Björk Confronts The Icelandic Government’s Plan To Build A Power Line Across The Entire Country
Björk’s 2011 opus Biophilia was centered around the intersection of nature, music, and technology, and she has long been concerned with humanity’s relationship to the environment. Today, she’s released a video alerting the world to the Icelandic government’s plans to build a high-voltage power line across the entire island. Currently, Iceland has the largest stretch of untouched wilderness in Europe, and the construction of dams and power plants the government has planned to build in that area would destroy the pristine highlands.
Along with writer and environmentalist Andri Snaer Magnason, Björk is working with the organization Gaetum Garðsins (loosely translated to “Protect The Parks”) and has created a petition for Icelanders to protest the planned developments. There are eleven days left before the decision is finalized, and speaking to spoke to MTV Iggy, Björk said she thinks most Icelandic people don’t want the construction to happen:
In a small country like Iceland, if you get foreigners supporting our views, it mirrors back here to the people in power, and they listen to the crazy artists of their own island. The biggest weapon is information. The reason I stand up and speak is not because I love the attention. I would much rather be at home writing songs. But 80 percent want this area to be untouched. I get a platform and I can say what 80 percent of Icelanders would say if they had the chance. I feel like I’m a spokesperson.
Watch the video below and read more about the situation at Heart of Iceland.
