Day 30: Work day (more or less)

Even though we didn't have a lecture in the morning we arrived at the university at 9 am so that we could work on our projects before the lectures after lunch. I've been struggling with my research and had doubts about my interest in the subject matter. Furthermore, one of lecturers yesterday pretty much did the exact study I proposed and had written a 200 pg thesis on it. So, I decided to not limit myself to an engineering related topic and just choose a subject that I'd really enjoy researching.

So...I decided to evaluate whaling in Iceland and answer the question 'can whaling be a sustainable practice?' We've learned so much about sustainability and renewable energy in Iceland but have neglected to talk about so many issues affecting Iceland and its environment. I took interest in the topic when I ate whale steak at my host family's house in Akureyri and wanted to learn more about the practice in Iceland and the controversy surrounding it. I've already done plenty of research and plan on interviewing an ecologist who argues that whaling can be sustainable.

For class today we had two lecturers, one lady lectured about the chemistry of renewable energy another lady who is an anthropologist spoke to us about the history of renewable energy in Iceland and how technology, nationalism and socio-economics have driven renewable energy in Iceland. The second lecture was a very interesting and probably one of my favorites since we've been here.

Here's a picture of the harbor in Isafjordur which is right next to the university we're studying at.


We left the univeristy around 4 pm and headed home. I had a rather lazy evening and watched Spain defeat Germany in the World Cup and played cards. Now I'm going to go to bed early and do some more research. Tomorrow is another project day. We might go into "town" tomorrow to explore.

It's supposed to be cold and rainy in Iceland tomorrow. Only two weeks left in Iceland! :(