ICELAND

Iceland’s see largest environmental accident in the country’s history

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
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NordenBladet — According to Morgunblaðið, oil leaking from the wreck of British the oil tanker, El Grillo, at the bottom of the fjord in Seyðisfjörður in East Iceland has been dubbed as the “largest environmental accident in the history of Iceland caused by humans”.

Hlynur Vestmar Oddsson, a kayak tour guide from Seyðisfjörður, comments, “This is ominous – the largest environmental accident in the history of Iceland caused by humans… The ship is so corroded that it’s started leaking in more than one place.” Oddsson has been actively monitoring the leak over the past few years.

The El Grillo was attacked by German warplanes during World War II, which caused the vessel to sink, luckily with no casualties. However, the damage caused an extremely large-scale oil spill as the ship had the capacity to carry 9,000 tons of oil. Roughly eight years later, half of the oil within the vessel was pumped. In 2001, this process was repeated – yet, some of the oil remains.

An inspection of the vessel revealed that the source of the leakage was due to a corroding maintenance hole which lead to one of the ship’s oil tanks. In 2020, the Icelandic Coast Guard closed the maintenance hole with concrete to further stop the oil leak.

A recent inspection of the wreckage was conducted by the Icelandic Coast Guard to determine the extent of the leakage and the possible options to contain the leakage.

Head of Special Ops at the Icelandic Coast Guard, Sigurður Ásgrímsson, speculates that the landside that struck Seyðisfjörður at the end of 2020 may have played a factor in the problem by causing a tidal wave.

 

Iceland: Over three thousand Icelandic children declared obese

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
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NordenBladet — According to the latest figures from the Health Care Development Center in Iceland, over three thousand children have been declared obese, nearing 6.5% of Icelandic children.

It was noted that roughly ninety children are on a waiting list at Heilsuskóli Barnaspítalis for treatment due to obesity, with complications including fatty liver, acquired diabetes, and sleep apnea.

Efforts by Heilsuskólinn are being made to encourage the children to lead a healthier lifestyle based on dietary advice and exercise. Tryggvi Helgason, a pediatrician and specialist in childhood obesity, commented that it’s vital that parents take an active part in the treatment.

At any given time, an average of 250-300 children and their families are being treated at Heilsuskólinn, with seventy new families added every year.

Childhood obesity in Iceland has been steadily rising since the eighties, where on average, 1% of Icelandic children were declared obese.

 

How Iceland Changed the World – Book ‘Full of Farce and Joy’

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
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NordenBladet – A book by journalist and teacher Egill Bjarnason, How Iceland Changed the World: The Big History of a Small Island, has just been published by Penguin Books.

It is the untold story of how one tiny island in the middle of the Atlantic has shaped the world for centuries. The book was reviewed by The New York Times, where it was highly praised:

“What Egill Bjarnason sets out to explain in How Iceland Changed the World, his joyously peculiar book, is why it is also so full of farce and drive — why Iceland is a country with the soul of a very small town and yet can sometimes shut down the world. Bjarnason balances pride and realism so casually that you can almost take for granted a nation whose Parliament once voted to abolish the letter “z” (except in a few words such as “pizza”),” the review reads.

The history of Iceland began 1,200 years ago, when a frustrated Viking captain and his useless navigator ran aground in the middle of the North Atlantic. Suddenly, the island was no longer just a layover for the Arctic tern. Instead, it became a nation whose diplomats and musicians, sailors and soldiers, volcanoes and flowers, quietly altered the globe forever.

How Iceland Changed the World takes readers on a tour of history, showing them how Iceland played a pivotal role in events as diverse as the French Revolution, the Moon Landing, and the foundation of Israel. Again and again, one humble nation has found itself at the frontline of historic events, shaping the world as we know i, and the book paints a lively picture of just how it all happened.

Egill Bjarnason is an Icelandic journalist, based in Reykjavík. His work has appeared in New York Times, National Geographic, Associated Press, Al Jazeera Online, AJ+, Lonely Planet and Hakai Magazine. As a Fulbright Foreign Student grantee, he earned a Master’s degree in social documentation at the University of California, Santa Cruz, where he also worked as a teaching assistant in photography and statistics for two years.

Iceland: Feel like home at plant-based restaurant Mama in Reykjavík

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
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NordenBladet — When travelling and living off snacks from gas stations it is not unusual to start craving for a home-cooked meal in a friendly atmosphere – just like they make at Mama Reykjavík! It’s no coincidence that the plant-based restaurant that opened to the public in the middle of the pandemic has the name Mama.

