02-05 Iceland Glaciers

In Greenland they were talking about schools of mackerel that were showing up in the warmer Greenland waters. But in Iceland they were talking about shrinking glaciers.
And there is something like 400 glaciers in Iceland that cover about 11 percent of their land mass. And, apparently, Iceland is losing something like a billion tons of ice per year as the climate warms.
Iceland was never on my bucket list, but my short visit to the capital Reykjavik was educational. A nation that is progressive and forward looking. And so interesting to see such a small nation so preoccupied with the warming climate.
The big deal was one of their glaciers disappearing. And for their two million tourists the big activity is glacier walking.
It seemed to me, as an outsider, that fighting climate change is part of their Icelandic culture. Everyone talks about the weather. It’s about living in the Arctic.
The big public initiative is the plan to outlaw combustion engines by 2030, and they want every new building to have charging stations for electric vehicles.
But what they are secretly worried about is the Gulf Stream which brings the warm ocean currents to their island that moderates their temperature. Will climate change impact the path of the Gulf Stream?
Iceland is a climate winner. Agriculture is booming. Fishing is booming. Tourism is booming. And visitors love visiting Iceland farms with their unique strains of domestic animals that were brought over by the Vikings about 1000 years ago. Loved their yummy ice-cream.
Agriculture is enjoying a longer growing season, and new crops are being introduced. This is the story everywhere in the north.
But it is the uncertainty about our changing climate that worries Icelanders and thoughtful people everywhere. Climate change is quirky.
Part of my education was a discussion of the need to plant trees to absorb carbon dioxide. But trees do not naturally exist in Iceland. So, trees like everything else are imported from Norway.
My lesson from visiting Iceland. Keep monitoring what is happening to their glaciers. For many parts of the world, glaciers provide water for agriculture and human habitat. They are shrinking everywhere.