SUSTAINABILITY & PEACE P. 29 ICELAND AND ITS FILM SETS

According to the Government of Iceland, about 85% of the total primary energy supply in the country is provided by local renewable energy sources. The United Nations says that the island state used imported fossil fuels until the early 1970s and switched to renewable energy sources to ensure the stability of its economy. There have been several crises in the global energy markets that have shown that Iceland should become independent from oil and coal imports. It was a long, complex, and nonlinear process involving both local entrepreneurs and politicians.

Alexander Frolov, deputy general Director of the Institute of National Energy of Russia, believes that the issue of the country's transition to green energy is primarily economic rather than ecological. Reforming the country's energy market requires large expenditures, including investments in infrastructure and the search for suppliers. Such a process takes years and requires large expenditures of the state budget, so even developed countries cannot succeed in this right away.

Due to the Russian-Ukrainian conflict occurring in February 2022, an energy crisis began worldwide. Many countries have felt their dependence on Russian gas and oil supplies. Apparently, in the coming years, governments that oppose Russia's position will look for alternative energy sources, including renewable ones. But till then, fossil fuels are an essential political and economic weapon with which it is possible to destabilize global markets. Perhaps in the future, the relative independence of countries from energy imports could become the basis of global stability.

Alexander Etkind, a professor of history and the Chair of Russia-Europe relations at the European University Institute, believes that the topic of sustainability should be the main one in the 21st century. Meanwhile the «competition for resources» is a challenge to the civilized world. The chaos that has reigned, one way or another, involves society in a military discussion. But regardless of the situation, it is important to continue talking about the environment, the pandemic, and other natural phenomena with global consequences.

Building green energy and moving away from gas and oil dependence is a matter of time. The search for solutions to environmental problems should not be stoped. Even if this cannot interrupt military conflict, then at least it can unite people from different countries who want to explore the topic and transfer knowledge further.

«In the midst of every crisis, lies great opportunity», Albert Einstein said. It remains to be hoped that the current situation can become a great lesson for humanity and a step toward the creation of new economic and political systems.

Margarita ALEEVA