Delicious plant-based food made with love.

Delicious plant-based food made with love. @mamareykjavik

 

Centrally located in Reykjavik’s city center (Laugavegur 2), you’ll find the cozy eatery on two floors. The space is vibrant, with the counter situated on the second floor (from the street). Travelers get to mingle with locals while enjoying an Indian curry or a hummus platter, one of the divine raw cakes with chocolate and peanut butter, or even vegan cheesecake. Special care is taken that menu items are made with locally grown and organic ingredients.

The food is prepared with passion by different chefs. The team consists of yogis, cooks, meditators, musicians, travelers, nature lovers, mothers, fathers and explorers of life.

“We are a group of people who wanted to create a space where everyone can just be themselves and enjoy food as nourishing and healthy medicine,” says one of the founders Óli Björn Karlsson. “We felt like this place based on community, compassion and passion will give Reykjavík the vibrations it deserves.”

The restaurant offers more than soul food: inspiring paintings by local artists decorate the walls and there a regular events like concerts, workshops and meditation classes that take place on the upper floor with its rooftop terrace.

“We do receive a lot of travelers, but without the solid base of guest from the local wellbeing community we would not have survived these past months”, Óli says. “Running a business is not always easy, but we learn and grow here – and share our experience on many levels with our community.“

The welcoming spirit in the cozy place is felt by the guests that indulge in the healthy and inspiring food that is more than just a snack – it’s heart-warming. Everyone will feel at home at Mamas!

 

 

Iceland: Cases on the rise as Icelanders start three day weekend

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
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NordenBladet — Iceland continues to see a daily increase in new Covid-19 cases and authorities advise the public to take reasonable precautions now that one of Iceland‘s biggest and busiest holidays is about to start.

Dr. Kamilla Sigríður Jósefsdóttir, the acting Chief Epidemiologist of Iceland, says that the current trend in infections is worrying and that contact tracing is proving increasingly difficult. She tells Mbl.is that unlike previous waves a large share of those now found to have contracted the virus have not been self-isolating when they get tested, meaning they are more likely to have spread the virus to other people.

Preliminary figures indicate that on Thursday 112 people tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 of whom 32 had been self-isolating while 80 had not.

According to the Covid.is information website ten people are currently hospitalized with Covid-19. Of those two are in intensive care and both had not been fully vaccinated. Some 1,072 people are in isolation and 2,590 are in quarantine.

Bring out the tents, but don’t be reckless

Friday marks the beginning of the “Verslunarmannahelgi”, a traditional camping- and town festival weekend for Icelanders. The first Monday of August is a public holiday in what is usually the warmest time of summer, and has Icelanders flocking to campsites and festivals around the country – the largest of which is the Þjóðhátíð festival on the island of Vestmannaeyjar where around 17.000 revellers attend each year.

All festivals have now been cancelled, due to the authorities recently mandating a 200 person limit on gatherings, but Icelanders are still expected to use the weekend to explore their country. Dr. Jósefsdóttir says that people should take care to avoid large crowds of strangers and take reasonable measures to minimize the risk of contagion.

 

 

Iceland: Reykjavik Marathon postponed and Culture Night cancelled

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
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NordenBladet — The pandemic crisis team of the city of Reykjavik decided this morning to cancel all events that were to take place during the annual “Culture Night” festival. This is done in response to the recent jump in Covid-19 cases as well as due to “an uncertainty regarding how the [SARS-CoV-2] Delta variant may affect children, teenagers and other vulnerable groups,” according to a statement issued by Reykjavik authorities.

This is the second year in a row that the event gets cancelled but the festival is celebrated on the first Saturday after Reykjavik‘s official birthday on August 18th. The event would have taken place on August 21st this year, attracting as many as 100,000 visitors.

Runners must wait a month

The Reykjavik Sports Union (Íþróttabandalag Reykjavíkur) has also decided to postpone the Reykjavik Marathon which traditionally takes place on the same day as the Culture Night. The race will be moved from August 21st to September 18th and runners will leave the starting line in groups of 500, with the finish line placed away from the starting line to further minimize crowding.

In an interview with Mbl.is Frímann Ferdinandsson, CEO of the Reykjavik Sports Union, said that some 2,000 foreigners have already registered for the marathon. Participants that cannot attend on the new date can opt to run next year instead. ai@mbl.is

 

 

Iceland: North Iceland sees a rise in seal numbers

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
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NordenBladet — According to RÚV, the number of seals residing on the Vatnsnes and Heggstaðanes peninsulas in the North of Iceland has risen since the previous seal count in 2016.

