Reykjavík Grapevine - 08.11.2019, Blaðsíða 18

Greta’s Dream Day
In Reykjavík
Your guide to staying green in the city
Words: Lea Müller Photos: Art Bicnick
Unless you’ve chosen to deem the
life’s work of thousands of sci-
entific experts to be “fake news,”
you’re likely a bit terrified about
the climate emergency. And that’s
okay. While watching Greta Thun-
berg sail around the world might
give you comfort, you shouldn’t be
all, “You go girl!” and then carry
on living without reflecting on
your individual day-to-day con-
sumption choices. The “someone-
else-will–fix-this-attitude” sim-
ply doesn’t work. In fact, there
are many simple things everyone
can do to work towards the world
that Greta envisions. To make
these decisions easier for you,
we created this list with the best
environmentally-friendly options
Reykjavík has to offer.
Plastic’s not fantastic
Life on an island brings with it two
inherent problems. Many things
have to be imported and thus don’t
only come with an inflated carbon
footprint but also come wrapped in
plastic. There are, though, some op-
tions for green grocery shopping.
Frú Lauga on Laugalækur offers
a variety of both local and unpack-
aged products, and in Heilsuhusi!
in Kringlan, you may refill your
brought-from-home containers at
the bulk-booth. For you caffeine-
heads, pick up some coffee in aes-
thetically-pleasing paper bags at
Reykjavík Roasters.
While not everyone can afford
splashing the extra cash on green
choices, we can all refuse plastic
bags when shopping. It won’t hurt
your fruit or veg to be bare on the
counter. It’s all about baby steps.
For instance, if you’re a regular
nammiland visitor on Saturdays,
keep your candy bag and reuse it.
You should also bring containers
for take-away goodies. This has al-
ready become an established habit
in other countries—let’s be part of
that change.
New Old is always better
We all know that the prices of
goods in retail stores do not rep-
resent their true cost. Most prod-
ucts come with externalised costs
that are neither paid directly by
customers nor by producers, but
in the long-run, manifest in pol-
lution and the exploitation of un-
skilled labourers.
If you want to get off the capi-
talist treadmill, Reykjavík offers a
variety of second-hand stores that
will not only resolve your crisis of
conscience but also save you some
cash. Extraloppan in Smáralind
satisfies every fashionista’s heart
and the multiple Red Cross stores
even donate their profits to a good
cause. For pre-loved furniture,
head to Gó!i Hir!irinn in Sævar-
höf!i or browse the Facebook page
Gefins, allt Gefins.
Vegan is the new meat
It’s now widely acknowledged that
veganism is the most sustain-
able diet. Vegan dishes require
way less water than a beef-burger,
and don’t result in cow farts full
of potent methane, which accel-
erates global warming. Gló on
Laugavegur, Veganæs in Gau-
kurinn, and Burro on Veltusund
are only some of the best vegan-
friendly restaurants in town.
I am a passenger
Admittedly, making green-choic-
es in transport can be a toughie.
That said, the recently introduced
scooter rental Hopp is a viable al-
ternative to cars and buses when
getting around the city. Environ-
mentally friendly long-distance
travel is hindered by the fact that
Iceland lacks a railway system, but
you can still reduce your emis-
sions by finding someone headed
your destination on car-sharing
platforms like Samfer!a. Who
knows, if you‘re very lucky you
might even hitch a ride in a Tesla.

BEST OF REYKJAVÍK
Best Place
For Aurora-
Spotting
Winner:
Ægissí!a to Grótta
Vesturbær to Seltjarnarnes
Ægissí!a is literally the west
coast of Reykjavík. Running
along the sea, this walk is shel-
tered from traffic and light
pollution and thus perfect for a
peaceful and romantic walk of
any duration. In winter, it be-
comes even more magical with
some of the best chances to see
northern lights in Reykjavík.
If you walk long enough, you’ll
end up at Grótta at the tip of the
Seltjarnarnes peninsula with
its iconic lighthouse. “It’s one
of my favourite places to be in
general,” said one of the panel-
lists. “Plus it has the best bon-
fires in town.”

Runners up:
Fossvogur and
Öskjuhlí!
City Centre Area
This walk leads you along the
creek that divides Reykjavík
and Kópavogur. “Its right by the
ocean,” says the panel. “Nobody
ever goes there, it’s so peaceful.”
Additional perks include a mys-
tical graveyard and, if you walk
a little further, Reykjavík’s only
“city forest” up on the Perlan-
topped hill of Öskjuhlí!.

Sculpture & Shore
Walk
Laugardalur-Reykjavík 101
With its view on the ocean and
mountains, it’s recommended
for a long, contemplative walk.
Leading from Laugardalur to
Reykjavík’s famous concert hall
“Harpa,” it is a nice and long
walk right next to the ocean —
and you will get to experience
some of the diverse city land-
scape that Reykjavík has to offer.

18The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 20— 2019Best of Reykjavík
Greta's breakfast