BROADCASTER Lesley Riddoch has launched a new series exploring Iceland's geothermal energy and why people in the sub-arctic country are happier than Scots.
The first of three videos has been published on YouTube as part of Riddoch's new series Resilient Iceland. All three were filmed, produced and researched by Riddoch, and edited by Chris Smith.
Iceland’s Hot Springs Town; Hveragerði follows Riddoch exploring the town found south east of the Icelandic capital, Reykjavik, and why locals are so happy living there despite the dangerous environment.
The description states: "Boiling water runs just beneath the surface and erupts unpredictably in hot springs. Living in this geothermally active area can be dangerous.
"Most families have survival bags in their cars because the springs keep shifting around. But the town with its glasshouses, banana trees and midwinter beer festivals has become a regular stop on the famous Golden Circle tourist route.
"You can cook food simply by burying it for a few hours – but you can also expect a powerful earthquake every year. It’s a challenging place to live – but few locals would contemplate leaving."
Riddoch speaks to one local mother of three young boys, Laufey Sif Larusdottir, who runs Iceland’s only geothermally powered brewery, and asks how much it costs for water and heating in her four-bedroom home "in the sub-arctic".
"We pay about 40,000 Icelandic Kronas which is maybe £200-£230ish for heating and electricity.
"We don't feel there is much difference between winter and summer."
Posting the video on social media, Riddoch said the series gives a "flavour of what independence and public ownership of energy can deliver".
The series comes after last years successful launch of Denmark: The State of Happiness, which aimed to inspire Scots to think differently about how a small country can be run.
Riddoch has already presented videos on Estonia, Norway, and the Faroes.