A team comprised of volunteers and experts counted up to 718 seals across a 100km area on the peninsulas, an increase from 2016’s count of 580.

Páll L. Sigurðsson, CEO of the Icelandic Seal Centre, believes a hunting ban has positively impacted the population of seals in the area. “We counted 718 seals, which is considerably better than the last three times. The last time we counted in 2016, we got 580 seals. So we are very happy that the population isn’t decreasing rather is at least staying consistent,” explained Sigurðsson.

Since 2007, seal counts have been conducted on the Vatnsnes peninsula, with the average number of seals 757.

Sigurðsson expressed his gratitude to everyone that took part in the project, including local and foreign volunteers. “Altogether, there were 58, and 55 that walked or hiked Vatnsnes and Heggstaðanes. So we are very pleased and thankful for that group of volunteers,” commented Sigurðsson.

 

 

Iceland: Eruption sputters but the show isn’t over yet

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
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NordenBladet — After a brief decrease in activity the eruption at Fagradalsfjall has resumed releasing a stream of lava.  

Geologists at the University of Iceland have noticed a change in the behaviour of the volcano, with less activity being visible on the surface. The pool of lava in the main vent does not rise as high as before, resulting in less lava flowing over the landscape and fewer instances of jets of lava shooting into the air.

According to the scientists it appears more time passes between each bout of activity at the eruption site which may mean either a decrease in the flow of magma or that the flow is being directed towards underground pathways.

“It seems like the activity in the vent is changing – the rise in intensity/vigour is not as steep as it used to be or in other words, each episode is taking longer to get going. Why this is happening is not clear,” says a post published today on the Facebook page of the University of Iceland natural disaster team.

“One possibility is that proportionally more of the magma rising from depth is now diverted to inner pathways within the lava. It is also possible that the flux up (i.e., the magma supply) through the eruption conduit has been reduced. It is also possible that the eruption is entering a new phase, but which path it is following will become evident in the coming days and weeks.”

The eruption site continues to see a steady flow of visitors with an estimated 1,000 to 3,000 people making the trek to Fagradalsfjall every day.

Look also:

Iceland: Visitors seem to have a hard time staying off the lava

 

 

Iceland: Visitors seem to have a hard time staying off the lava

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
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NordenBladet — A pair of French tourists were spotted Thursday evening on top of the still-warm lava of the Fagradalsfjall eruption, using the glowing hot rock to toast marshmallows.

This is just the latest of many instances where visitors disregard official warnings to not walk on the lava field around the eruption site due to risk of injury and death.

In July a young American couple was photographed venturing onto the lava while carrying an infant, giving no heed to the warnings of bystanders. Also in July children were seen playing on top of the edge of the lava, with their parents “not reacting well” when bystanders pointed out the danger the children were be in.

In early June a man was spotted stepping onto the still-glowing edge of the lava while his partner photographed him, and later that same month cameras spotted a man running for his life from an approaching stream of lava after having walked a considerable distance towards an active lava vent.

While the surface of the lava may seem solid and strong enough to carry the weight of an adult authorities warn that the crust can be thinner and weaker than it looks, with glowing hot lava underneath.

 

 

Iceland now categorized as RED

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
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NordenBladet — The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has published its latest update on the global Covid-19 epidemic and moved Iceland from an “orange” classification to “red”.

As Iceland Monitor reported the ECDC placed Iceland in the orange category last week following a recent jump in the Covid-19 notification rate.

Iceland is in the lower of the two red categories and shares a colour code with e.g. Estonia, parts of Denmark, Portugal and the Italian region of Sicily.

According to the Covid.is information website the domestic 14-day incidence per 100.000 inhabitants now stands at 414.5 cases. Currently 18 people are hospitalized, 1,388 are in isolation and 1,988 in quarantine.

It should be pointed out to readers that not all European countries follow the ECDC classification with e.g. the UK and Germany using their own methodology to compare Covid-19 risks between countries. Under the German system Iceland is currently rated “green” which is the lowest risk category.

Each state also sets its own rules on how a country‘s ECDC classification affects restrictions on travel to and from a red listed country but the European Union recommends that people neither visit nor travel from countries in the red category.

US authorities have also changed Iceland‘s classification and now warn unvaccinated travellers from visiting the island. Meanwhile Mbl.is reports that Israel has introduced new restrictions on travels to Iceland, requiring both vaccinated and unvaccinated travellers to provide two negative PCR test results and also quarantine for seven days on arrival in Israel.

 

 

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