Saving Iceland

Impregilo have practically finished the construction of the central and biggest of the main Kárahnjúkar dams, and is set to begin the first of the dams three inundations “in the last week of September”.

If this is to happen, words cannot describe the devastation of anyone who has ever walked around those prehistoric cliffs, beside that grey and angry river Jökulsá á Brú, into the tumbling land of Kringilsárrani with its countless reindeer, upon the cliffs of its magic waterfall, along the great canyon Hafrahvammagljufur, onto the wild untouched bleak glacier from where the river emerges, through the freedom and towards the dreams that only such a wild land can provoke. Read More

The Iceland Nature Conservation Association claims that the National Power Company will incur a loss of between ISK 20-30 billion through its investment in the Kárahnjúkavirkjun dam project in east Iceland. The calculations are based on figures released by the National Power Company in a reviewed profitability assessment for the dam. Morgunbladid online reports.

In a press release, the Iceland Nature Conservation Association states that it has often “criticized the negative rate of return of the Kárahnjúkavirkjun dam and in particular how low the requirements by the National Power Company (the owners) are for its investment to return a profit”.

The Iceland Nature Conservation Association bases its calculations on the Weighted Average Cost of Capital being 8-9 percent, as is considered “normal and natural based on market criteria.” Read More

Árni Finnsson, chairman of the Iceland Nature Conservation Association, accuses former Minister of Industry and Commerce Valgerdur Sverrisdóttir of corruption, for failing to reveal details of a report showing that the area on which the Kárahnjúkavirkjun dam is being built has active faults in the earth. This was reported by all the main media this weekend and is reported by RÚV online today.

Geophysicist Grímur Björnsson recently revealed on television news programme Kastljós that a report he had prepared, criticizing the placement of the Kárahnjúkar dam, had been stamped as confidential by his superior at the time. Minister of Industry Sverrisdóttir had subsequently failed to reveal the details of the report to parliament, as she was obliged to do.

Sverrisdóttir rejects all accusations, claiming the current controversy is a last-ditch effort on behalf of the opposition to delay the flooding of the Hálsalón reservoir. The flooding of the reservoir, which is set to take place at the end of September, will submerge a large section of the Icelandic highlands. Read More

No matter the environmental and social cost, no matter the ever increasing protests from the Icelandic and international communities and the intensifying warnings fom the scientific sector, the Icelandic government is hellbent on going ahead with its plan to inundate the projected Hálslón reservoir at Kárahnjúkar between 15-30 September.

They must be stopped!

Wherever you are in the world it is likely that there will be a target for you to make your protest felt. Icelandic embassies, consulates or the companies involved in the project, ALCOA, Bechtel, Impregilo… See a list of the companies involved on “The Nature Killers” on our website.

ALCOA worldwide

Icelandic diplomatic missions

TAKE ACTION AGAINST THE DESTRUCTION OF EUROPE’S LAST GREAT WILDERNESS!

ALCOA OUT OF ICELAND!

This summer’s protest camp is disbanding but the fight must go on. Icelandic nature is running out of time, as it is being relentlessly destroyed by those whose wealth and power comes from the exploitation of people and the environment.

The campaign against heavy industry is making progress and it seems that there are more and more Icelanders who are no longer willing to stand by and watch as Iceland is turned into an industrial wasteland (like much of Europe already is). Some of us will soon go back to the 18 different countries which we came from; countries where industrialisation has left us with pollution, illness and disease. We must cross borders to support each other, as these corporations see borders only in terms of how they can be used to divide people. Meanwhile they take our land and profit from our work.

Most importantly, we hope that we have inspired and encouraged others to take action against the destruction of nature in whatever way they are able. People have to realise the importance and fragility of the wilderness before it is (soon) too late. There is no infinite wilderness to be exploited, nor is there infinite time to wait around for a miracle to help us.

We have enjoyed an immense level of support and co-operation from a wide range of people in Iceland. Thank-you to all of the amazing people who have helped so far in the struggle against this horrific destruction of nature which only benefits the rich executives of multinational corporations.

