Húsa v 7 jun ík, icel an d , e 201 0:
We’re all here! A mixed bunch, 11 teenagers from 6 countries. We all took part in the I.C.E. Competition 2010 – and won a place in the fourth international I.C.E. youth camp in Iceland. e abbreviation stands for Ice Climate Education.
Arved Fuchs brought this climate project to life. e thinking behind it is as follows: we, the youth of today, have to find solutions for climate change for tomorrow. It’s never too early to gather ideas, not only from books but preferably in the field. at’s why we’re here. Arved himself communicates with us regularly by video conference. He is on an expedition to Greenland with his ship, the Dagmar Aaen.
On the very first “proper” I.C.E. day we get stuck in with a discussion about CO2. What impact does our individual behaviour have, what can still be done?
s ’ k í v a s ú 417 m H tain n u o m n ow Húsavíkurall is not particularly high but the ascent is still very steep. We are not used to this but it’s worth it. It’s as if the mountain wanted to show us what else was on offer in addition to the fantastic 360º view from the summit, because on the way up we spot many birds and wild flowers, some of which are rare.
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We sail to Dalvík on the old cutter “Knörrin”. Just as well we all got oversized protective clothing because the breeze is pretty fresh for us landlubbers. But it’s not just the clothing that is keeping us warm: below deck there must be a natural spring supplying hot chocolate and everybody lends a hand with sailing the boat.
We stop halfway at Flatey, the “flat island”. Here you can see 30 out of a total of 37 bird species native to Iceland, including terns and Iceland’s own puffins.
Dalvík lies on the Eyjaördur ord. When we enter the harbour, we see the glittering mountains of the Tröllaskagi peninsula (up to 1000 m high) in the background. We are staying in Skeið guesthouse, which lies in the middle of the Svarfaðardal nature conservation area – and just outside the Arctic Circle.
Of course, climate change is going to be the focus of I.C.E. Everybody describes the effects in their own country, each time giving us a fresh perspective on the topic.
e ice age left behind many glaciers in the mountains. We are walking in Svarfaðardal and try wading through the glacier water. If we didn’t realise it before, we certainly can almost feel the proximity of the Arctic Circle when our feet hit the water. As a reward for the kilometres we have walked, we enjoy a bit of sun at one of the lakes.
b ac k i n k Ă v a s u H
we devote our energies to the “CleanAir” simulation game, where we take on the role of representing different nations in a climate conference. e game represents the active part of the camp. Armed with the knowledge from the previous scientific lectures, we watch “e Great Global Warming Swindle” in the evening: the film contradicts widespread opinion on climate change and seemed almost grotesque in view of what we had learned before.
When you hear of Iceland, you usually think of glaciers first followed by volcanoes. After seeing the glaciers at Dalvik, the volcanoes are next: Iceland lies exactly on the Eurasian and American continental plates, which are drifting 2 cm apart each year. is is why there are so many volcanoes in Iceland that are still active. All in all, there seems to be something going on underground: every day there are lots of small earthquakes but they are scarcely noticed.
e Icelanders harnessed these natural energy sources early on. e best conditions for geothermal power stations are to be found on the island. e energy obtained here is used for electricity, heating and to de-ice the roads. It is hard to beat the Icelanders when it comes to renewable energies for producing electricity: geothermal energy produces about 25%, and the remainder is almost wholly produced from hydropower. What could be a better model!
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Bubbling mud pools, mounds from which hydrogen sulfide is steaming, small volcanoes: on the sulfur fields of Hverarönd we see with our own eyes how Iceland is seething underground. e region lies in the volcano system of Krafla. In this landscape we imagine we are on Mars, except there are far more colours here than just Martian red – the rock varies from yellow to purple. Our last visit is to the Krafla geothermal power station where energy has been produced since 1977.
r i g r o b d i mmu Stipvisiste is in another world: after science and technology, Dimmuborgir oers a complete contrast. î “e lava field reminds one of ruined castles and in Icelandic mythology it is the home of elves and trolls ...
g n i H c t a w e l a H w k í v a s ú in H Húsavík is the capital of whale watching – at least nowadays. In the bay of Húsavík there is a good chance of spotting whales. Since whaling was stopped in Iceland in 1989, watching these sea mammals has established itself as a new source of income and brings in a lot more than whaling.
Before we set off on our whale watching trip, we listen to a lecture on the history of whaling. It is terrible how many whales have been killed over the years. en we have a look round the whale museum. Here you can find out everything about the different species of whale and dolphin which live in Iceland’s waters and about the causes of beached whales. e history of whaling is also dealt with. We stand open-mouthed beneath the giant skeleton of one of these sea mammals.
At lunchtime we take the sailing boat out in the hope of seeing a few flukes or a blowhole. We’re in luck: the bay of the whale capital confirms its reputation! Besides several whales, we also see dolphins.
Our sailing trip also takes us to Lundey Island (also known as Puffin Iceland) where about 250,000 puffins live in the summer.
Today is the day for natural forces! We drive to the two waterfalls Dettifoss and Selfoss in the Jökuldárglijúfur National Park. Selfoss lies a bit upstream of Dettifoss. e water from the Jökulsá á Fjöllum rushes over a 10-metre drop into the canyon. en, about a kilometre further on, it really gets going at Dettifoss: an average of 193 cubic metres of water per second plunge vertically down a 45 m drop. In terms of water discharge, this makes it the largest waterfall in Europe!
r u f ú j i l g r á d l u k ö j k r a p l a n natio
n o y n a c i á sb y r g e second highlight is the horseshoe-shaped Ásbyrgi Canyon: the river, whose raging torrent over the two waterfalls left us awestruck, used to flow through here. Because of its shape, the canyon is also called “Odin’s Footprint”: legend has it that Odin’s eight-legged horse Sleipnir left a hoofprint in the ground. It is also said to be an important cultural and economic centre of the elves.
e last day of the camp is devoted to the high point of the “CleanAir” simulation game. It becomes clear from our heated discussions in our trial agreements and trial runs how much more difficult it must be to reach agreement on an international level. But in the end we come to a resolution.
I.C.E. is over and we feel a bit better prepared for tomorrow.
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If you want to find out more – start with the following links:
www.arved-fuchs.de
www.husavik.de
www.icewhale.is
www.thule-tours.com
photos: Arne Steenbock - Arved Fuchs Expeditionen