I'm in hot water, with mud on my face.
Figuratively, such a combination would be a disgrace. But on this occasion, I'm literally sitting in a hot mineral stew at the Blue Lagoon, a famous Icelandic spa, smeared in a white silica mud mask.
In the distance, smokestacks of the Svartsengi power plant, the source of my spa treatment, blow plumes of steam into the cold October wind.
The water is a by-product of the geothermal power plant. After pumping lava-heated groundwater from two km below the surface, steam is used to generate electricity and the hot water to heat local homes.
Six million litres of the excess runoff, or geothermal brine, is then piped into the lagoon, a milky-blue water rich in "biostuff" such as minerals, silica and algae, and maintained at a temperature of between 37C - 39C.
The murky water feels soft on the skin. It's been scientifically proven to help treat psoriasis patients and attracts visitors from around the world. It's perhaps the most colourful example of how Iceland has turned around in the last 40 years to maximise its natural resources and wean itself off oil.
Iceland gets 99 per cent of its electricity from renewable sources: Kinetic energy from rivers and glaciers is harnessed to generate hydro power, and about 20 per cent of the country is run on geothermal energy. In the winter, geothermal systems melt snow on side walks and driveways and heat 90 per cent of homes.
The water is so clean that it is piped straight into city taps without being treated or chlorinated. A pollution-free environment is said to be one of the reasons why life expectancy on the island of 300,000 is among the highest in the world and, it's said, to turn out some of the best looking women in the world.
The country straddles the mid-Atlantic ridge where the European and American continental plates meet. Volcanic systems and deep, porous lava rocks have carved out a country dotted with more than 800 natural hot springs. In the last few decades the country has started to tap into their renewable energy potential.
The Svartsengi power plant is a "resource park" which delivers several revenue streams. Geothermal energy provides 17,000 people with hot water for heating, 45,000 residents with their electricity needs, and 400,000 yearly visitors with a spa experience.
Iceland is now in an international race to become the first carbon-neutral country in the world. New Zealand, Norway and Costa Rica have also thrown their hats into the ring as participants of the Climate Neutral Network, a UN Environment Programme initiative. The government has also set a goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 50 – 75 per cent from 1990 levels by 2050.
SOURCE: CLIMATE NEUTRAL NETWORK
