While releasing one of Tiny Mix Tapes’ most beloved albums this year and an acoustic strings and vocals reworking of that album would normally prompt well-earned laurel-resting, Björk has lent her name and voice to another project, this time the decidedly weighty issue of the environment of her native Iceland.
As this YouTube clip from Björk rather succinctly points out, the central wilderness of Iceland is under threat from the ever-encroaching threat of the energy sector.
Björk and Icelandic writer Andri Snær Magnason have thrown their support behind a recently established organization called Gætum Garðsins, who are petitioning to have the Icelandic Highlands — apparently some of the most pristine in Europe and a serious source of tourist interest (ergo revenue) for the country — classified as a national park. We could pretend to be right across the politics and science of all this or simply tip you in the direction of the organization, where you can sign the same petition that Björk signed (and therefore fulfill your lifelong dream of collaborating with Björk).
We’ll leave you with this pithy quote that Andri Snær Magnason whipped out in response to UK Prime Minister David Cameron’s plan to run a huge cable from Iceland to Britain to tap into some of the northern island’s apparently endless source of energy:
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.”
Myth. Busted.
[Photo: Timothée Lambrecq]
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