The Iceland Weather Report

The battle for control of Iceland’s energy

2009-11-07T23:31:21Z

My latest post on the THINK platform – the tragic story of HS Orka. In the last post I wrote about how a set of investors, meticulously assisted by the ruling powers in Iceland, managed to gain a controlling share in HS Orka, a geothermal energy company supplying green energy to Iceland’s southwest peninsula, Reykjanes, next [...]

Glitnir’s Kiddiegate Affair

2009-11-04T12:54:16Z

A few off-topic comments were written beneath the last post referring to the loans that Glitnir [bank] made to children. Most commenters expressed a mixture of outrage and indignation that a bank would make loans to minors and – not least – that the children’s parents would have applied for those loans on behalf of [...]

When green energy becomes the target of shady deals

2009-11-01T18:26:36Z

As I described in a previous post, Iceland has an abundance of green energy. And as we know, green energy is the energy of the future – and will only get more valuable with time. Consequently it is not surprising that Iceland’s green resources are already the target of a power struggle aimed at transferring [...]

A Doddsson with cheese and a side of fries

2009-10-31T14:40:29Z

As anyone will know who has been following the news out of Iceland this past week, the owners of the McDonald’s franchise have decided to drop it and open a new place, called Metro. As many of you will also know, it was old Davíð Oddsson, then-PM of Iceland, who scarfed down the very first McD [...]

Power to the ants!

2009-10-30T17:08:12Z

With all the negative news coming out of Iceland, it’s important to keep in mind that there are loads of positive and inspiring things happening on a daily basis that tend to get shoved aside by the REALLY SERIOUS ISSUES like, say, the closing of the Icelandic McDonald’s franchise. One such initiative is an upcoming National [...]

YT bids farewell to McDonald’s in The Guardian

2009-10-27T21:10:18Z

Here’s a link to a short piece I wrote for the Grauniad this morning about – what else – the McOusting of McDonald’s. The Link. It’s a little more, shall we say, polished than the quickie blurb I posted here yesterday. For what it’s worth. Oh, and some of those comments below it… *long whistle* COOL AND KIND OF [...]

Wave bye-bye to McDonald’s

2009-10-27T13:15:52Z

Excellent news this morning: The McDonald’s hamburger chain has decided to pack up its frozen burger patties and over-processed fish sticks and say goodbye to Iceland. Huzzah!! Back in my North American incarnation, I used to be able to brag about the fact that in my home country there was not a single McDonald’s. I can still [...]

So contrary to popular belief, it seems we actually do pay our bills

2009-10-24T23:30:11Z

Interesting little news item on p. 14 of Fréttablaðið today. It seems that, of 192 countries that make up the United Nations, only 22 have paid their required contributions and dues for this year. That’s 11.4%. Iceland is one of those 22 nations. According to the paper, the 22 nations that are NOT in arrears are: Azerbaijan, Austria, [...]

The kreppa saves the children!

2009-10-26T10:34:00Z

Interesting findings of a new study commissioned by the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture: Icelandic children and youths report feeling better today, in the midst of the kreppa, than they did three years ago during the “boom years”. The study was a continuation of previous studies in the same vein that have been conducted since [...]

Reykjavík’s dirty little secret

2009-10-21T23:39:30Z

My country, Iceland, likes to market itself as a place with an endless stream of pure, clean air and pristine natural landscapes – all hyped up for the tourist brochures. Reykjavík’s dirty little secret is its air pollution. In fact, on calm winter days, when the ubiquitous wind isn’t blowing our smog away to the big [...]