Skírnir - 01.09.2005, Page 48

höfðu ræst orð Sigurðar Þórarinssonar um að verðmæti fossa gæti
falist í „unaðsstundum“ ekki síður en kílówattsstundum.147 Sig-
urður taldi slík verðmæti ekki verða metin til fjár en í tilviki Gull-
foss væri það hægt enda einn fjölsóttasti ferðamannastaður lands-
ins í áratugi. Fossinn er nú mikilvæg auðlind fyrir Íslendinga en á
annan veg en menn sáu fyrir sér fyrir tæpri öld þegar rætt var um
að virkja hann í skiptum fyrir járnbraut og áburðarverksmiðju.
Þetta er áminning um að ákvarðanir um náttúrunýtingu eldast
misvel. Er ráðamönnum og öðrum sem með þær fara því meiri
vandi á höndum fyrir vikið. Séu náttúruauðlindir nýttar á ákveð-
inn hátt á einum tíma getur það spillt fyrir hugmyndum og annarri
þörf eða eftirspurn varðandi nýtingu síðar, ekki síst ef fyrri hug-
myndir og framkvæmdir í þeirra anda hafa spillt sjálfum efniviðn-
um – náttúrunni.
unnur birna karlsdóttir278 skírnir
147 Sigurður Þórarinsson, „Fossar á Íslandi“, Náttúruverndarráð, fjölrit nr. 2
(1978), bls. 11.
Summary
Although Gullfoss has been a tourist attraction since the 19th century, as one of the
most spectacular sights of Icelandic nature, it enters our modern view of Icelandic
nature not only as such. In fact one could say that views on Gullfoss reflect the
most profound conflict within the Icelanders’ view on nature, namely that of the
protection of natural phenomena and their utilization. In the first quarter of the 20th
century, the power of Gullfoss inspired dreams of progress and profit. Icelandic
authorities had a favourable attitude towards anyone willing to harness this water-
fall, granting various entrepreneurs permission to do so. Although Gullfoss repres-
ented romantic natural beauty, this status failed to guarantee its preservation at that
time; barely a century ago it could have ceased to exist at all. Its unconditional pres-
ervation was not secured until 1979 with the declaration of Gullfoss and its closest
surroundings as a nature reserve. Only by this act Icelandic authorities finally put
aside plans of damming the waterfall and acknowledged the early 20th century
ideals of Sigríður Tómasdóttir from Brattholt, namely that Gullfoss should never
fall prey to industrial utilization. These ideals, which were considerably ahead of
their time, marked the beginning of a resistance to hydroelectric power plants in
Iceland, a resistance based on the acknowledged importance of the preservation of
nature, which characterized the latter part of the 20th century.
Skírnir haust 05 RÉTTUR 23.11.2005 13:53 Page 278