The operators of Keflavik International Airport have removed International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) posters encouraging tourists not to taste whale meat in Iceland. The action follows complaints from whalers. IFAW accuses the airport of censorship. Read the full story

In a few weeks time, the Icelandic whale watching ship Elding will become the world’s first hydrogen-powered commercial ship, transporting Iceland one step further from fossil fuels.

Hydrogen will initially only be used to power the vessel’s lighting system, but it marks an important first step in Iceland’s goal of converting their entire transportation system to hydrogen by the year 2050.

Because the lights on Elding will run on hydrogen fuel cell, the ship will be able to do away with the loud diesel auxiliary engine currently in use. Not only is the use of the hydrogen good for the environment, it’s also good for the ship’s whale watching clients.

In the past, when the crew sighted a whale, the ship’s main engines were stopped in order to let tourists hear the sounds of the whales swimming and blowing water. However, the sound of the auxiliary engines often marred the experience.

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