ABSTRACT
Greenland has a very young democracy which is still in the process of building its fundamental democratic institutions. Greenlanders and Greenlandic politicians often look east to the neighbouring island of Iceland. This young republic has, like Greenland, lived through the yoke of Danish colonial rule. There is one particular aspect of the Icelandic economy which is the subject of many Greenlander's interest these days, namely the aluminium industry and its effect on the national economy. The Greenlandic public and the decision-makers are being taught by the industry and the government that building an aluminium smelter in Greenland will benefit the global environment and have a positive effect on the global climate, because the 'green metal' will be even greener when smelted using Greenlandic hydropower. In Greenland, the environmental discourse in relation to the proposed aluminium smelter was initiated with the statements made in the MoU between the government and Alcoa.
