Bjork calls for global action to prevent destruction of Iceland's Highlands

Iceland Airwaves 2015

Wednesday 4th to Sunday 8th November 2015
various venues, Reykjavik, Faxafli Bay, Iceland MAP
19.900 kr (approx £160)

Daily capacity: 7,000

Bjork and writer and environmentalist Andri Snær Magnason hosted a press conference today at Iceland Airwaves in downtown Reykjavik, Iceland on behalf of Gætum Garðsins (Protect the Park) highlighting the need for urgent action to protect Iceland’s Highlands from environmental destruction, destruction our Prime Minister is at the centre of.

Gætum Garðsins is a coalition aiming to raise awareness for the conservation of Iceland’s Highlands, which forms the largest area of untouched wilderness in Europe. The organisation's goal is to create a national park and at once debunk the myth that Iceland is a source of endless energy that should be harnessed at the cost of the country’s true national treasure — its nature.

The press conference comes one week after David Cameron's visit to Iceland, when a new UK-Iceland Energy Task Force was announced to assess the possibility of laying the world's longest sub-sea power cable (746 miles) to provide the UK with 'long-term, renewable' energy.

Commenting on this plan in advance of the press conference, Andri Snær Magnason said, "The concept of Iceland’s infinite energy of Iceland is on par with other myths from Iceland like elves and trolls. You cannot simply plug into a volcano. Iceland has already harnessed its nature for energy production close to the maximum and the only way this proposal could work would be to build more power plants. While energy for the cable does not seem available, about five factories are being discussed or planned - making it almost impossible to imagine where all the energy can come from without damaging something incredibly wild and fragile.

"Some of the plans would bring grave environmental consequences - destroying nesting places of pink-footed geese and habitat for the great north Atlantic salmon, as well as some of the greatest waterfalls in the wilderness of Iceland or simply the rare tranquility of untouched wilderness."

To prevent irreversible damage to the Highlands, Gætum Garðsins is proposing that a national park be created. The Highlands are a big draw for nature lovers all over the world, but currently only has limited protection, an is under threat of extensive development, as outlined by the Icelandic government’s Master Plan for conservation of nature and utilisation of energy. Specifically, the Government has plans to pave roads, erect power lines and build power plants right through the centre of Iceland, which would drastically alter the landscape and slice the highlands in half.

As part of the conference, Bjork has released the video message below asking “the world to support us against our Government”.