Cracking the Code: Learn from others, then adapt
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During the pandemic while in lockdown together, Lynnda and I watched the movie "Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga," a musical romantic comedy starring Will Ferrell, Rachel McAdams, Pierce Brosnan, Demi Lovato and others. It was released on Netflix. We loved the music. Most important, it made us laugh, something we desperately needed during the pandemic.
The movie was centered in Iceland. It follows the Icelandic singers Lars Erickssong and Sigrit Ericksdottir as they are given the chance to represent their country at the Eurovision Song Contest (an actual event since 1956). After watching the movie, one of my dreams was to visit Iceland.
Dreams do come true. After finishing our Shale Crescent USA business in Germany last week, Lynnda and I flew home via Icelandic Air and spent two days in Iceland. It was snowing as we landed. The temperature stayed in the low 30s during our visit. A strong northwest wind drove wind chills into the teens.
Iceland is a beautiful country. We stayed in downtown Reykjavik where we walked everywhere. The Icelandic people are friendly. We felt safe walking at night. The air and water were pristine. We ate fresh-caught fish. Our tap water was cold and came from glaciers we saw across the bay. The flight attendant on the plane home told us, the Icelandic Glacial Water we were drinking was bottled straight from the tap. Lynnda immediately ordered a case through Amazon.
One advantage of traveling around North America, Asia and now Europe is seeing the differences in the ways people live. We can learn from others. Like evolution theory. People learn to adapt to their environment by taking advantage of the resources available to them.
In Germany, people commute to work or school usually by train, similar to what we saw in Tokyo. Both have high speed, 150-plus mph trains running between distant cities. Other trains run between closer towns. There were local trains as in New York City or Washington, D.C. The closest thing we have in the U.S. is the northeast corridor from Boston to Washington.
The European rail system evolved over decades and runs primarily on electricity, making it easy to fuel switch from nuclear power, to natural gas and now coal since Russian natural gas went away.
From what we saw, most people have cars but they were parked during the day at their apartments. Gasoline is about $10 per gallon.
Because of the vast size of the U.S. and many small towns, a rail system like Germany's wouldn't work here. There is a movement toward more rail for transportation in the U.S. Florida now has a train running from Miami to Orlando that stops at the Orlando airport. They intend to expand the system to Tampa.
The European Union doesn't have space for large landfills like the U.S. They have many creative ways to reduce waste of all types and have embraced recycling. There is a 25-cent-per-bottle recycle charge as part of the sales price of every bottle, plastic or glass. Empty bottles can be returned to the merchant for the 25-cent refund or taken to a vending machine returning quarters for empties. We didn't see any bottles on the ground because they have value.
We learned Iceland is an expensive place to live since most of their dry goods and food must be imported. Because of the weather, a lot of Icelanders drive U.S.-made SUVs. Gasoline is expensive, $3.39 per liter. ($12.75 per gallon). EVs don't make sense because cold weather greatly reduces battery life. One advantage Icelanders recognize and appreciate is their very inexpensive electricity and heat. It's especially important because of Iceland's long, dark and cold winters.
Iceland is a volcanic island. We saw an active volcano spewing lava while we were there. Iceland has taken advantage of their access to geothermal energy, which produces most of their electricity. It heats water for radiant heat in most buildings in Reykjavik. Hot water pipes run under the city streets to keep them free of ice and snow, so salt isn't needed.
Heat and electricity in Iceland are emission-free. Iceland has the lowest carbon footprint of any high-income developed country. The major source of air pollution in Iceland is their volcanoes, over which they have no control.
We can learn from other people, countries and cultures, then adapt what we learn to our situation. One size never fits all. What works in Iceland, Europe or Asia may not work here.
We heard in Germany, "Don't repeat our mistakes in energy policy." Many people think energy transition is moving away from fossil fuels to renewables. That's a political solution, NOT an engineering solution. Energy transition has existed since the beginning of humanity, going from walking to animal power, wind-powered ships to wood- and coal-created steam power. Whale oil used for lighting was replaced by oil and natural gas for lights, heat and transportation. Electricity was generated from coal, then nuclear power, renewables, natural gas and geothermal.
Renewables are intermittent, requiring fossil fuels in their manufacture and as a backup. Batteries are a natural gas product. Geothermal is an inexhaustible energy source, as is nuclear power.
Icelanders showed us there is another energy option. New drilling technology from the natural gas and oil industry can help to unlock this energy source in places other than Iceland.
Engineering not political solutions are needed to address environmental issues. Governments, industry and environmental organizations who care about people must work together toward common goals and clean economic fuels.
Shale Crescent USA and organizations we met with in Europe began learning from and working with each other. A single solution won't work everywhere. Countries and regions need to use their own strengths, not a mandated, one-size-fits-all approach. Open minds, listening, sharing and learning from others can create a better, cleaner, safer world for people everywhere.
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Greg Kozera, gkozera@shalecrescentusa.com, is director of marketing and sales for Shale Crescent USA. He is a professional engineer with a master's in environmental engineering and over 40 years' experience in the energy industry. Greg is a leadership expert, high school soccer coach, professional speaker and author of four books and numerous published articles.