© Jules Jal / WWF
A fast-changing island
Will the climate crisis take the “Ice” out of Iceland?
Iceland is famous for its unspoiled natural beauty. People flock to the small Nordic country to see its majestic waterfalls, geysers and volcanoes as well as the hundreds of glaciers that cover more than a tenth of the island. But Iceland is also one of the fastest-warming places on the planet: it is heating up as much as four times faster than the northern hemisphere average.
ANDRI MAGNASON is an Icelandic writer based in Reykjavik who has dedicated many of the past years to exploring the words, myths and metaphors we need to grasp the climate crisis. He’s the author of several books, including On Time and Water, which looks at our relationship to time in an age of ecological crisis. The Circle spoke to him about the changes he’s noticing in Iceland and some of the environmental challenges that the country might face in the future.
© Anton Smári
What changes have you witnessed in Iceland as a result of the climate crisis?
One major change is that the glaciers are collapsing. That’s been very visible since around 2000. In the last 20 years, they have receded more than in the previous 100. In some places, they are retreating around 100 metres a year. For instance, I’ve been out walking in the highlands using maps that were 10 years old. According to these maps, I should already have been on the glacier, but in reality, I still had more than a kilometre left to walk on barren land. That’s kind of mind-blowing. And it’s not only that the peripheries of the glaciers are receding—it’s also how thin they are becoming.
Why should we care that these glaciers are disappearing?
Glaciers are good for us. The world needs them to stay intact. Iceland’s glaciers are not only beautiful—they have a big impact on marine life in the area. They are important for the rest of the world because if they were to vanish, global sea levels would rise by about one centimetre. That might not sound significant, but Iceland represents about one per cent of the one-metre global rise that is expected.
Iceland is like a canary in a coal mine—it’s an indicator of what is going to happen next. I’m actually less worried about the glaciers of Iceland than I am about the fact that glaciers in general around the globe are disappearing at the same rate. That’s a very serious thing for people who rely on glacier water, such as those who live in the Himalayas.
Are you already seeing negative impacts from the glaciers receding in Iceland?
Mostly, only the temporary “positive” effects are noticeable right now—for example, the higher volume of water from melting glaciers means energy companies can produce more power. But eventually, that will change.
We have also seen enormous changes in vegetation. Iceland is actually greening. Glacial rivers have been diverted because the glacier recedes and the river changes its outlet, so Iceland’s largest bridge is now over black sand that is slowly becoming a birch forest. But it is possible that there will be more volcanic eruptions in the future because of the decreasing pressure exerted by glaciers on the Earth’s crust.
© Bill Boswell
What other changes are you seeing in Iceland due to the climate crisis?
Sea bird populations are struggling, and some Arctic species, such as ptarmigan and puffins, are having big trouble surviving. Puffin colonies have decreased by something like 70 per cent. Those are the most visible changes. Southern fish species that did not live here before, like mackerel, are coming into the waters around Iceland.
Ocean acidification is also a big issue—and it is worse in the Arctic, where aragonite saturation decreases when the pH level drops. Aragonite is the building material for shell-building animals, such as shellfish and corals. The pH level has already dropped by about 0.1 pH units in the past 30 years, and it’s expected to drop 0.2 or 0.3 units more. (Although this might not sound like much, every 0.1 pH unit represents an increase in acidity of approximately 30 per cent.)
We really don’t know where the tipping point is, but by 0.3 pH units, it could become a huge challenge for all shell-building animals. So, we could have an ocean that doesn’t build corals or shells, but instead dissolves them.
How concerned are you personally about Iceland’s future when it comes to the environment and the climate crisis?
You know, I would not say that glaciers stir up a lot of feelings for me personally, even though I like them. But what makes me feel sad is the idea that seabirds could disappear. You know, if we saw a big decline in the Arctic tern, for example, and it stopped coming to the north of Iceland where we have our farm, that would make me quite sad as an old man.
In the short run, I am pessimistic, but in the long run I think there are reasons to be optimistic. I think there is a critical mass of young people in the current generation who deeply understand the issue of climate change, and they are putting their knowledge and education toward solving it. It is actually a very interesting time to be alive and be a part of that change.
Andri Magnason is an Icelandic writer based in Reykjavik who has dedicated many of the past years to exploring the words, myths and metaphors we need to grasp the climate crisis. He’s the author of several books, including On Time and Water, which looks at our relationship to time in an age of ecological crisis.
