In a report for the BBC's
Costing the Earth radio programme,
Alex Kirby has reported on a long-running campaign against the building of an
aluminium smelter + 11 hydro-electric dams on
Iceland's east coast by the mining multi-national,
Alcoa.
The building of the smelter has been proposed because a very large proportion of Iceland's economy is currently accounted for by just
fishing + tourism.
With so few opportunities for paid employment many of Iceland's rural areas have experienced considerable
depopulation and the government is thus keen to ensure that existing communities remain viable by
diversifying the country's economy and providing
new jobs in remote areas.
Unfortunately, the
damming of rivers in order to power such a smelter could adversely affect the
migration of fish, reindeer + goose communities, increase
soil erosion (along exposed shore-lines) and would permanently alter a beautiful and
relatively pristine landscape... with the smelter itself also having a serious impact on the area's future
tourism potential.