The Climate Reality Project -- Husavik

What can change in a day? Everything. On September 14, the world will focus its attention on the truth about the climate crisis. For 24 hours, we will all live in reality. Pick a faraway place or a city near you. Make it yours for one day. We’re hitting every time zone — but only once. 7 p.m. in your time zone. Choose a location and get involved.

Husavik -- 

Husavik is on the north coast of Iceland and one of the oldest inhabited sites in the country. A commercial hub for Iceland‘s agricultural industry, Husavik is also popular with tourists because it is the whale watching capital of Iceland.

Iceland, as you might guess from its name, has a lot of ice. More than 10 percent of the country’s surface is covered by glaciers. But because Iceland is getting warmer, those glaciers are rapidly disappearing. Some glaciers have already shrunk by 75 percent over the last century. The loss of ice will reduce the amount of water available to surrounding natural areas and the hydroelectric industry in Iceland. All the while, melting glaciers will increase global sea levels.

The country isn’t all in a deep freeze, however. It is also home to volcanoes and hot springs, signs of an immense source of clean energy just below the surface. Geothermal energy — which harnesses the heat stored in the Earth — is used to power about 90 percent of homes in Iceland.