Dave Ramsey has many Biblical quotes scattered throughout his talks, and regardless of faith status there is one that is broadly applicable worth pondering. Proverbs 29:18 (KJV) states:

Where there is no vision, the people perish…

Now, a religious scholar would say this verse is not intended to be applied as it will be here, so if we want a more modern sage (R. Reagan), let’s try

To grasp and hold a vision, that is the very essence of successful leadership…

So if the essence of leadership is to provide that vision, let’s talk about Iceland.

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How does Iceland provide a vision that other nations could adopt?

An Icelandic Vision

Now, I am not Icelandic, so this is an interpretation, but let’s try. Say we had a vision for the Icelandic nation of several hundred thousand souls, or for a comparable size population in the U.S. – the greater Boise, Idaho or Madison, Wisconsin areas, let’s say. What might we want for that community?

  • Clean air, water, and wholesome foods, for a healthy population
  • A strong and resilient economy, not vulnerable to the vagaries of imported (or exported) fuel prices (counterexample: Venezuela)
  • Preservation of natural space, wildlife, and recreation opportunities
  • Broad access to opportunities and participation in society by all peoples
  • Active collaboration across industry, academia, and government to achieve these objectives for improving quality of life

Visit it and see to what extent these ideals are trying to be realized. Is Iceland perfect? No. For example, it has few large carnivores. But consider the challenges that Icelanders overcame to get where it is. One could all too easily come up with reasons why Iceland would be anti-idyllic. Harsh weather, not the greatest agricultural conditions, few natural fossil fuel resources, a limited population to carry out all the tasks of an entire country. It might have been more probable for the capital city, Reykjavik, to have become mired in some dismal Dickensian fate, as a coal smoke-wreathed, alcoholic, shoe-leather eating Arctic hellhole.

Iceland School of Energy – Approachable

Instead (thankfully), the country offers us a far better vision. These intrepid, self-reliant Vikings developed their in-country resources such as hydropower and geothermal.  Almost the entire country has geothermal heating – economical and virtually emission-free. A strong educational system and equitable participation of women in the workforce means ‘human resources’ are equally well stewarded – indeed, with so few people to run a country, seems like everyone has to pitch in. Around the capital city, there is a host of research underway for making the best use of their limited resources. Landfill biogas plants produce electricity and fuel for vehicles. Another plant synthesizes liquid fuels from CO2 emissions. Greenhouses provide tasty tomatoes through the dead of winter. Research into wind and tidal turbines (challenging in the harsh environments) is ongoing. Volcanic minerals are used creatively for road and construction materials; local algaes are used for cosmetics and health products. Hydrogen had its trials, but now electric  vehicles seem to be coming of age, and should rapidly penetrate this market with low electricity/high fuel costs. It is exciting to see a society have the willingness to move forward in so many aspects of sustainability, on a scale easier to appreciate.

How can this vision get transmitted? One example is the Iceland School of Energy (ISoE), which is set up at Reykjavik University (RU). RU, which focuses on engineering, computer science, business, and law; was set up to have a focus on careers that will stimulate economic growth. ISoE is a collaboration with the university and Reykjavik Energy (a major utility) and Iceland GeoSurvey (an earth science research organization, semi-public), providing MSc students with a bridge to advisors and thesis projects across academia, industry, and government.

My educational background is from several very large and distinguished universities in the U.S., where the focus may have been academic research of such high levels that a new student can feel like a very small cog. In the U.S. we can feel any contribution we make is infinitesimal to the overall society. Our experts in fields are also distributed around thousands of miles of states and insular institutions. ISoE, by linking students with a larger variety of smaller, more approachable renewable energy projects underway around the country, and with most of the advisors/collaborators right there in the capital city, makes for a more approachable MSc project. When immersed there, one can appreciate a country that is working hard on its sustainable future, and one can have an impact in advancing that vision.

Spring and Visions

In Spring I teach a class at the ISoE, and it is rejuvenating to be around a mix of students from different countries, working on a wide range of thesis topics. Clearly, a lot of their short-term priorities are on what one would expect from any student – finding affordable beer, tolerable mates, the steps to graduation, their first job. However, for them and for myself, I see the longer benefit of ISoE and Iceland in general to be a vision; a message they can carry back to their homelands. As (a Badger) William Cronan said:

We go to sanctuaries to remember the things we hold most dear,

the things we cherish and love.

And then – our greatest challenge – we return home

seeking to enact this wisdom

as best we can in our daily lives.

Iceland is far from perfection. But many aspects of it are arrows pointing in the right direction for a society. If you visit, think about what lessons it may have for your community.