Turning Over a New Leaf: Fighting for Air

Breathe in…

At the core of being human there lies a single thought that fuels our every action - for tomorrow to exceed today. It is quintessentially human to want, wish and hope for a better future and that leads people to strive for greatness. After all, that’s what got the first wheel rolling!

But just like our intentions can spark a positive change, the outcome of our actions can have unfavorable consequences on the world around us. Many of humanity’s inventions have changed our environment for the worse; our steps toward a brighter future taking us to a much darker place - universal anxiety over the state of things only emphasized by the modern world of express mass-communication that simply overwhelms us. But there is a way out if we would just

Breathe out…

Where the wild winds blow

Ancient Greek philosophers (for whom, arguably, Iceland didn’t exist) thought the Universe was comprised of four elements: fire, water, earth and air. If you are reading this article, especially in its paper form, chances are quite high that you were able to observe (and enjoy) the harmonious coexistence of those elements in one place. From the breathtaking and powerful volcanic roars, through hot, geothermal waters, to beautiful, picturesque sceneries, with a cold, fresh air binding them all together - Iceland really did get lucky regarding natural beauty.

Over the years, Icelanders have developed a great appreciation for the nature around them, learning how to adapt to the ever changing climate and utilize the resources the land has given them, all while doing their utmost to protect it. Mistakes had been made and lessons had been learned but that process is still ongoing, which is not all that surprising given the uniqueness of the environment. But while land is looked after, rivers taken care of and volcanoes highly respected, it is the air that gets the worst treatment as Icelanders face their biggest challenge yet - dealing with the consequences of an extremely polluting societal tradition.

Credit: Annie Spratt

Dust in the wind

“On average, compared to other countries in Europe, air quality in Iceland is very good,”

points out Einar Halldórson, team leader for air quality at the Environment Agency of Iceland (Umhverfisstofnun). 

“However, what we are seeing is higher peaks during specific weather conditions. If we look at our traffic station Grensás [which documents the worst possible air quality due to its vicinity to a high traffic area], the measurements have gone 60 times over the health limit this year when it is allowed to do so 18 times over one year.”

What EAI especially concern themselves with, when measuring the air quality, are particulate matter, usually defined in three ways; under 10μg (coarse matter), under 2,5μg (fine matter) and under 1μg. It is important to note that the finest matter is often man-made, while coarser one is from natural sources but they are all suspended in the air and therefore affected by the wind. They are potentially dangerous if people are exposed to them for a longer period of time (especially the vulnerable groups like children and the elderly) as they can easily make their way through our respiratory system and circumvent our natural filters. The health limit in a 24-hour period is 50 μg/m3.

Given Iceland’s dependance on cars, and the fact that Iceland has reached the average of almost one car per person already in 2019, the general rush hour is extremely problematic as it creates even more road dust that, in the case of still weather, stays behind and further endangers the population. 

As a government agency, EAI can push for changes to be made in the legislation, and they do their best given that the pollution from traffic is the one aspect they could somewhat regulate. 

“Less traffic means less pollution, so it would be preferable to reduce the number of cars on the street and take short-term measures if high pollution is expected, e.g. by restricting traffic, improving public transport or by other means,”

Einar says before turning his attention to what is easily the most problematic day of the year - gamlárskvöld or New Year’s Eve. 

Out with a bang

ICE-SAR (Icelandic Association for Search and Rescue) is an organization which consists of volunteers who dedicate their free time to helping locals and tourists alike who find themselves at the mercy of the unforgiving nature and climate of Iceland. There is a fierce outpour of support towards them by the general population, best expressed through their annual sales of fireworks, which is how they raise a substantial amount of their annual funds (some estimates say up to 90%). But this “act of kindness” over time has become environmentally problematic because it can directly affect the air quality for days to come. Fireworks are shot into the air during the better part of the day, with the majority of people partaking in the madness around midnight.

“It all goes crazy. The worst year was 2018, we had 3700 μg/m3,”

Einar says, addressing the problem but recognizing that there is no simple solution. ICE-SAR is an essential backbone of a society which indirectly created a monstrous problem rearing its head. With the whole association relying heavily on the sales of fireworks, it will take years before another solution is presented that could produce the same financial benefit with none of the negative environmental implications. At the moment, they accept donations all year round, with one of the options being planting trees, which could prove to have bigger benefits for the environment than anything else. 

Credit: Jansen A.

Icelanders have continuously shown their noble characteristic trait of being willing to learn from their own mistakes, for the benefit of the general population and the environment, and one can only hope this trend continues going forward. Who knows, maybe someday we’ll gather out on the street expecting to start our midnight countdown and the space around us will be dark - but we will know that the future is bright.