Leader of the opposition in Iceland’s parliament, Ingibjörg Sólrún Gísladóttir, has demanded a new risk assessment for the area on which the Kárahnjúkavirkjun dam in east Iceland is being built. The dam is being constructed to supply the Alcoa aluminum smelter being raised in Reydarfjördur, east Iceland, with power. This is reported in all the main media today.

Álfheidur Ingadóttir, who has a seat on the board of the National Power Company, told RÚV yesterday that geological research carried out prior to the start of the Kárahnjúkavirkjun dam project had been inadequate. Sigurdur Arnalds, spokesman for the project, says that despite it having been proven that geological tremors in the area are more likely than previously thought, it had been ensured at the preparation stage that nothing would go wrong despite seismic activity. Read More

The Icelandic police is currently under fire for alleged harsh treatment of protesters near the Kárahnjúkavirkjun dam project in eastern Iceland. Protests have been ongoing since early July and have for the most part been peaceful. Since the beginning of August, reports have surfaced of more severe actions than before on the parts of protesters, including blocking routes for the movement of heavy machinery. Protestors claim that police have responded with unwarranted harshness. Last weekend the group, which counts some 50 individuals of all nationalities, was broken up by police and protestors made to leave the site where they had set up camp.

Meanwhile, the Icelandic National Broadcasting Service (RÚV) showed footage on yesterday evening’s national news, where the Head of Police in Egilsstadir, east Iceland, shoves a cameraman who was filming protesters and police on police premises in Egilsstadir. The police officer later admitted to having been out of line. The same news hour showed an interview with Álfheidur Ingadóttir, who sits on the board of the National Power Company (Landsvirkjun), in which she voiced her anger at having been kept under surveillance by police authorities while hiking through the Kárahnjúkar area recently. The area, which is set to go under water this September when a reservoir is created to feed the Kárahnjúkavirkjun dam, has been visited by a vast number of tourists this summer. Read More

Reykjavik Grapevine

As usual Reykjavik Grapevine has regrettable problems with getting some of their facts right, but still worth a read.[Ed.]

A series of dubious tactics by law enforcement officials in the area around the Kárahnjukar dam protests have left protestors and conservationists throughout Iceland screaming “foul”. Read More

Yesterday police arrested 4 activists at the main dam site. Activists were brutally arrested for tresspass, one was grabbed by a neckerchief and all had their faces pushed into the ground and legs hit with truncheons.

The legality of the arrest is contestable in its legality as there appears to be no documents to prove that the land is not public access. The activists, once detained were not allowed to make phone calls in the manner outlined in Icelandic law, but were allowed food to be brought to their cells (unlike on the main protest site where the police are trying to starve out campaigners).

All of the activists have since been released with no charges as it seems unlikely that they were breaking the law. Clearly the police and landsvirkjun are uncomfortable with campaigners close proximity to the dam.

Activists moved the main site of the protest camp to Lindur on Tuesday 1st August. The police attempted to intimidate activists against the dam, by creating an eviction time of 12 noon the following day. They would not state where the current site was, preventing the group from moving to the adjacent area of land as is legal under icelandic law. Campaigners thereby moved to an area where they thought they would be legally allowed to stay. The police then used tactics of intimidation to try to stop the camp, which is clearly being an effective form of protest in itself, otherwise the police and companies related to the dam would have no problem with the campers. Dam companies caused the owner of the hut at Lindur to burn it to the ground, obviously they are trying to make protestor uncomfortable, but we remain resolved to fight heavy industry. Police have created various road blocks and have told the site kitchen that they are trying to starve campaigners, by not letting the kitchen on to site.

On the first morning of the camp being in the dam affected area the police carried out a drugs raid on the camp. They hasseled activists who were trying to explain their rights to house peace, which means icelandic police need a warrant to enter a dwelling, including a tent. This like many other laws was ignored. The police entered a number of tents, damaging two of them. The drugs dog paid no attention to the tents chosen. One activist was taken away and searched but released as he, like all of the other anti-dam campaigners, had no drugs or ilegal substances on him. Police lied to the media claiming that drugs were found, the media have now listened to activists explaining what really happened, but initially were unconvinved that the police would lie to them!

Icelanders are encouraged to visit the site. If a road block is in place the walk is only 30 mins and amongst the amazing scenery due to be flooded. Food and vehicles/lifts are always appriciated