Eleventh International Conference on Climate Change: Impacts & Responses

Abstract

Iceland’s energy comes almost completely from its renewable resources, with the majority being hydroelectric energy, and the remainder being geothermal energy. For several months, researchers from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) conducted secondary-source research on the effect climate change will have on Iceland’s renewable resources throughout the next century. Most importantly, the researchers emphasized the importance of the Icelandic Government’s plans on responding to these upcoming changes. The Earth’s rising temperatures are causing a shrinkage of Iceland’s glaciers, and changing the water runoff from these glaciers at an alarming rate. The rate of glacial decay is currently overflowing Iceland’s dams, but will soon peak, then begin to decrease within the century until the glaciers have completely melted. In order to discover more about the repercussions of climate change, the researchers from ERAU travelled to Iceland, and conducted in-person interviews with both industry professionals, and common Icelanders. Using secondary-source research, combined and cross-referenced with primary source interviews with professionals from Landsvirkjun, citizens from age groups varying between their twenties to their fifties, and other professional workers that came to Iceland from foreign nations, the conclusion was drawn, that the recession of the Icelandic glaciers will render a multitude of Iceland’s hydroelectric power stations inert within the next century, and Iceland’s response to this energy reduction will be defined by their actions taken within the next decade.