption, and the byproducts for animal feed and fertilizer. They have been successfully operating since 2006.

In the afternoon, we went hiking again and got to go up on a glacier. We got to see the physical consequences of rapid melting in the valley as well as the ash deposits from the last eruption. 

Tomorrow we present our capstone research that we have been working on for the last 8 days. I am excited to hear what other groups are proposing!

Eyjafjallajökull visitor center below the volcano/icecap (seen in the back).

Our lecture on biofuels.

Another waterfall.

Hiking on the Solheimajökull Glacier in crampons.

The crew "chillin'" on the glacier, with a view of the Atlantic Ocean.

Færieland

At this point in my trip, I have come to the conclusion that Iceland is a magical place. No wonder tales of elves and trolls, fairies and hidden people abound. Nature is magnificent and rules the landscape. They also employ energy systems that work with their environment, not against it. This is an interesting philosophy that complements the respect Icelanders have for Mother Earth. Everyone acknowledges that she will ultimately win in any competition, so they do not aim to dominate her, but to use her resources wisely and safely.

We headed back to "civilization" today, by way of a few scenic stops. First, we climbed up canyons carved by glaciers (you can tell by the striations on the walls). Then, we drove back towards "town" in Super Jeeps, which are basically tricked out vans that can drive through rivers and mud and sand. We popped in to see a receding glacier and then on to see a residential hydropower system. After that, we saw another spectacular waterfall (rainbows included). Finally, we ended up on the black sand beach across from the island of the puffins. Unfortunately, we didn't get to see any puffins, but maybe our paths will cross before I leave.

 Glacial canyon near our campsite.

Our sweet rides for the backcountry, named "Super Jeeps".

There are many glaciers coming down from the ice caps. We went up to this one and peered inside.

We stopped at a residential hydropower station on a mink farm somewhere in South Iceland.

One minute you are walking on grass or volcanic rock; the next, you come upon spectacular waterfalls.

This place is actually magical.

The black sandy beaches of Southern Iceland. Those islands in the distance are where all the puffins live.

Sleeping at the Feet of Eyjafjallajökull

So you remember that volcano that blew up in Iceland recently and shut down air traffic in Europe? Well, it lives under that ice cap you see in the distance of the first photo. Yes, we were camping at the foot of this sleeping giant. I spent two or so days trying to nail down its pronunciation: Eyja-fjalla-jökull, meaning "island-mountain-glacier".

All we did today was go on a hike. "All we did" was 10+ miles in the highlands. We stopped halfway to eat lunch at Tröllakirkja, meaning "troll church". Our hike culminated with a stunning view of the valley we were camping in: from glacier to delta. Gosh, it was breathtaking. And I geeked out a bit at the braided fluvial system below and at my first glimpse at the ice cap.

Our campsite.

Another volcano.

Our lunch spot was the rock protrusion on the right.

Trölla-kirkja = troll church.

The upstream of the valley.

The downstream of the valley.

The Power of Water

(8/16/15) I am back on the grid after a few days of camping in the backcountry. The next few blogs will be a looking back at what was going on in that time. Just a note: I would provide names of the places that we go to, but we weren't given an itinerary. Our leaders wanted to inform us on a day-by-day basis so that we would not worry about anything other than the immediate future.

We made a few stops along the way as we headed into the highlands to camp. First, we visited a beautiful waterfall that rivaled some of the largest I have seen. From there we went to lunch at a greenhouse that grows tomatoes and cucumbers all year using geothermal heat. The food was top-notch. Our last stop was a hydropower plant, where we toured the grounds and were able to practice being a dam operator. Their simulation took into account water availability throughout the year as well as the demand from the grid. The goal for the operator was to "ride the line" to provide enough electricity with the available water supply by adjusting flow through turbines and filling and emptying two reservoirs. This was a particularly helpful demonstration of what goes into operating a complex hydropower system.

The falls.

This greenhouse grows cucumbers and tomatoes.

My lunch: tomato soup, sour cream, and fresh basil, with fresh bread and butter.

Another waterfall downstream from the hydropower plant, nestled between walls of rosette tuff.

Dam operation simulation.

Caves, Water, and Rift Zones

Today was SUPER FUN. Aside from the torrential downpours, the day was jam packed with adventure. We started off going caving in a lava tube and learning some history and lore behind the tubes. Then, we went to Thingvellir National Park and hiked in the rift zone of the Mid Atlantic Ridge. For all you GOT fans, this was the filming site for the Wall in the North. To finish off the day, we went snorkeling in the flooded canyon of the rift zone. The water is 2-3C, which is just above freezing. This water is crystal clear, meaning the visibility is 100m+, which is roughly double of what can be found snorkeling in the Caribbean. We got bundled up and headed off into the water and saw stunning views! SO COOL (literally).

In our time back at the hostel, we are starting to investigate ideas for our capstone project. My group is looking at sustainability and water issues of varying sorts. From our initial brainstorming, we thought of targeting residential homeowners in California and Texas to change their lawns from non-native to native grasses, which would cut up to 50% of their water consumption. With a little research, we found that there are many organizations and subsidies already in place for this, which is awesome. So now we are looking into a slightly different project, but are encouraged that others have come to the same solution.

I will be off the grid for the next two days because we will be camping in the highlands. Stay tuned for more updates this weekend!

Caving with the crew (photo cred: Andie Biggs)

Our leader, Bjarni, was being comical behind me.

Spitting image of me today.

Snorkeling in the rift zone.