Iceland has tons of volcanic activities and geothermal fields available around it. This activity brings unending hot steaming water.
This is a tremendous source of natural energy.
Among powering many things they do in everyday life, this energy becomes useful in combatting the freezing climate, and more specifically, sidewalks.
When you live in cold climates, maintaining sidewalks becomes a back-breaking pain in the ass. People have to constantly maintain them, or risk injury to themselves or others. And it is also highly inefficient and ineffective.
Engineers in Iceland have managed to drill down beneath the surface, accessing massive, self-replenishing bodies of hot water. They then built pipes to their local plants, running the hot water directly to them. The pipes were specially designed to preserve heat, most water losing less than 2 degrees celcius on its voyage.
And then, those energy plants generated easy electricity with that water and feed it into special wires that were laid down into their sidewalks, making them warmer, unfreezing the ice, and making their cities walkable.
The energy is self-sustaining; it doesn’t require many people. And it is natural. Volcanic, hot water powers much of an Icelander's everyday life.
Iceland sets a great example in responsible use of its natural resources.
