Harvey Scholar Travels - Dan L. in Iceland

Iceland: the Land of Ice and Fire. I’ve only heard of the isle’s Nordic heritage through stories, and only seen pictures of the mythical landscape, but this past summer, I had the marvelous opportunity to join the GREEN Program team on a 10-day expedition into Iceland to learn more about the Nature, culture, and renewable energy sources of the nation.

Iceland has always been on the bucket list for me, as it seems to be the adventurer’s paradise: glaciers, volcanoes, mountains, ocean coastlines…the vastness of the land offered unlimited possibility. And boy, was I right about it being paradise.

Thanks to the Harvey Scholarship, I got to fly into Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland, and join an international team of around 25 other students in hiking through the highlands of Þórsmörk, drinking from glacial streams, and caving into the heart of the Earth through Iceland’s extensive lava tunnel system (shout out to Midgard Adventure, the toughest, Viking tour guides in all of Iceland!).

Though Iceland’s scenic Nature stole the show, the highlight of the adventure had to be the wonderful people I befriended in those tem days. Business, science, and engineering students came from all over the world: USA, UK, Hong Kong, Canada, even Australia! And though we seemed to have come from different worlds altogether, all of us bonded over a mutual fascination toward Iceland’s majesty, and a common passion for preserving the Earth for generations to come. These people will forever hold a dear place in my heart, and I know the adventures we partook in with each other have cemented the fellowship of a lifetime.

At the same time, I came to Iceland with another goal besides reconnecting with what felt like a more primal spirit of Nature. Iceland prides itself in sustainable practices, fueling 95-97% of their energy demand with renewable energy. Throughout my journey, I had the chance to take introductory renewable energy courses at Reykjavik University and visit some of the largest geothermal, hydropower, and biodiesel energy production facilities in the country. It was surprisingly refreshing to see where exactly my engineering degree could be used to build a sustainable future for my children.

The 10 days at Iceland concluded with an energy “capstone project”, in which groups of us presented entrepreneurial methods of promoting renewable energy in the form of marketing products that ranged from organizational websites, to educational backpacks for 3^rd world country children, to large scale engineering processes that reduce waste and increase efficiency. My team and I pitched the idea of nuclear desalination facility off the coast of South Africa, as this could provide clean energy as well as much needed fresh water to the population. 

The Harvey Scholarship has allowed me to go on the trip of a lifetime and has given me newfound inspiration to pursue renewable practices in my everyday life. I want to pay it forward to the many lives that will come after mine by doing my part in helping to save the beautiful Earth we have been blessed with. In Iceland, I saw climate change at work before my very eyes in the form of glaciers melting away into the sea. Now, I hope to find and promote opportunities to think GREEN here at home, and I know it wouldn’t be possible without the financial support of Hugh and Michelle! For anyone looking to explore the world, definitely consider the land of ice and fire! Perhaps we can even make it a winter trip, and see the Northern Lights together!