Saving Iceland

“They are saying in the paper every day, let’s throw up these aluminium smelters because of the economic crisis. This is a bad idea because in a way building smelters is part of the economic crisis. These huge loans that companies take is too big a chunk for the Icelandic economy to pay. We are on an economic roller coaster ride right now,” said Björk in a recent interview with ITN news.

“I am one of many people who have stood up and spoken out, because I have to. I wouldn’t be able to live with my own conscience when my grandchildren drive around Iceland (in the future) and it’s just full of factories and smelters,” said the singer.

Her new single Nattura encourages active support for environmentalism. Björk said she does not understand how “aluminium smelters can just come to Iceland and takeover,” and that any new business in Iceland should be “not only environmentally and economically sustainable, but also morally sustainable.”

Aluminium corporations operating in Iceland have been heavily criticised on moral grounds. Alcoa has been noted for it’s involvement in arms production and severe worker exploitation in countries such as Honduras and Mexico. Rio Tinto has just seen an investment ban by the Norwegian government for it’s inhuman mining practices in Indonesia, while Century Aluminum has been for it’s involvement with Chinese slave labour companies and dealings in West Congo.