Last week we visited Landsvirkjun, Iceland’s national power company. Before we met with their representative, the group made a stop at the Búrfell Dam. As always in Iceland, I was captivated by the beauty of the surrounding landscape. However after more reflection I realized I didn’t know that much about dams. While I’ve always been familiar with alternative energy sources such as wind, solar, and geothermal, damming is something I’ve never really personally encountered, and so I never thought much about. Unfortunately, when we met with the representative at Landvirkjun, he didn’t talk much about the country’s use of hydropower, instead focusing on the company’s new wind energy initiative. He even took us to the site of a potential new wind farm. Once again, damming retreated into the back of my mind.
A few days afterwards we watched Dreamland, an Icelandic documentary about the country’s environmental preservations, primarily focusing on the construction of dams. The film was extremely enlightening. I learned that not only do dams harm the scenic beauty of landscapes, such as totally burying waterfalls and rivers, but they also can be extremely harmful to the ecosystem. Changes in water levels can kill vegetation and disrupt animals instincts and patterns. This experience has totally opened my eyes to damming, and I plan on investigating more into damming, especially in my home area and where I go to school.
-Caroline Barth