This isn’t a reason for not restoring forest, of course. There are all sorts of good reasons for restoring forest that aren’t to do with global warming. Forests protect hillsides from erosion, slow down winds, buffer water supplies, provide shelter for livestock, provide timber for structural use and for fuel wood… the list goes on and on.

But in Iceland (and elsewhere in the subarctic), not nearly as fast or effectively as it does in warmer parts of the world.

Climate change or the old term global warming does not, repeat does not imply that it will be warm and you’ll never feel the cold again. There is no doubt that the climate is changing despite all the exposed shenanigans. There are opportunists and extremists on all sides but that doesn’t alter what is already happening.

I put it down to a simple fact, pollution is bad and we’re putting more of it into the earth than the earth can clean for us. And it doesn’t matter if we’re in a climate change scenario naturally or by the hand of man, it ain’t gonna be good. I’d like my air and water clean no matter what anyone says about the future crisis or non crisis.

High technology or not I think we’re less prepared to deal with this mess than the ancients were when it happened to them. The people that didn’t starve jumped into the long boats and moved.

“you’re gonna need a bigger boat”
Jaws.

That must be local warming. In Germany it’s freezing cold and the first snow has arrived.

Since most in Iceland probably confine most of their travel near Reykjavík, how about the widespread adoption of electric vehicles? If not an SUV, the new Nissan Leaf, points the direction of what is practically possible, and coming. In lieu of this, or in addition, more use of hybrid vehicles, which even now do come in SUV format.

Then, a favorite of mine, how about returning the forests of yore to Iceland? Green points awarded for carbon sequester, and in having forests again the citizens might even decide they rather love them. A good place to hang Christmas lights as well.